Curated OER
Labs from Chicago, Summer 1993: Calibrating the Sun's Light
Students experiment with the luminosity of the Sun's light. In this luminosity lesson, students participate in an experiment with luminosity of the sun and flashlights. They make filters and fiber optic sources.
Curated OER
A Very Simple Conductivity Meter
Learners conduct a simple conductivity meter to test the ionic or non-ionic nature of water samples including one from their home.
Curated OER
Where Did All the Stars Go?
For this brightness of stars worksheet, students solve 4 problems given a unit of measurement of cents/second for brightness. Students find cents collected in timed exposures, they find brightness of stars and they determine visibility...
Curated OER
The Color Spectrum: How Does it Work?
Create models of the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Working in small groups, your class can investigate metric conversions calculations. They will find the length of the waves in nanometers,...
Curated OER
Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems
The Green Education Foundation found that this lesson plan, written by the Texas State Energy Conservation Office, is right up their alley when it comes to teaching sustainability. It is ideal as a first lesson plan on photovoltaic...
Curated OER
Harnessing Solar Energy
Middle schoolers discover the properties of light (radiant) energy from the sun by experimenting with solar collectors, cookers, and calculators. After a lecture/demo, students create their own solar collectors and test their efficiency.
University of Colorado
Can Photosynthesis Occur at Saturn?
In the 19th activity of 22, learners determine if distance from a light source affects photosynthesis. Participants capture oxygen in straws and find that the amount of water the gas displaces is proportional to the rate of photosynthesis.
Curated OER
Energy Efficiency Ambassadors
Learners research energy conservation devices. They also create their own light efficiency project and presents their findings on science fair night.
Curated OER
Factor Conversion
In this factor worksheet, students practice doing factor conversions of time, length, speed, and weight. This worksheet has 12 word problems to solve.
Curated OER
Solar System Lab
In this solar system instructional activity, 8th graders make a scale model of the solar system, answer 5 questions and write a conclusion.
Curated OER
Energy and Mass-Same Things But Different!
In this energy and mass worksheet, students read about Einstein's formula, E=mc2 and they solve six problems. They convert from different energy units to different mass units using a given formula.
It's About Time
The History and Scale of the Solar System
Take scientists beyond our earthly reach and into the solar system. Pupils create a model of the solar system and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their model. They calculate distances in light years, discuss the nebular theory, and...
Curated OER
Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator is...
It's About Time
Curved Mirrors
Discover concave and convex mirrors using a laser light. Scholars experiment with real and virtual images before reading a handout and completing homework questions. Included extensions greatly benefit learners, so take advantage of the...
Curated OER
What's the Frequency, Roy G. Biv?
Introduce starting space scientists to the electromagnetic spectrum, expecially the portion of visible light. Teach them about wavelength and frequesncy. Then give them a roll of adding machine tape and a manila folder to make a...
Curated OER
Household Conservation/Efficiency
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
Exploratorium
Vocal Visualizer
Make sound visible with an activity that provides directions for how to build a vocal visualizer meant to create light patterns. Making noise into the visualizer causes a mirror to vibrate, reflecting a laser beam, and creating the...
Curated OER
Sound Busters
Fourth graders engage in a study of sound pollution at their school. After a class discussion on what noise pollution is, learners are asked if they think there are areas of their school or community where noise pollution is a problem....
Lake Afton Public Observatory
Shadows, Angles, and the Seasons
Shine some light on the topic of seasonal change with this collection of activities. Whether it's by measuring the change in the length of their shadows, or modeling the earth's orbit around the sun using a lamp and a globe, these simple...
Virginia Department of Education
States and Forms of Energy
Energy is just energy, right? Explain various forms of energy to your young scientists by using an interactive experiment that contains common objects to demonstrate complex concepts. Pupils conduct experiments for radiant, thermal,...
LABScI
Kinematics: The Gravity Lab
Falling objects can be brutal if you don't protect your noodle! Scholars explore the motion of falling objects through measuring short intervals to determine if the distance traveled varies with time. Building off of this, scholars...
101 Questions
Double Sunglasses
If you wear two sets of sunglasses, do you get twice the darkness? Pupils explore an enlightening topic using a video and math model. They discover how to extend the topic through a sequel video and challenge question.
Curated OER
Peak Flow Meter Exercise
Students investigate the concept of lung capacity. They use flow meters to measure the maximum capacity of themselves and others. The data is collected in order to make some conclusions concerning the mean of individual lung capacity....
Curated OER
When the Lights Go Out!
Students identify coal as the primary fuel used to generate electricity. After discussing coal's use in the generation of electricity, have students complete "When the Light Go Out" worksheet.