Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Clocks

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use string, wire, weights, and a stopwatch to build pendulum clocks. In this pendulum clocks lesson plan, students use the pendulum clocks to investigate weather, climate, force, and motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphical Determination of Density

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students determine the density of metal shot by a graphical method using significant digits in making measurements and calculations. Students graph a seris of laboratory measurements and determine density from a mass verses volume graph.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Thermodynamics of Pizza

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars investigate the laws of thermodynamics. They observe demonstrations of each law, read a summary, and analyze how pizza demonstrates the laws of thermodynamics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electrical Circuits And Switches

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students design and draw circuits with batteries, small light bulbs and common household conductors. They build and test the circuit then modify it so someone who couldn't use their hands could turn the circuit on and off.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create-a-Composition

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students creatively express themselves by creating simple pieces of music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electroplating for Corrosion Protection: Redox in Action

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define what a redox reaction is. In this chemistry activity, students electroplate some wires in the lab. They research the application of electroplating in the real world.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Can You Make A Penny Float?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of density by trying to make a penny and other materials float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tune Up Your Ears!

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students discuss meaning of pitch, listen for different sounds in classroom, hallway, and outdoors, and listen to sounds played on piano and on computer to determine high or low pitch.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring Water Temperature

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students measure the temperature of three water sources. They collect data points every second for twenty five seconds for each sample using Lego Robolab temperature sensors, complete a worksheet, and analyze the data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How To Get Clear On Water

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate different systems that are used to purify water. They have class discussion about the benefits and challenges that different countries would face with the implementation of the systems. Students explain the...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Decomposing Energy: Heat Energy From Compost

For Students 9th - 10th
In this energy and power science fair project, the student will calculate the heat energy produced by an active compost pile, surrounding a tin can filled with water. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Absorption of Radiant Energy by Different Colors

For Students 6th - 8th
In this science fair project, use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of differently colored paper exposed to sunlight, and calculate energy emission using the Stefan-Boltzmann equation. Find discussion questions, a list...
Lesson Plan
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Cycles of the Earth System: Earth's Energy Cycle: Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students experiment and observe how the color of materials that cover the Earth affects the amounts of sunlight our planet absorbs.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Electronics and Solar Energy With a Robot Bug

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this science fair project, use the "frightened grasshopper" solar-powered toy to explore how solar energy is converted into kinetic energy. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract,...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Transferring Heat by Convection in a Tank

For Students 9th - 10th
In this engineering science fair project, students will determine the most effective method for quickly raising the temperature of a liquid in a tank. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract,...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Grade 3 5 Module: Designed for Efficiency [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this 3-5 teaching module, students conduct experiments, explore with online interactives, and watch videos that help them understand how vehicles work. Then, students demonstrate their understanding by designing energy efficient...
Professional Doc
Other

L in C Online: Three Little Pigs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An energy transfer project for junior high school students is presented and described. Takes the form of a teacher lesson plan. Students may be able to extract some ideas for a project or experiment.
Activity
Colorado State University

Little Shop of Physics: The Amazing Physics of Everyday Objects

For Students 3rd - 8th
Try out these experiments you can do with items you might already have around the house: "Two Ball Bounce," "Cartesian Diver," "Straw Flute," "Bernoulli Ball," and others. Two experiments, "Imploding Pop Can" and "Balloon in a Bottle,"...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: To Heat or Not to Heat?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to various types of energy with a focus on thermal energy and types of heat transfer as they are challenged to design a better travel thermos that is cost efficient, aesthetically pleasing and meets the design...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Cooking With the Sun Creating a Solar Oven

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
For this activity, students will be given a set of materials: cardboard, a set of insulating materials (i.e. foam, newspaper, etc.), aluminum foil, and Plexiglas. Students will then become engineers in building a solar oven from the...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: How Horses Keep Warm in the Wind

For Students Pre-K - 1st
In this mammalian biology science fair project, students will learn about methods of heat transfer and determine the best direction in which horses should stand in a cold wind to maintain their core temperature. The Science Buddies...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Huddle and Cuddle: How Puppies Keep Warm

For Students 9th - 10th
In this mammalian biology science fair project, students will determine how much huddling reduces heat loss in warm-blooded animals. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Newton's Law of Cooling

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners come to see the exponential trend demonstrated through the changing temperatures measured while heating and cooling a beaker of water. This task is accomplished by first appealing to students' real-life heating and cooling...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Why Is the Earth Still Hot Inside?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
In this lesson, students conduct heat transfer experiments to investigate why the Earth is still hot at its core, even after billions of years since its formation. They will learn that the rate of heat transfer is dependent on an...