Teach Engineering
Exploring Energy: What Is Energy?
...Then the water heater exploded like a bomb. Using a video of an exploding water heater, the resource presents the definitions of energy, potential energy, and kinetic energy to be used in later lessons of the unit.
PHET
Energy Forms and Changes
Is the ice cooling down the water or is the water melting the ice? Here is a simulation that explores thermal energy transfer with iron, brick, and water. It demonstrates the flow of energy and what happens when each material is either...
Curated OER
Motion, Forces, Energy and Electricity
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 plan with links to supplementary resources.
Teach Engineering
Organic Solar Energy and Berries
You can eat a solar cell? A unit on solar energy begins with a discussion about organic solar cells, followed by directions on how to build your own. After following the teacher's directions to build an anthocyanin...
NASA
Moon Power - Energy and Power
Be over the moon about finding a resource on lunar power stations. An interesting unit composed of 10 lessons has pupils first learn about the energy and power needs of a futuristic lunar colony. They design and build a lunar power...
WE Charity
Elementary–Module 4: Energy and Housing
Many innovators are working on solutions to address environmental problems like energy-inefficient housing. Scholars have an opportunity to develop their own strategies using the fourth of five lessons from the WE Are...
Curated OER
Exploring a Teaching Career Through an Energy Lesson
After learning how to dentify information on energy and its conservation. your class can work in groups to create an activity and lesson plan for elementary young scholars, teaching all about energy and its conservation. Students...
PBS
NOVA Energy Lab Lesson Plan
Can our energy resources keep up with our ever-growing population? Science scholars learn the basics of energy and Earth's energy resources during an electrifying lesson. The resource combines video clips and an engineering design...
University of California
Energy and Biomass Pyramids
Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...
Curated OER
The Absorption of Solar Energy
Two sequential parts to this lesson introduce your class to the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to absorb radiant energy, and the pigments in leaves that are responsible for collecting sunlight to be used in the photosynthetic...
Wind Wise Education
Understanding Forms and Sources of Energy
What is the difference between a form of energy and a source of energy? This first activity in a series of 19 lessons uses demonstrations and discussions to introduce energy to the class. Through using hand-generator flashlights,...
Teach Engineering
Energy Forms, States and Conversions
Even magicians can't make energy disappear. In a discussion-based instructional activity, young scientists learn about energy forms and conversions. They see how energy is neither created nor destroyed; it just changes forms. This is the...
Exploratorium
Give and Take
Heat-sensitive liquid crystal sheets are available in a variety of sizes and temperature ranges. Purchase a class set of hand-held sheets and color half of each with a silver permanent marking pen. Learners of light can hold them under a...
WE Charity
High School–Module 4: Energy and Housing
What features make a home energy-efficient? Pupils attempt to answer the question with the fourth instructional activity from the five-part WE Are Innovators—High School Modules set. Scholars learn how certain building materials help...
Teach Engineering
Combustion and Air Quality: Emissions Monitoring
Help your class determine the types of pollutants coming from vehicle exhaust. Groups use an air quality monitor to determine the emissions from different vehicles, to gain knowledge about combustion energy, and to predict how the...
Government of South Australia
Don't Waste Your Energy
Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...
Curated OER
Applications of Energy to the Real World
As an introduction to the concept of energy, this interesting and informative resource would be a terrific addition to a unit. Although there is quite a bit of information presented about kinetic energy, potential energy, and related...
Smarter Balanced
Renewable Energy
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are the focus of a series of activities that prepare learners for a performance task assessment on energy. Groups identify the various sources of energy and classify these sources as either...
Curated OER
Energy and Machines: How We Work and Play
Energy and machines are two things that belong together. This resource provides a clear and simple overview of energy, force, work, and machines. Because the information in this presentation is clear and well-organized it would...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Energy: Kinetic and Potential
The potential of the energy in the class is moving. The third segment in a six-part unit on energy provides a deeper understanding of kinetic and potential energy. Learners understand the relationship between mass, speed, and energy and...
Physics Classroom
Energy Ranking Tasks
Here's an interactive with real potential ... potential energy, that is! Scholars analyze scenarios, then rank objects in order of greatest to least kinetic energy, potential energy, and speed. The interactive provides support materials,...
Physics Classroom
Name That Energy
Many upper level tests require pupils to interpret written descriptions of scientific principles. Scholars practice the skill by working through three levels of difficulty. Each question covers kinetic energy, gravitational potential...
National Wildlife Federation
An Energy Mix: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
What did the windmill say about renewable energy? I'm a BIG fan! Lesson three in the series of 12 has classes discuss potential and kinetic energy and then, in pairs, they complete a web quest over the different types of energy...
Teach Engineering
Energy Skate Park
Skate through a simulation on energy with an a activity that uses a computer simulation of a skater to reinforce the concept of conservation of energy. The resource guides pupils through scenarios using the computer simulation to...