Purdue University
Field Trip Snack Holder
Is light related to insulation? An informative hands-on STEM activity demonstrates how light affects temperature. First, the class investigates how light passes through different mediums and how that relates to temperature. Then,...
Curated OER
Coal Derivatives by Destructive Distillation
Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...
Curated OER
Rock My World
Middle schoolers conduct a hands-on experiment designed to demonstrate how continents and oceans formed and why the manner of formation is relevant to a study of volcanoes.
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...
Teach Engineering
Energy in Our Lives Carousel
Don't waste any more energy trying to find a great resource on energy. The third installment of a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit focuses on energy use in pupils' lives. They consider how their daily routines consume energy and...
Teach Engineering
Designing a Winning Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
Don't desert a resource on the desert! Scholars work in groups to build on their ideas from the previous lesson to design a sustainable guest village in the Saguaro National Park. Each group produces a PowerPoint presentation to share...
Educator's Network
Thanksgiving
A collection of Thanksgiving-themed vocabulary worksheets are sure to instill a sense of season gratitude. Featuring a set of nouns, verbs, and adjectives based on the holiday, the packet invites class members to fill in the blanks,...
Discovery Education
Cushion It!
Sugar cubes, collide! Groups design protection systems using bubble wrap to protect sugar cubes from being destroyed by falling batteries in the STEM lesson plan. They consider how the experiment relates to collisions in real-world...
Baylor College
Energy Sources
Take the concept of burning calories to a more literal level in the second of seven lessons about energy in the realm of food and fitness. Using simple materials, groups will burn breakfast cereal and a pecan to see which one gives off...
Curated OER
Convection and Wind
Students use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
Curated OER
Matter/Solid Liquid Gas Experiments
Learners investigate matter:solid, liquid, gas by conducting different experiments. In this states of matter lesson, students conduct hands on activities that allow learners to see first hand results. Students mix...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Build an Anemometer
Students determine what an anemometer is and how it measures wind speed. They decide on a place to put a wind turbine by using an anemometer. They examine the role that engineers play when using wind speed to determine a place for wind...
Curated OER
Mystery Minerals
Students minerals and how they form. They investigate the classification of minerals according to physical properties. Students watch a video about mineral characteristics. In groups, students participate in hands-on activities and...
Curated OER
Weather
Students explore the earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate. They begin class with a discussion about weather patterns, atmosphere, and the layers of the earth. After the class discussion, students rotate through four stations to...
Curated OER
Three Clouds Activity
Learners explore how clouds are produced through three different age-appropriate hands-on experiments.
Curated OER
Matter and Heat
Pupils examine how heating causes substances to expand, and cooling cause it to contract. They investigate the states of matter.
Cornell University
Nano What?
The size of a nanoparticle is difficult for pupils to grasp. A hands-on experiment is designed to give your classes perspective. Learners analyze different sports drinks for the content of electrolytes as an introduction to nanoscale....
Curated OER
Household Conservation/Efficiency
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
Science 4 Inquiry
Introducing the Types of Energy
Young scientists explore many different types of energy including light, heat, nuclear, sound, potential, and more. They match the types of energy and identify when energy transfers from one type to another.
Curated OER
Play Doh Map of Your State
Learners create a state map using Playdoh. In this hands-on state geography lesson, students work in groups to form a three-dimensional map of their state using Playdoh made at home following a (given) recipe. Learners use four...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Nuts! Calculating Thermal Efficiency
Oh nuts! Do macadamias or almonds produce more thermal energy? Energy enthusiasts find out with this experiment. The objective is to demonstrate to your class how the chemical energy contained in foods can be converted into useable...
Curated OER
Let's Heat Things Up!
Students build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers, themselves...
Curated OER
Three Clouds Activity
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud activity, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
Curated OER
Things Are Heating Up!
Third graders study how heat is produced from mechanical and electrical machines and human activities.