Teach Engineering
Beating the Motion Sensor
I bet I can cross the room without having the lights come on. Class members set up an experiment in which they try to determine what materials will mask motion detected by a sensor. Groups predict how materials will interact with...
Colorado State University
How Do Long and Short EM Waves Interact with the Earth's Atmosphere?
Things are about to heat up in your classroom! A kinesthetic lesson asks learners to play the part of the gases in the earth's atmosphere and interact with the sun's radiation. The focus is to learn the impact of the increasing...
Virginia Department of Education
States of Matter
Scientists have been studying exothermic reactions before they were cool. The lesson begins with a discussion and a demonstration of heat curves. Scholars then determine the heat of fusion of ice and the heat needed to...
Curated OER
Ice Energy
Learners observe the chemical reaction that occurs when salt is put on ice, and use the energy that is released to make ice cream.
Curated OER
Elementary Concepts in Heat
Third graders read a thermometer with accuracy, record observations and data, and infer conceptual meaning. They integrate mathematical charting and graphing skills to organize their data. They explore what happens when they touch or use...
Curated OER
Temperature and Thermal Energy
In this temperature worksheet, students answer 8 questions about temperature and thermal energy. For example, "What term refers to an energy transfer that causes a change in temperature?"
Curated OER
Too Cool for School-The Greenhouse Experiment
Learners create a town model and analyze the type of greenhouse gases their town emits. In this earth science lesson, students build greenhouses to investigate how trapped heat causes temperature change. They relate this activity to...
Curated OER
Coffee Cooling
High schoolers explore the factors that affect how long coffee stays hot. They develop a question and a testable hypothesis for one factor such as initial temperature or size of opening of the container. Then they design and conduct an...
Curated OER
What Stores Solar Energy Best?
Students discuss reasons and methods for keeping a home warm in winter and cool in summer as examples of energy storage. Students participate in a solar energy experiment.
Curated OER
How Cool Is Your Environment?
Students study the formulas for calculating heat energy and how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit. They apply the formulas on a worksheet.
Curated OER
A Potential Energy Worksheet
In this energy worksheet, learners describe the differences between kinetic and potential energy and the difference between heat and temperature. This worksheet has 6 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Home Survey: What Kind of Energy?
In this environmental awareness activity, students become aware of home energy conservation and recycling. Students answer 10 short essay questions about the energy used in daily life.
Curated OER
Which Colors Absorb the Most Energy?
Students measure the temperatures over time of different colored envelopes in order to explore the different rates at which each color absorbs energy from a heat lamp. They record their data and graph their results.
Weebly
Definitions of Conduction, Convection, and Radiation
There's quite a bit in this physical science packet. First, how is heat transferred? Learners read a brief explanation of conduction, convection, and radiation before identifying common occurrences (with pictures) as one of the three....
Rhythm Rhyme Results
Whatʼs the Same and Whatʼs Different?
Learn about radiation, convection, and conduction with a multiple choice worksheet. Each question prompts kids to decide what is different about each form of heat energy transfer, and what is the same.
DiscoverE
Aviary Architect
Groups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity C
Third in a set of lessons regarding reservoirs, dams, and hydropower, this involves a two-day hydropower plant simulation. Collaborative groups build, maintain, and finance the plant. The transparency of the reservoir setup can be...
Bonneville
A Simple Circuit
Heat up a lesson on solar energy by building a circuit for a cooling fan. Given a solar module and a DC motor, scholars develop hypotheses for how to make the fan turn. They test out their hypotheses, and then draw a circuit diagram to...
Curated OER
Hot Cans and Cold Cans
Students investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
Curated OER
Cool Times with Heat
Students work with thermometers to complete problems about temperature. They investigate cooling patterns, how location affects temperature, and what happens when water having different temperature is mixed. They measure temperature in...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Unit 2 - Section 2 - Fuels for Everything
In this alternative energy worksheet, 6th graders read and study the varying types of fuel. Students read examples and ways that alternative fuel can be used.
Curated OER
Passive Solar Design
Learners study what passive solar design is for buildings and structures. In this solar design lesson students identify passive solar design techniques.
Curated OER
Cooler In The Shadows
Students investigate the concepts of shadows and how they are projected with objects different positions in relation to the sun. They conduct an experiment by observing objects in different positions. Then students record the observations.