Curated OER
Heating
Students develop the idea that heat is a form of energy which moves from hot objects to cold ones.
It's About Time
Exploring Energy Resource Concepts
Please turn off the lights to conserve energy. Or not, after all energy is always conserved. This first lesson in an eight-part series includes three parts. Part A contains one hands-on activity and two inquiry-based experiments on heat...
Curated OER
Compact Fluorescent Lamp Experiments
Students conduct a series of experiment on incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. In this physics instructional activity, students explain how they operate. They compare the efficiency and power rating of both bulbs.
Curated OER
Will It Grow?
Fifth graders conduct experiments involving plants. In this science lesson, 5th graders design an experiment involving plants. Students use the scientific method to design their experiments.
Curated OER
Comparing Volumes
Learners conduct experiments to discover the various ratios of oil to popcorn kernels. They determine which amount of oil produced the most popped kernels.
Curated OER
Liquid Logic: Experiments in Viscosity
Students examine specific characteristics of liquids through a hands-on lab activity. An experiment with teacher prepared viscosity tubes is conducted in which liquid identities are predicted based on data. A hypothesis is written to...
Discovery Education
Cushion It!
Sugar cubes, collide! Groups design protection systems using bubble wrap to protect sugar cubes from being destroyed by falling batteries in the STEM lesson. They consider how the experiment relates to collisions in real-world...
PBS
Insulation Station
It's all about the material. Learners experiment with different substances as they try to keep an ice cube from melting. They draw conclusions by answering a set of questions about the types and amount of material that had the best result.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Young scientists explore Earth elements by conducting an experiment. They define water vocabulary terms such as condensation and precipitation. In addition, they conduct a water experiment in which they build a terrarium, so they can...
Curated OER
Physical Changes to Matter
Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels: Facing the Issues
Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. In this fossil fuel lesson, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct pollution...
Curated OER
Insulators, Conductors, and Energy Transfer
Third graders conduct experiments to determine what types of material make good insulators. They prepare a graph of time vs. temperature for their sample. They choose a graph using each kind of material to display for class analysis and...
Curated OER
Warm and Toasty
Learners are introduced to the concepts of specific heat and heat capacity. In groups, they design an experiment to test these two topics on various fabrics. They compare and contrast the amount of heat loss on the different materials...
Curated OER
Was Goldilocks Telling the Truth?
Sixth graders explore the movement of heat between objects. In this heat lesson, 6th graders use the scientific method to conduct guided experiments regarding conduction, convection, and radiation.
Curated OER
Measuring Thermal Energy Transfer
Students conduct an experiment to calculate and quantify heat transfer. They conduct the experiment, and complete a data and lab conclusion sheet.
Curated OER
Melts in Your Bag, Not in Your Hands
Students study how the sun transfers heat to the earth through radiation. They examine how animals absorb energy from the sun to warm their bodies by experiment with chocolate melting. They examine sun safety.
Curated OER
Multi-Talented Electrical Energy
Learners explore energy conversions by demonstrating the conversion of electrical energy into light, heat, sound, and magnetic energy. Students create a simple device that converts electrical energy from batteries to heat, light, sound...
Curated OER
The Captain And Lake Wilmar
Tenth graders examine the ecosystem of Lake Wilmar through three coordinated performance tasks. They first investigate the effects of pH on freshwater animals by comparing the zooplankton counts from three different areas. They then...
Curated OER
Polystyrene Containers
Students conduct experiments to determine the effectiveness of polystyrene containers at preventing heat loss. In this polymers lesson, students design an experiment to determine how effective Styrofoam burger containers are at...
Curated OER
The Discovery of OXygen
Students conduct experiments to identify the different properties of oxygen. In this chemistry instructional activity, students examine its importance to life on Earth. They explore the historic dispute about oxygen's discovery.
Curated OER
What Causes the Seasons?
Students conduct experiment to examine how tilt of globe influences warming caused by lighted bulb. They monitor simulated warming of their city by sun in winter and in summer by using light bulb, interpret results, and submit lab report.
Curated OER
Farming in the 1930's
Students research and conduct experiments with several types of simple machines. They examine levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wheels, axles, wedges and screws and then consider the physics behind "Green Eggs and Ham".
Curated OER
Water Magic
Learners conduct experiments with ice, water and steam to observe the water cycle. They discuss substances that water accumulates from the Earth as it moves through its cycle.
American Chemical Society
Condensation
It's time to break the ice! If you are doing all of the lessons in the unit, children have already seen that increasing heat increases the rate of evaporation, but is the opposite true? Does decreasing temperature cause more condensation...