Lesson Plan
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Applied Science - Physics Lab

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate electricity. In this Physics lesson, students experiment with insulators and conductors of electricity. Students use batteries as the energy source for the experiment.
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Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
Lesson Plan
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The Physics of Toys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore physics by experimenting with classic toys. In this physical science lesson, students utilize gliders, energy balls, bouncing balls, marbles and other toys to explore how they work. Students explore each toy at a work...
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Series and Parallel Circuits

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars examine electricity.  For this circuits lesson students complete an activity that shows them the configuration of circuits. 
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Introduction to Elementary Circuits

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore how a circuit works and create a circuit to use energy from a battery to light a bulb. In this introduction to circuits lesson plan, the students study the parts of a circuit and have a class discussion of what would...
Lesson Plan
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Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the optimum angle for orienting a solar collector relative to the rays of incoming sunlight. They review equinoxes, solstices, and various locational ideas before students investigate using meters, light sources, and...
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Reasons for Seasons

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate a model of the tilt of the Earth in its relationship to the Sun during the different seasons of the year. They study the solstices and equinoxes, while determining how sunlight hits the Earth with different angles in...
Worksheet
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Cool It! Comprehension: Chart 4

For Students 7th - 8th
In these reading comprehension worksheets, students read chart 4 about fixing global warming and then complete several activities that help them understand the things that can be done to reduce the amount of energy wasted.
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Photocells II: The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the principles of atomic structure that underlie the operation of a photovoltaic cell and explains how they apply to a photovoltaic cell's operation. An area of the classroom is staked off to represent a photovoltaic...
Lesson Plan
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Greenhouse Gas Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars compare the ability of a sample of carbon dioxide gas to absorb thermal energy compared to a sample of air. They build a visual representation of the greenhouse effect to illustrate the heat-absorption of atmospheric...
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Lights Out!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine static and current electricity, and discuss what their lives would be like without electricity. They listen to a teacher-led lecture about electrons and atoms, and explore static electricity using a comb or a balloon...
Lesson Plan
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Turn On A Light And Do Your Own Revegetation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use electricity and plant a seed to observe the process when coal is the major fuel source to produce electricity. They use the packet of native seeds to experiment with revegetation.
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Paths of Electrical Currents

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine the paths that electrical currents travel. They create a current of electricity using flashlights, bulbs, batteries, wires and tape. They determine how to create a closed circuit that will light the bulb. They...
Worksheet
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Physics Quiz

For Students 6th - 12th
For this physics worksheet, students complete short answer questions about physics concepts such as electricity, space, light, and more. Students complete 20 short answer questions.
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Electric Circuits

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore energy by completing an electricity worksheet. In this conductors lesson, students define the energy related vocabulary terms circuit, electronics, conductor and semi-conductor before examining computer chips in class....
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Star Wars Activity

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate radiant energy by completing discrepant events and identify various temperature changes through absorption and how radiant energy can be used for solar panels. They experiment with different color fabrics in order...
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A Tour in Sustainability

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore two LEED certified green buildings. They examine what is the LEED certification process and what constitutes a green building. They tour via the internet two LEED certified green buildings, while comparing and...
Lesson Plan
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Parts of a Solar Panel-Part I

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...
Lesson Plan
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Lesson- Colors of Stars

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Student describes what happens to the color of a stove burner or a coal as it gets hotter. They use the applet to determine what range of temperatures range give you a red light, what range of temperatures would give you a white light,...
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How Hot Is It?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders use paper cups, black and white lining, thermometers and plastic wrap to conduct an experiment that measures the energy-collecting capacity of various colors. They graph the results.
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Solid Waste/Recycling

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students see that when we throw away garbage, it usually ends up in a landfill. Landfill space is getting increasingly scarce, and every time we throw something away we throw with it the energy, the money, and the raw materials it took...
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Greenhouse Effect and Temperature

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars look at a visualization of absorbed solar energy and discuss its role in maintaining surface temperature. They examine greenhouse effect and its role in maintaining a climate in which humans can survive.
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Green Classroom Audit

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students audit their classroom for environmentally friendly practices. In this "green" lesson, students take an inventory of the classroom and identify ways to improve practices. Students complete a worksheet, brainstorm new ideas for...
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Solar Kit Lesson #11 Power Maximum: An Electrical Determination

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students identify and implement methods to standardize testing stations that measure solar panel output power. After collecting electrical ouptut data from several solar panels, they plot the current-voltage and power curves. Students...