Curated OER
Robot Earth
Students construct a simple robotic energy transformer. In this space science lesson, students explain how energy is transformed from one form to another. They identify the different uses of robotic devices.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis and Biomass Growth
Sixth graders examine renewable energy sources such as ethanol. In this photosynthesis and biomes lesson students complete a project on farming techniques.
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Curated OER
Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
NASA
Dark Matter NASA Conference
Young scholars calculate the escape velocity of planets in our solar system and use that knowledge to calculate the escape velocity for NGC 2300 group. They then suggest reasons for the escape velocity to be higher than possible given...
NASA
The Science of the Sun
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to...
American Chemical Society
Temperature Changes in Dissolving
Alia-Seltzer tablets cause a very obvious chemical change, but do they also cause a temperature change? Each class member explores hot/cold packs, discussing how these temperature changes occur. Groups then design and carry out their own...
National Wildlife Federation
I’ve Got the POWER Wind Energy Potential at Your School
The 20th lesson in a 21-part series connects the wind data and expectations of a turbine to whether such devices should be built in your area. Scholars begin with estimating the wind potential at school by using long-term climate...
Science 4 Inquiry
Investigating How Heat Flows
It is impossible to cool down a glass of water by adding ice. Young scientists explore heat transfer through videos, experiments, and interactive games. They quickly catch on that the water melts the ice and things aren't always as they...
Curated OER
Conserving Energy Resources
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
Curated OER
Renewable Energy Plants in Your Gas Tank: From Photosynthesis to Ethanol
Students examine the role photosynthesis plays in plant survival. In this renewable energy instructional activity students document their observations and analyze and interpret their results.
Curated OER
Work and Energy
Young scholars show that energy is conserved in the laboratory. They calculate the work done by a force on an object as the product of the force and a displacement of the object from a reference point.
Curated OER
Gravitational Potential Energy
In this energy worksheet, students use the gravitational potential energy equation to solve for mass, height, or free-fall acceleration. This worksheet has 10 problems to solve.
Curated OER
Activity #15 What Happens To A Liquid As Energy Is Added?
Students model the arrangement of particles in a liquid. They use the model, to demonstrate how a gas is formed from a liquid with no increase in temperature as energy is added. Pupils model the arrangement and movement of gas particles.
Curated OER
Heat and Electrical Resistance
Students 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 and...
Curated OER
Its Electric!
Fourth graders define the differences between static and current electricity by participating in an investigation. In this energy lesson, 4th graders utilize electrical supplies to demonstrate the differences between static and...
Curated OER
Elementary Article: What's a Short Circuit?
Students read an article about short circuits. In this science reading comprehension lesson, students read about short circuits and study the diagram to learn more about electricity and energy.
Curated OER
As the Rotor Turns: Wind Power and You
Students get acquainted with the basics of wind energy. In this engineering lesson plan students describe how wind is generated, analyze the transformations of energy, and demonstrate how electricity is generated using wind power.
Teach Engineering
Thrown for a Loop
Round and round it goes. Class members observe a current carrying loop in a magnetic field and calculate its associated torque. They then apply what they have learned to example problems to solve for the torque and to calculate the...
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.
10 Rainy and Snow Day Activities for Indoor Recess and PE
Don't let the rain and snow put a damper on your PE lessons. This collection of indoor activities is a perfect way to keep students active regardless of the weather outside.
Polar Trec
Calorimetry Lab
Young people between the ages of 11–13 need on average about 2,000 calories per day. Within the lab, groups learn about calorimetry and respiration. They explore how it pertains to humans and animals living the Arctic where cold...
Discovery Education
It's Getting Hot in Here
Class members engage in a STEM experiment and investigate how materials affect heating in a house by creating models of houses and using different top surface materials. They record the temperature inside the models and consider what the...
Teach Engineering
Quantum Dots and Colors
Introduce teams to quantum dot solutions with an activity that has them expose solutions to a blacklight, observe the colors, and take measurements. Groups graph the data and analyze the dependence between particle size and...
Curated OER
Harvesting Energy from Food: How do Plants Help Humans?
Beginning botanists view slides of plant vascular tissue. They watch Magic School Bus Gets Planted, which you can find online, and then write a summary of what they have learned about plants. This lesson could be used with upper...