Curated OER
Micro-Climate
Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record the varying temperatures and identify the microclimates on a map that they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand...
Curated OER
Chemical Compounds
In this chemical compounds worksheet, students identify the types of intermolecular forces present in the given substances, calculate the heat required to convert a liquid to gas, and explain the ideal-gas law. This worksheet has 5...
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Wet All Over Clean-up!
Students investigate the water cycle using activities from The Magic School Bus series. They determine what happens when water is heated and cooled by observing two different experimental set-ups.
Curated OER
Maintaining Body Heat
Students observe and compare heat loss in different objects with surface-to-volume ratios. They transfer this comparison to the physical characteristics of animals in their environment. They focus on how whales maintain their body heat.
Curated OER
Insulation-Black and White
Eighth graders construct 2 different model homes out of manila folders in order to examine how heat is transferred by means of radiation and convection. Activity allows students to interpret how different colors or material affect the...
Curated OER
Changing Sugar
In this chemical and physical change worksheet, students use a sugar cube and observe its physical properties both when it is whole and after it is crushed. They heat the sugar cube and record 5 properties of the matter while being...
Curated OER
A Model of the Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle worksheet, students use different colored crayons to represent different types of rocks. They follow step by step procedures to model the rock cycle with the crayons. Students draw the rock cycle, show weathering,...
Curated OER
Hydrologic Cycle
In this science worksheet, students read about the Hydrologic Cycle. Students use the reading and a diagram to answer 2 comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Ice Ain't Easy
Students are introduced to the laws of thermodynamics. The 1st law of thermodynamics states that the energy must be conserved when two objects of different temperatures come in contact. If one object gains energy, the other object must...
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...
Aquarium of the Pacific
States of Matter: Making Ice Cream
Who knew that learning about the states of matter could taste so sweet? This fun hands-on lesson plan captures the attention of learners as they use what they know about solids, liquids, and gases to create their very own batch of ice...
Colorado State University
Do Cities Affect the Weather? (Making a Cloud in a Bottle)
The dynamics of a city can have a drastic effect on the weather. A hands-on lesson asks learners to build a model to illustrate how city pollution provides a nucleus for condensation. The greater the pollution, the greater chance for...
Curated OER
The Atmosphere
Here is a suitable set of slides to use when teaching about the layers of the atmosphere, climate, global winds, and types of clouds. These slides will support a few different lectures. You will probably want to replace the diagrams with...
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...
Curated OER
Keeping Cool
Students investigate the air conditioner units around the school. They chart the temperature by placing a thermometer in different situations and decide how to keep cool and save energy in the summer.
Curated OER
Travel Mug Design
Students create and develop a travel mug. They create visuals and a three dimensional infomercial. They apply an engineering design and demonstrate knowledge of thermodynamics involved in heat transfer. They illustrate Newton's Law of...
Curated OER
Warm and Toasty
Students are introduced to the concepts of specific heat and heat capacity. In groups, they design an experiment to test these two topics on various fabrics. They compare and contrast the amount of heat loss on the different materials...
Curated OER
How to Make Water Run Uphill
Students observe science demonstration. In this science lesson, students watch an experiment showing water moving up from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, due to a change in atmospheric pressure.
Curated OER
Activity #13 Changing The Look of Sugar
Students observe what happens when sugar is dissolved in water and when it is heated. They weigh the products after each of the two experiments on a balance scale. Pupils distinguish between physical and chemical changes. Students are...
Curated OER
TE Activity: You're in Hot Water
Students study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
Curated OER
Rising Water!
Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...
Curated OER
Convection Activities
Students conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
Curated OER
What Is Energy? Short Demos
Students engage in three short, hands-on, in-class demos which expand students' understand of energy. First, using peanuts and heat, students see how the human body burns food to make energy. Then, they create paper snake mobiles to...
Curated OER
A Matter of State
Middle schoolers conduct science experiments to understand that particle movement changes as a substance changes from one phase to another phase. Students record observations of experiments that involve the three states of matter:...