Curated OER
IPC Physics
In this physics review learning exercise, students compare inertia and momentum, insulators and conductors, and series and parallel circuits. Students review Newton's laws. This learning exercise has 20 fill in the blank, 12 matching,...
Curated OER
Melt Away
Students explore objects before and after heating using their senses. For this matter and energy lesson, students experiment with a variety of objects and use their senses (except taste) to make predictions and record observations...
Curated OER
How Smart are You about Electricity, Batteries and Conductors?
Students create working circuits. In this electricity and circuits activity, students make a battery, then build a flashlight and use part of the flashlight to create a conductivity tester.
Discovery Education
Cool It!
Adjust the melting time of ice without varying the temperature! Learners experiment with different materials to decide how the materials affect the rate an ice cube melts. They then connect their findings to the conductivity of each...
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
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...
Curated OER
Involving Community Members, Parents, and Community Agencies in Student Learning
Students predict and estimate the number of moose shot by people between the years of 1986-1990. They analyze data and statistics, construct bar graphs, and conduct research on the Alaskan moose.
Curated OER
Testing for Conductivity
Students test the conductivity of selected liquids and solids. They test the circuit by touching the two free ends of the wires together and add salt little by little recording the data after each addition. Finally, students predict...
Teach Engineering
The Amazing Aerogel
Introducing ... the aerogel. The first of a two-installment series teaches young engineers about the properties and uses of aerogels. A PowerPoint presentation provides information about this unique material to help solidify the concept.
Purdue University
Light – Just Right!
What does it mean to be resistant to electricity? Scholars answer the question in a six-part STEM instructional activity on electricity. They begin by assessing the conductivity of several different materials and progress to designing...
American Museum of Natural History
Rubber Blubber Gloves
Using gloves, shortening, tape, and a lot of ice, participants experience the feeling of having blubber. The experiment's eight steps follow an informative page about blubber and animals that have it.
Cornell University
Electric Vocabulary
Practice electric vocabulary using multiple methods. Learners begin by watching a video that explains vocabulary related to electric currents. They match vocabulary cards to practice and then create an electric circuit. Using the...
Curated OER
TE Lesson: Using Heat from the Sun
Students examine fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable fuels. They study investigate types of heat transfer such as convection, conduction, and radiation. They complete crossword puzzles based on the vocabulary. They design, construct and...
Curated OER
Methods of Heat Transfer
Eighth graders discuss the forms of heat transfer that relate to the human body. Discussion revolves around the ability of different designs of hats to change the rate of heat transfer to and from the body. Students then experiment...
Curated OER
Student Exploration: Circuit Builder
In this circuit builder instructional activity, students use the Circuit Builder Gizmo to answer 15 questions and complete charts about different kinds of circuits. Students will need to have access to the online Gizmo to complete the...
Curated OER
Simple Circuit
For this circuits worksheet, students follow directions on how to make a light bulb light and answer questions about it. Students answer 1 question about an insulator and 1 about a conductor.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Build a Charge Detector
Young scholars examine how electrical force takes place between two objects by building an electroscope. They apply the electroscope to determine an objects' charge intensity and to see what factors influence electric force.
Captain Planet Foundation
Solar Cooking Race
Study heat transfer with activities that focus on how heat energy works. Using a solar cooker, ice cubes, and heat transfer bracelets, kids experiment and record what they find by keeping ice cubes cold and vegetables hot.
Curated OER
Cooking with the Sun
Students explore using energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. This excellent two-day instructional activity has groups of students build and test a variety of...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin and Electricity
Second graders study Benjamin Franklin and participate in simple experiments in electricity.
Curated OER
Warm and Toasty
Students 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
Thermal Energy and Heat Unit
Students explain that heat energy in a material consists of the disordered motions of its atoms or molecules. They know and explain that transformations of energy usually transform some energy into the form of heat, which dissipates by...
Curated OER
Circuits and Conductors
Students explore electricity by completing Internet activities. In this physical science lesson, students identify an electric circuit and describe the characteristics of conductors, giving examples as well. Students...
Curated OER
Hypothermia: Temperature Changes Under Varying Conditions
Students 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. ...
Curated OER
Frost Depth
Learners explore the concept of frost depth. In this frost depth instructional activity, students conduct a scientific investigation that requires them to use a frost tube to measure, record, and graph frost depth data.