Exploratorium
Give and Take
Heat-sensitive liquid crystal sheets are available in a variety of sizes and temperature ranges. Purchase a class set of hand-held sheets and color half of each with a silver permanent marking pen. Learners of light can hold them under a...
Curated OER
Transferring Thermal Energy
Multiple examples of heat transfer through different materials are shown. The information will reinforce concepts of particle energy change and movement at a early, secondary level.
Next Generation Science Storylines
Why Do Some Things Get Colder (or Hotter) When They React?
Some reactions absorb heat while others release it. Young scholars investigate both types of reactions in a 12-lesson unit. Each lesson presents a lab investigation that monitors temperature and considers the types of reactions taking...
Carnegie Mellon University
Home Energy Audit
Youngsters make a mental assessment of electricity-consuming appliances in their homes and then evaluate them for the amount of energy consumed. They learn how to use power meters and measure the electrical consumption of several...
Curated OER
Melting and Freezing of Water
Pupils examine the three states of matter. They identify the segments of heating and cooling curves. Students analyze data and create a graph to determine the freezing and melting temperature of water.
Mr. E. Science
Thermal Energy and Heat
The presentation covers Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales for temperature as well as conduction, convection, and radiation.
Teach Engineering
Insulation Materials Investigation
Don't melt away! Pairs investigate different insulation materials to determine which one is better than the others. Using a low-temp heat plate, the teams insulate an ice cube from the heat source with a variety of substances. They...
Chymist
Temperature
Three Dog Night isn't just the name of a band; it is also the way an Australian tribe, who used dogs to stay warm, would describe the temperature on a cool evening. After reading about many different ways of measuring temperature, the...
Space Awareness
Continental Climate and Oceanic Climate
There's nothing better than a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Scholars explore how water affects change in temperature using a hands-on experiment on climate. They use measurement tools to compare the continental and oceanic...
Curated OER
Student Reading - The Unique Properties of Water
Without water there would be no life on this planet. Biology learners find out why by reading this handout. Create a worksheet of questions to answer after the reading. Follow it up with quick demonstrations or laboratory activities that...
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.
US Department of Energy
Effects of Solar Radiation on Land and Sea
Earth science enthusiasts experiment to compare the heating rates of soil and water. They relate their findings to the weather conditions near bodies of water. Consider also having middle schoolers measure the cooling rates to...
Messenger Education
Design Challenge: How to Keep Gelatin from Melting
The inside of the spacecraft Messenger, which explores Mercury, will experience temperatures from 32 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. In the final installment of a series of four space-related activities, groups spend time discussing and...
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!
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Tale of Two Houses
Does it cost more per year to heat Bill's home in North Dakota or to cool Bubba's home in Georgia? Using heat transfer concepts, mathematical equations, and critical thinking skills, young engineers work in groups to determine who is...
Curated OER
Gases, Liquids and Solids, evaporate, shape volume,
Students conduct an online experiment to discover what happens to solids, liquids and gases in different temperatures. For this states of matter lesson, students get into pairs and work in a virtual laboratory to...
Curated OER
Passing The Heat Along
Fifth graders consider conduction. For this science lesson plan, 5th graders explore how heat passes through conductors and examine materials that contain heat.
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
Heating The Atmosphere
In this science worksheet, students look for the answers to finding the correct temperatures that match the location in the atmosphere.
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
Changing States of Matter - Making Ice Cream
Students make ice cream as a result of viewing changes of states of matter. In this matter lesson plan, students learn how heating and cooling can effect a state of matter to change.
Curated OER
Do Different Colors Absorb Heat Better?
Pupils work together to test how the color of a material affects how much heat it absorbs. They make predictions and take notes on their observations. They discover how engineers use this type of information.
Curated OER
Cooling With Sunshades
Learners conduct research in order to find the effects of properties exposed to heat and how they change temperature. They consider the effect of sunlight upon objects that are placed outside with the help of an experiment. They also...
Curated OER
Keep It Cool
Students complete a science experiment to study insulation, heat transfer, and permafrost. For this permafrost study lesson, students design and test a soda insulator. Students graph their class data and discuss the results. Students...