Mr. E. Science
Changes in Matter
Do solids, liquids, and gases even matter? The presentation focuses on changes in matter, including phases, Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, and physical changes.
Curated OER
Unit 0 Review - Measurement Lab Equipment
Review questions like these can be used in your biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science classes! They assess scientists' understanding of laboratory measurement tools including graduated cylinders, thermometers, and balances. They...
Virginia Department of Education
States of Matter
Scientists have been studying exothermic reactions before they were cool. The activity begins with a discussion and a demonstration of heat curves. Scholars then determine the heat of fusion of ice and the heat needed to...
Mascil Project
House Insulation
Make sure your house is warm in the winter. Pupils analyze graphs of heating costs for two similar houses and make hypotheses for why the costs differ. They then build models of houses with appropriate insulation to reduce heating costs.
Colorado State University
Can Boiling Make Something Freeze?
Use boiling as an avenue for freezing. Young scholars watch as liquid nitrogen removes heat from the ingredients for ice cream. As this happens, the nitrogen boils and the ice cream freezes—all in the same container. A little science magic!
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
Curated OER
Specific Heat Capacity of a Metal
Eleventh graders investigate the relationship between heat and energy transfer. They review terms including heat, work, calorimetry and the procedures for an experiment. After assembling the materials for the experiment, they observe...
Curated OER
Viscosity of Liquids
Fifth graders discuss the properties and characteristics of different substances. They find the viscosity of each substance while at room temperature, when heated and when cooled. They determine if the viscosity of a substance changes...
Curated OER
Albedo and Irradiation of Surfaces
Here is a physical science activity where pupils place thermometers inside of a white and a black paper pocket and place them under a lamp. They record and compare the temperature increase over a ten-minute period. Have your class...
Colorado State University
Can Gravity Push Something Up?
How does a hot air balloon fly? An experimental lesson has scholars build a balloon from a garbage bag and monitor the movement of air. As the temperature of the air in the balloon increases, gravity moves the denser cool air down,...
National Heart Association
Cold Weather Fitness Guide
Don't sacrifice physical activity every time cold winter weather arrives. From walking or circuit training to warm, healthy recipes and safety reminders, this resource will help encourage learners to prioritize their fitness and stay...
Curated OER
How Effective is Perspiration at Cooling?
High schoolers collect data on the cooling of water in two different test tubes, one that is wrapped in wet newspaper and one in dry newspaper. They then relate this cooling effect to the body's perspiration.
Curated OER
Energy and Enthalpy
In this energy worksheet, students calculate the specific heat and the melting point of titanium. Students calculate the energy released and compare the energetics for given reactions. This worksheet has 4 word problems.
Curated OER
It's in the Bag!
Eighth graders measure temperature changes and make drawings of the interactions between matter and energy. By measuring the temperature students can conclude if there are changes in levels of energy.
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Curated OER
High and Low: Pressures and Fronts
Students investigate basic information about high- and low-pressure fronts and how they affect the weather. They observe weather patterns and cloud formations. Students study the basic pattern of movement of high- and low-pressure...
University of California
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science lesson, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over time....
Colorado State University
How Can I Turn a Solar Oven into a Refrigerator?
Whether you want to heat things up in science class or cool things down a bit, an intriguing lab's got you covered! Science scholars explore the principles of thermodynamics using a solar oven, then change the conditions to turn their...
American Chemical Society
Evaporation
This is one in several lessons that explore the relationship between temperature and phase changes of water. After some discussion, elementary physical scientists place wet paper toweling on a hot and a room-temperature water bag...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Sea Level: On the Rise
With the global temperature on the rise, the effects of climate change are starting to be seen. However, many people have a difficult time conceptualizing the long-term effects, such as sea levels rising. Given an easy and effective...
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...
Curated OER
Conductive Heat Transfer Experiments
Students conduct a variety of experiments to see how heat is transferred using common household objects. The teacher uses the safety plans included in the lesson plan. This is ideal for inexperienced Science teachers.
Curated OER
"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"
Students analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. In this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Students...
Wild BC
The Greenhouse Effect: The Role of CO2
Though this is meant to be second in a two-part lesson, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...
Curated OER
Sand or Rock? Finding Out From 1,000 km
Students observe how measurements are made with different instruments. In this remote sensing lesson students investigate the physical state of surfaces including the surfaces of the solar system.