Students experiment with thermal insulators. In this heat transfer lesson, students predict and then measure heat loss from a cup of water using different materials as insulators. Students complete a line graph to display their results.

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...

Clouds are nature's insulator! A lab investigation asks learners to use an infrared thermometer to measure differences in infrared temperatures. They find that pointing the thermometer at a cloud has a much different result than pointing...

Learners investigate how different types of objects act as thermal insulators. In this online lesson plan, students hypothesize how particular objects act as insulators and then complete the online activity to determine which materials...

Discuss the difference between conduction, convection and radiation of thermal energy, and complete activities with your class by investigating the difference between temperature, thermal energy and the heat capacity of different materials.

Young scholars discover electrical resistance and how it is directly related to thermal energy through a hands-on activity. Working in groups, they wrap a wire around a thermometer and the positive and negative poles of a D cell battery...

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...

Students study solar energy and how to measure it.  For this energy sources lesson students complete a lab, obtain data and use that to convert surface temperature to energy. 

Students discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They investigate the thermal properties of different materials. They evaluate the usefulness of each material.

Third graders read a thermometer with accuracy, record observations and data, and infer conceptual meaning. They integrate mathematical charting and graphing skills to organize their data. They explore what happens when they touch or use...

Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson plan, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will...

Learners conduct an experiment to determine what type of clothing would be most suitable for outdoor activities. They determine the temperature changes of the skin under various wet clothing materials and graph the temperature changes. ...

Learners distinguish between kinetic an potential energy. They recognize that energy is conserved when changing from one form to another. Students compare the scientific meaning of work with its everyday meaning.

Third graders measure the heat created at each center.