Unit Plan
Curated OER

Meteorology Madness

For Teachers 4th
Students probe the dynamic weather changes through several hands-0n activities in this seven lessons unit. The hydrologic cycle, clouds, atmosphere, air movement, fronts, and forecasting form the components presented in this unit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky and Cloud Windows

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars monitor the weather, clouds, and sky. In this weather lesson, students create a sky and cloud window to focus their sky observations. They write observations in a notebook and include the date, time, cloud cover, types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making A Compass

For Teachers 4th
This interesting science instructional activity is about the compass. Students make a compass out of a magnet, sewing needle, cork, and a glass dish. The instructional activity includes both a pre and post-test for the students to take,...
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

Induction: Inquiry in Action

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the factors that affect the induced current in a loop of wire. They discuss Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law. Students identify the different variables that affect the magnetic flux and calculate the magnetic flux...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where My Peeps At?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners conduct a series of activity that demonstrates Charles' and Boyle's Law. In this chemistry instructional activity, students determine the relationship among pressure, volume and temperature. They solve problems using...
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

Curricular Correlations

For Teachers 1st
First graders listen to prerecorded sounds and put them into categories. They discus the sounds that would be heard outdoors, and indoors. They go outside for a few minutes and take a "hearing walk." Then they come inside and close their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Striking it Rich with Chemistry

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students identify the composition of different pennies. In this chemistry lesson, students use a post 1982 penny to observe chemical change. They explain how to turn a penny from copper to gold.
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 Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 8: Hot Water and Hurricanes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores hurricanes. In this lab experiment, students will investigate the concepts of heat energy and specific heat of water to explore issues related to the rapid intensification of...
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
Chemistry Collective

Chem Collective: Determining the Heat of Reaction in Aqueous Solution

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, students perform an experiment to determine the heat of a reaction.
Unit Plan
California Institute of Technology

Nasa: Cool Cosmos: What Is Heat?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Eight different types of energy that can convert into thermal energy are described. A movement activity and an experiment are included in this overview of thermal energy.
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,...
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Mechanical Equivalent of Heat Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to have students look at a greatly simplified version of James Joule's experiment showing the conversion of mechanical energy to heat.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: How Greenhouse Gases Absorb Heat

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For this experiment learners observe two model atmospheres: one with normal atmospheric composition and another with an elevated concentration of CO2. These two contained atmospheres will be exposed to light energy in a sunny window or...
Activity
Science is Fun

Science Is Fun: Rubber Bands and Heat

For Students 4th - 8th
An experiment to investigate the thermal properties of rubber by studying its behavior in different scenarios. A discussion of how entropy explains what is observed is provided.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students measure energy outputs and inputs to determine the efficiency of conversions and simple systems. One associated activitiy includes Lego motors and accomplishing work. The other investigates energy for heating water. Students...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy in Our Lives Carousel

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This activity is a way for students to discover that they already know a lot about energy through their own life experiences. As active consumers of various forms of energy, they are aware of energy purchases for electricity, home...
Website
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Burning Biofuels: Comparing Nonrenewable and Renewable Fuels

For Students 9th - 10th
Will using agrofuel offer a substantial alternative to using fossil fuel? With this experiment you can compare the amount of heat energy released by agrofuel and fossil fuel. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently...
Handout
Purdue University

Purdue University: Thermal Convection

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students build a model representing the properties of Earth's mantle, illustrating how thermal energy creates movement in a fluid.
Activity
Other

Physics Labs: Heat of Fusion (Hf) of Ice

For Students 9th - 10th
A complete set of directions, notes and suggestions for a lab involving the determination of the heat of fusion of ice. Suitable for a student project or lab investigation.