Electrical engineers entertain and explain how to construct an electromagnet-driven motor. Kellie and Mike, the hosts of the show, are enthusiastic teachers that will help introduce a project that you likely include in your middle school...

Ideal for your electricity unit, especially with middle schoolers, this lesson plan gets engineers using multimeters in electrical circuits to explore the relationships among voltage, current, and resistance. Older learners may even plot...

Teacher's notes, a materials list, detailed procedure, tips, and extension ideas are all included to make teaching this lesson on photovoltaic cells a sunny spot in your day! After some brief background reading, physical science...

Another fantastic lesson on energy is presented by the American Coal Foundation. This one focuses on electricity; how it is produced, how it is delivered, and how it is used. Some excellent handouts are embedded in this fine plan which...

Wow! Here is a coherent and cleverly designed tool for teaching physical scientists about electric circuits. Animations help learners to visualize what is happening within the parts of a circuit. Components are displayed to teach them...

What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete lesson with links to supplementary resources.

Experiment with electric circuits and conductivity. Young scientists will model and discuss how an electric circuit works. First they will draw a model of the flow of electrons and then build an actual circuit. Finally, they will explain...

Explore the relationship between electricity and magnetism with this fun science investigation. Working in small groups, young scientists attach magnets to toy cars and race them down ramps through coils of wire in order to measure the...

An average home produces twice as many emissions as an average car. Teach your class how to reduce energy consumption by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Perform an experiment to compare...

Humans have become addicted to fossil fuels. From pumping oil into our cars, to burning natural gas to heat our water, or using coal to create electricity that lights our homes, we are constantly relying on these nonrenewable resources....

See how to build a simple motor with just seven materials. The process is sped up so you may want to watch and write out directions before showing your class. The explanation for why it works is then given. A few questions are shown at...

Use a lab sheet on circuit diagrams in your electricity unit. Fifth graders draw two series circuits with diagrams, based on two examples. A science experiment prompts learners to use 3x5 cards to illustrate the way a series circuit works.

Students create electricity. In this solar energy lesson, students role play how photovoltaic cells change sunlight into electricity.  Students discuss the experiment and create their own diagram of the model. 

Here is a super simple slide show for illuminating physical science whizzes to the basics of electricity. These slides can be used as a note-taking guide to supplement your lecture. Topics covered include atomic theory, static and...

Youngsters start by writing a story about going to outer space. They then solve math word problems, match words to their correct meaning by using a dictionary, solve multiplication and division problems, and add the correct prefixes and...

These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...

Physical science or technology classes will be invigorated by this challenge: to convert a toy, game, or other device to run on solar power. In doing so, they will design the appropriate solar arrays. This is an A+ lesson plan, complete...

The standard basics of electricity are detailed in this clear-cut collection of slides. Straightforward explanations are offered for static electricity, series and parallel circuits, conductors, insulators, and resistance. Some animation...

Students explore the concept of electricity in this activity based unit.  In this physical science lesson, students focus on electricity and electrical engineering. The teaching unit includes 5 activities to develop students conceptual...

What is a fossil fuel? Ever heard that question? Well, now you have an answer, or least a research project that will allow learners to find the answer on their own. They research how electricity is generated from coal then create a...

In this cross-curricular worksheet, students complete various activities. They complete a crossword puzzle dealing with electricity, change mixed numbers into decimals, subtract fractions, identify adjectives in sentences, solve money...

Students explore where electricity comes from and how it is used in their everyday lives. Through discussion and hands-on activities, they define electricity and explain how it travels to our homes. Students make informed choices based...

Trace the industrial changes and shifts in world power occurring between 1850 and 1900. This is an extensive, well-organized, and complete look at the social and political events leading up to the turn of the century. A great resource to...

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...