Middle schoolers explore the concepts of potential and kinetic energy by bouncing assorted balls on different surfaces and calculating the momentum for each ball. They give examples of collisions and momentum in sports and understand...

Students examine the motion of objects in two dimensions. In this dimensional instructional activity students view several demonstrations, complete a worksheet and a lab activity.

Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...

Students work on problems in which they investigate conduction, convection, and radiation. They attempt to maintain the warmth in one can of soda while cooling the other as much as possible in a thirty minute period. They examine how...

In this chemistry in action worksheet, students read about sulphuric acid, the use of metals, the production of titanium and the detection of chemical elements and compounds. Students are given 8 statements about what they should...

Students discover the basic principles of circuits by designing and testing some of their own. They are told that circuits usually have a power source such as a battery and a resistor such as a light. Students make a circuit using a...

High schoolers examine the definitions of biomas gasification and generate their own biomass gas.  In this renewable energy lesson students collect gases and roast a marshmallow. 

The laws of momentum can lead to fun! Learners with visual impairments use bowling pins and a bowling ball to model the law of conservation of momentum. They take turns bowling with differing degrees of force to explore how energy is...

Why does the air in a hot oven not burn skin, but metal in the oven does? The simulation focuses on the difference between temperature and thermal energy and the way these are transferred. Scholars adjust the temperature of an oven and...

Which food molecules must be present for cellular respiration to occur? Scholars view an informative presentation to better understand the process of cellular respiration. It details each step, focusing on the locations and the four main...

Why do some items feel colder when they are the same temperature? How should you keep your soda cold? What makes the wind blow? These are just some of the things middle schoolers discover when completing a lesson on...

Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...

It actually is possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to climate change. A slide show lesson describes how burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change. Individuals read about the scientific process and the...

Can you name a type of reproduction that produces no variation in the offspring? The multimedia lesson covers both sexual and asexual reproduction through videos and discussions. It includes topics such as genetic modification, meiosis,...

Would you like milk with that? Young scientists consider thermal energy transfer to create the perfect cup of coffee. They calculate the amount of milk needed to reach a specified temperature and then test their calculations using a...

Messenger's sun shade measures 8 ft x 6 ft and will have temperatures reaching 700 degree Fahrenheit on the outside while maintaining a cool 70 degrees underneath. In the third activity of four, groups discuss the basic properties of...

Two blooms of phytoplankton, instead of just one, now occur in the Arctic due to declining sea ice, which will have widespread effects on the marine life and climate. In small groups, participants build an Arctic food web with given...

In this temperature worksheet, students answer 8 questions about temperature and thermal energy. For example, "What term refers to an energy transfer that causes a change in temperature?"

In this cell energy worksheet, students answer questions about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They compare the two using a Venn diagram.

In this matter and energy worksheet, students identify substances as solids, liquids or gases, they use the kinetic theory to describe the motion of particles and they explain the conservation of mass and energy when a substance changes...

Students examine how heat passes through a pane glass window.  In this energy transfer lesson students complete a lab activity.

Students investigate the properties of heated air. They make predictions about what they think makes the wind blow on a worksheet, and conduct two experiments to demonstrate the properties of heated air. Students heat a bottle until a...

Students investigate the laws of thermodynamics. They observe demonstrations of each law, read a summary, and analyze how pizza demonstrates the laws of thermodynamics.

Young scholars explore various types of electromagnetic waves, the range of the spectrum, and common sources of electromagnetic waves.