Curated OER
Which Colors Absorb the Most Energy?
Young scholars 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.
Curated OER
Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
Curated OER
A Cosmic Cafeteria
Young scholars indentify and differentiate between transit and surface food systems. Students measure energy that is released by various foods. Young scholars compare and contrast cooking with solar energy on earth and what they might...
Curated OER
Do Trees Create Heat in the Winter
Seventh graders develop an experiment to measure the temperature on several parts of a tree to determine if there is a difference in surface temperature. They practice the process of scientific method to find out if trees create heat in...
Curated OER
Exploring Area and Perimeter
Two students are blindfolded and each receives a cardboard square, one with pompoms glued around the edge and one with pompoms glued all over the surface. They identify what they feel. The class discusses perimeter and area of polygons....
Curated OER
Animal Skin
Young scholars investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals. In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science lesson plan, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the environment. Using...
Curated OER
Is There Water on Mars?
Students decide whether or not there is or has even been water on Mars. They analyze temperature and pressure data from the Pathfinder mission to Mars, and then they analyze images of Mars, interpreting the landforms they see and...
Curated OER
What's A Water Column Profile?
Students investigate water column data. In this earth science and seawater lesson, students determine how temperature, salinity, and density have an impact on sea water by viewing and analyzing data obtained from a number of websites....
Curated OER
Studying the Equilibrium of a Water System
In this equilibrium worksheet, students perform a computer simulation on vapor pressure of water at different temperatures to answer 11 problem solving and short answer questions about the topic.
Curated OER
The Value of Volume
Students measure the perimeter and area of their polygons. In this geometry lesson, students calculate the volume and area using the correct tools. They calculate the time and temperature and the perimeter and side lengths of triangles.
Curated OER
Wind Power
Fourth graders develop an understanding of how engineers use wind to generate electricity. They will build a model anemometer to better understand and measure wind speed. They discover that engineers design wind turbines that generate...
Curated OER
Antacid Tablet Race
Students compare the reaction rates of effervescent antacid tablets under different conditions. They investigate methods of increasing the power of rocket fuels by manipulating surface area and temperature.
Curated OER
Water Pollution Lesson Plan: All Messed Up
Students map and calculate the area of the school parking lot and then the volume of water falling on the school parking lot. They map the route surface runoff will take to the nearest water body and describe the roles that human...
Curated OER
Jackie Gore
Students identify the amount of heat given off by solar energy. In this solar energy instructional activity, students complete an experiment using soil and sand measuring the heat from solar energy.
Curated OER
Analysis of Atmospheric Conditions for a High Mountain Retreat
Students examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. They practice science and math in real world applications. They write reports detailing their scientific...
Curated OER
Chemistry Is a Gas
Young scholars investigate the gas laws and how they apply to changes in gases. In this gas laws lesson, students use Boyle's Law and Charles' law to show the relationships between pressure and volume and volume and temperature of gases.
Curated OER
One, Two, Three...and They're Off
Students make origami frogs to race. After the race they measure the distance raced, collect the data, enter it into a chart. They then find the mean, median, and mode of the data. Next, students enter this data into Excel at which time...
Curated OER
Plant Transpiration
Students conduct various experiments to investigate plant transpiration. In this biology lesson, students explain how this process helps maintain the hydrologic cycle. They measure the rate of water loss in plants using a potometer.
Curated OER
Melting and Freezing
Students explore how various substances change from a solid to a liquid or from a liquid to a solid and how temperature, pressure and nature play an important role in this process. In this melting and freezing lesson, students review the...
Curated OER
Air Pressure & Barometers
Fourth graders observe, measure, and record data on the basic elements of weather over a period of time (i.e., precipitation, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and air pressure). Then, they make a barometer and keep record of...
Curated OER
Disappearing Water
Learners explore the water cycle. In this earth science instructional activity, students observe and measure water in a closed container and in an open container. Learners record their observations and compare their sets of data to draw...
Curated OER
Worms And More
Students complete five center activities that in order to determine the attributes of length and area. They study the vocabulary associated with measurement of length and area. They use blocks, play dough, wrapping paper, and footprints...
Curated OER
Where Does Earth's Heat Come From?
Students try to determine how the Earth is heated by the sun and other sources. In groups, they identify the other sources of energy and discover why different parts of the world are heated differently during the year. They complete an...
Curated OER
Remote Sensing and the Electromagnetitc Spectrum
Fifth graders conclude that each color of the spectrum has a different amount of thermal energy by measuring temperature with a thermometer. They infer that there is an invisible band of the spectrum by measuring temperature beyond the...