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Worksheet
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Nuts! Calculating Thermal Efficiency

For Students 6th - 9th Standards
Oh nuts! Do macadamias or almonds produce more thermal energy? Energy enthusiasts find out with this experiment. The objective is to demonstrate to your class how the chemical energy contained in foods can be converted into useable...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature and Thermal Energy

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Examine how heat can be transferred between systems by reconstructing a diagram on energy flow and solving problems on heat flow and work done.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Melting the Ice: Energy Transfer

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study thermal energy and energy transfer to sea ice processes. In this energy transfer lesson, students make their own ice cream and discuss energy transfer and thermal energy. Students view a radiation overhead and its role in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make Your Own Temperature Scale

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Differentiate between temperature and thermal energy. Your class will build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. Discuss with your class and consider why engineers need to understand...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Matter on the Move

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Start this mini unit on matter out by demonstrating how food coloring behaves when placed in cold and in hot water. Then have the class experiment with warm water and soap film. Pupils will learn that an increase in thermal energy also...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat, Temperature, and Transfer

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Physical science scholars discover an array of heat sources. They experiment to connect radiation to heat. They begin to understand thermal equilibrium. Then, they test to see if mass affects the rate of temperature change. Choose a few,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

For Teachers 7th - 12th
More than a week's worth of investigation is provided in this source. Physical science stars experiment to describe specific heat, conduction, convection, and radiation. They also discover the relationship between mechanical and thermal...
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Unit Plan
Government of South Australia

Don't Waste Your Energy

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transfer of Thermal Energy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students define temperature and heat, distinguish between temperature and heat flow, calculate amount of heat energy released or absorbed in chemical process, and design procedure, through experimentation, to gather and evaluate data to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
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Activity
US Department of Energy

Solar Cooking

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Who needs a barbecue grill to cook hot dogs when you have the amazing power of the sun at your disposal? Engage young scientists in learning about solar energy with this fun activity that turns a used Pringles can into a solar powered...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Oceans of Energy

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Are the earth's oceans really just giant batteries, waiting for their energy to be harnessed? Middle school mechanical engineers will be shocked by the amazing amount of energy that forms around them after diving into part four of a...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Earth’s Energy Budget - Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Earth's energy budget should be in the red. Young researchers review satellite data in a presentation to study Earth's solar radiation. They make both qualitative and quantitative observations about variations in available seasonal...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

M&M's in Different Temperatures

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Help your class come up with a procedure for comparing the dissolving rates of colored candy coating in different temperatures of water. If you are placing importance on controlled variables with your class, make sure that they use equal...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Steamship Portland: Where's the Energy?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine how steamships operate. They describe the necessary energy conversions. They construct a model paddlewheel ship. They use rubber bands as examples of potential and kinetic energy as they unwind and set the models in motion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Energy? Short Demos

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students engage in three short, hands-on, in-class demos which expand students' understand of energy. First, using peanuts and heat, students see how the human body burns food to make energy. Then, they create paper snake mobiles to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Project Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore multiple types of energy. In this energy lesson, students prepare a science fair project through completing a WebQuest. Middle schoolers investigate radiant, thermal, and biochemical energy.
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Hurricanes as Heat Engines

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Hurricanes are a destructive yet fascinating phenomenon. Individuals examine evidence that hurricanes use thermal energy from the ocean as they approach land. Learners use images, charts, and graphs to collect data and then draw...
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Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Thermal Expansion of Water: Rise of Sea Level

For Teachers 9th - 12th
New ReviewUsing bunsen burners, Erlenmeyer flasks, thermometers, hollow glass tubes, stoppers, and rulers, learners experiment with and measure how water expands when heated. The activity connects the expansion of water when heated to global...
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Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Energy in Motion

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore energy transfer. In this thermal energy lesson, 5th graders stretch rubber bands several times and estimate the band's temperature change. Students identify this action as an example of thermal energy. Students...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

If Hot Air Rises, Why Is it Cold in the Mountains?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Investigate the relationship between temperature and pressure. Learners change the pressure of a sample of air and monitor its temperature. They learn that as air decreases its pressure, its thermal energy converts to kinetic energy.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Heat

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students measure the heat absorbed by different materials and learn why engineers need to know how different materials story thermal energy when designing buildings. In this heat capacity lesson plan, students use a thermometer to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Cube Experiment

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Learners explore the rate at which ice melts. For this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Learners observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Converting Fuels to Obtain Energy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students experiment with converting fuels to energy. They also must identify different types of fuels and ways to conserve energy.

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