American Chemical Society
Condensation
It's time to break the ice! If you are doing all of the lessons in the unit, children have already seen that increasing heat increases the rate of evaporation, but is the opposite true? Does decreasing temperature cause more condensation...
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
Global Warming in a Jar
This well-organized lab activity introduces earth science pupils to the greenhouse effect. They will set up two experiments to monitor temperatures in an open jar, a closed jar, and a closed jar containing water. Ideally, you would have...
Curated OER
Fahrenheit Follies
Second graders analyze the effects of sunlight on a glass of water by using the thermometer to measure its temperature. They predict and measure the difference between water outside in the sun and shade and inside. They role-play a game...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Hot or Not
Students examine how the human immune system responds to germs and explain what a fever is. They design a thermometer in order to further explore temperature before completing a temperature conversion worksheet. They detail the work of...
Curated OER
Pressure and Volume of Gases
Students investigate pressure and volume as they relate to gases. In this pressure and volume lesson plan, students observe multiple demonstrations related to air pressure. The develop an understanding of the relationship between...
American Museum of Natural History
Take the Climate Quiz
Climate and weather are often confused. Pupils answer questions online to review concepts related to climate and weather changes. They get immediate feedback and additional facts with each question. The lesson is appropriate as a remote...
NASA
States of Matter
Water, one of the basic needs of humans, is found in all three states of matter on Earth; no other planet—that we know of—possesses this quality. Here is a unit that allows learners to explore through experimentation what it...
Teach Engineering
The Amazing Aerogel
Introducing ... the aerogel. The first of a two-installment series teaches young engineers about the properties and uses of aerogels. A PowerPoint presentation provides information about this unique material to help solidify the concept.
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
Curated OER
Bellwork for Week 2-Experimental Design and Measurements
In this experimental design and measurement worksheet, students answer questions about independent and dependent variables, they write hypotheses, they identify instruments that measure mass, weight, and volume and they calculate the...
Curated OER
How Hot and How Big?
Students explore star color and size. In this space science lesson, students conduct various inquiry activities to explore how the color of a star affects the amount of heat produced. They also investigate how the color of stars affects...
Curated OER
Whales and Sea Ice: Investigating Insulation
Young scholars investigate the properties of insulation as it relates to whales and sea ice. They research whales and examine the atmospheric changes that occur when there are changes in sea ice.
Curated OER
Physical Changes to Matter
Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...
Curated OER
Extreme Heat
Pupils, in groups, investigage and demonstrate the science behind the development and characteristics of extreme heat.
Curated OER
Queen Elizabeth II Addresses United Nations
Students examine an article that discusses Queen Elizabeth's address to the United Nations General Assembly. In this lesson, students complete several assignments that are centered around the topic of the article, including vocabulary,...
Bonneville
Making the Standard Solar Heater
Heat up a lesson on solar energy. The first of three parts in the Experimenting with Solar Heaters unit has scholars construct solar heaters. They then use them to heat up a container of water and calculate the amount of heat energy...
Virginia Department of Education
Partial Pressure
At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class...
Curated OER
Am I Hot or Am I Cold?
Students practice using a thermometer to determine how the air around the earth gets heated and cooled by the sun. Students chart the daily inside and outside temperature for two weeks.
Curated OER
STATES OF WATER
Students identify the various states of water. They use hypothesizing and hands-on experimenting on changing the states of water, the properties of water, and the role of heating and cooling in the changes of state.
Curated OER
When You're Hot, You're Hot!
Eighth graders examine the development of the different temperature scales. They experiment with hot and cold temperatures.
Curated OER
Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Students describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of result data.
Curated OER
CO2 and You
Students study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
Curated OER
Calorimetry Lab
In this calorimetry lab, students apply the information read about a calorimeter to conduct a scientific investigation. Students record their data in a chart. Students use the information from the chart to calculate specific heat of...
Curated OER
Thermal Energy and Heat Unit
Students explain that heat energy in a material consists of the disordered motions of its atoms or molecules. They know and explain that transformations of energy usually transform some energy into the form of heat, which dissipates by...