Curated OER
Yesterday in Energy
Clever! Collaborative groups of environmental scientists create a museum exhibit and presentation for an energy-using activity such as heating a home or transportation. They must compare past to present use of energy for that particular...
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Finding the Formula of Magnesium Oxide
Rather than simply matching up the ionic charges on paper, this exercise gets chemists into the lab to determine the chemical formula for magnesium oxide! If a known amount of magnesium is used, an oxidation reaction results in this...
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Make Your Own Temperature Scale
Differentiate between temperature and thermal energy. Your class will build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. Discuss with your class and consider why engineers need to understand...
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The Effect of Dissolved Salt on the Boiling Point of Water
Explore the properties of solutions with a lab activity. Chemistry fans determine the boiling point of water, add salt to create a solution, and then repeat the process four more times. They design their own data table and then graph the...
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Igneous Rocks
High schoolers focus on a study of igneous rocks. They see how igneous rocks are formed, and how to distinguish them from other types of rocks. A crystal-growing activity is present, and learners create drawings that show where each...
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Bendable Things
What kinds of cups can bend? Kindergartners find out with a straightforward science inquiry, designed to teach them about the properties of materials. They hypothesize about the flexibility of a china cup, a plastic cup, and a paper cup....
American Chemical Society
Moving Molecules in a Solid
Who likes magic shows? In the fourth of five lessons, pupils view a scientific magic trick. The ball fits through the ring easily, but then moments later, it won't pass through anymore. What changed? Can we reverse the change? Scholars...
Curated OER
Devastation of Indian Quake
Students read an online article at CNNfyi.com to determine what happened in India after an earthquake. They determine the magnitude of this earthquake and address the issue of relief efforts from other countries.
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Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
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TO CONSERVE OR NOT TO CONSERVE
Students explore how energy is wasted at home and at work and develop a program to save energy in a specific area.
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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.
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Hot and Cold Colors
Students engage in an activity that will allow them to observe that hotter conditions can speed up changes in materials. They will predict whether food coloring disperses more quickly in hot, cold, or room temperature water, and then...
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The Science of Weather: Humidity makes air feel even hotter.
Young scholars examine the effects of heat and humidity. In this weather instructional activity, students read a chart to determine the effects heat and humidity can have on the human body. This instructional activity includes an...
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Rising Water!
Young scholars 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...
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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...
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Ice Ain't Easy
Young scholars 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...
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Chemistry: Energy Resources and Transfers
Learners explore the concepts of energy resources and energy transfers. In this chemistry lesson, students examine renewable and non-renewable energy sources as they view classroom demonstrations and discuss the concepts as well as their...
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Specific Heat and Insulation - Temperature Changes
Learners expand their knowledge of how temperature changes between air and soil. They also examine how natural grass cover insulates the effects of the sun's direct radiation.
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Papier-Mâché Globe
Paper mache projects are great for using up paper from the recycle bin. Give your class the chance to create a three-dimensional globe out of paper mache. They'll work to make their globes as accurate as possible, adding proper colors...
Exploratorium
The Dipping Bird
If you have or want to order the dipping bird demonstration, it is useful for showing how evaporation and changes in the pressure of a closed system cause cyclical motion. After teaching about pressure, consider setting this little guy...
Curated OER
A Home Energy Audit
Students investigate ways to save energy. In this environmental lesson plan, students play the role of a building inspector and identify "culprits" that waste energy. Students use a checklist to identify specific practices that waste...
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Keeping Warm
Students experiment with thermal insulators. In this heat transfer lesson, students predict and then measure heat loss from a cup of water using different materials as insulators. Students complete a line graph to display their results.
Curated OER
Oxidation: Does Iron Burn?
Searching for a fairly easy demonstration of how oxidation triggers rust formation? The demonstration allows high school chemists to witness the rusting of metals, as large and small objects are held into a flame while triggering the...
DK Publishing
A Burning Matter
The process of fire requires oxygen, heat, and fuel. Take one of those away, and fire ceases to exist. That's the idea behind this activity which portrays a candle burning inside an upside down jar. Pupils answer a couple of questions...