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....

When a car crashes into a wall, does it just stop or does it bounce or roll backwards? A simulation relates velocity, kinetic energy, momentum, and restitution to answer this question. Scholars apply their knowledge through...

Take a peek inside a window to heat efficiency. Scholars watch a demonstration to investigate how heat dissipates from several different cups of hot water. Scholars then relate the exchange to how heat escapes from the windows of a...

Investigate the relationship between temperature and pressure. Learners change the pressure of a sample of air and monitor its temperature. They learn that as air decreases its pressure, its thermal energy converts to kinetic energy.

My room isn't messy — it's a scientific experiment in entropy! Scholars investigate entropy, enthalpy, and spontaneity through a guided procedure and set of questions. The lesson connects the Second Law of Thermodynamics, energy...

Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis...

Students investigate the applications of energy efficient homes. They conduct Internet research, complete a worksheet, evaluate the energy efficiency of a home design, and complete a research report on energy efficient homes.

Students investigate the planet Earth's infamous ring of fire and the life that thrives from it.  In this ocean environment lesson plan, students investigate hydrothermal vents and how organisms thrive off their heat.  Students...

Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.

Questions that can be used in a lesson on Earth's radiation balance are suggested in this resource. It is not a lesson plan, per se, but it is a list of questions for stations within a "Gallery Walk" lesson. The link to how Gallery Walks...

Students participate in an activity that demonstrates the principles and dynamics of food chains. They discover that the sun's energy is captured by individual plants and transferred to animals.

Elementary schoolers identify the three methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. The lesson is mostly lecture-based. When the teacher has finished the presentation, groups of pupils get into teams and they must...

Make those microbes warm up water. Pupils first investigate water pumps, then design a water circulation system that uses solar energy. A bioreactor in the system takes energy from compost and helps heat water.

Groups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...

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...

Third graders explore the concept of heat transfer as experienced in wearing winter clothing and analyzing the refrigerator.

Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...

For this thermochemistry worksheet, students answer 6 questions about specific heat, heat capacity and molar heat capacity. They also complete a crossword puzzle given 20 clues about topics related to thermochemistry. Students solve a...

Students investigate the energy sources used in student's communities. They explore where the energy comes from, how it is transported, and the uses to which it is put. They review the meanings of vocabulary renewable and newable resources.

Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...

Students explore how a whale's countercurrent flow of blood is an example of a heat exchange system and conduction. Excellent worksheet provided.

Students design investigations to test various materials to prevent heat gain in frozen water. The task assess students' knowledge of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection, measurement,...

Students explore objects before and after heating using their senses.  In this matter and energy lesson, students experiment with a variety of objects and use their senses (except taste) to make predictions and record observations...

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...