Curated OER
Student Power Use
Learners calculate the energy usage in their bedroom. For this physics lesson, students compare their energy consumption during school days and weekends. They recommend ways to save energy.
Curated OER
How is heat transferred through conduction?
Fifth graders observe different types of conductors. They answer orally about the conduction of heat energy with 100% accuracy. Students investigate some materials that conduct heat much better than others, and poor conductors can...
Curated OER
Balloon Ball Bounce
Students explore the rebound of balls. In this energy conversion lesson, students explore the physics behind the rebound of various types of sports balls. Through the experimental design process using balloons, students investigate and...
Curated OER
Wind Power for Educators
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource. In this wind power lesson plan students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency.
Curated OER
Lesson one
Students study waves and how it erodes a beach. In this energy instructional activity students complete a lab activity on waves and tides.
Curated OER
Energy and the Environment
Fifth graders define terms associated with renewable and nonrenewable resources. They identify materials that are renewable and nonrewable. They categorize a list into the correct type of resource.
Curated OER
Bouncing Balls
Students work together to examine how different types of balls react to colliding with different surfaces. They discover the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They practice calculating momentum as well.
Curated OER
Friction Force
Students investigate friction force on a variety of objects such as bricks and cardboard boxes. They use a force probe to collect data on the changes in force required to drag the objects across a variety of surface types.
Curated OER
Solar Car activity
Young scholars study the basic concept of solar energy. They build a working solar car. Students comprehend how solar energy can be produced via a solar panel. They examine the physics that describe how a solar panel works.
Curated OER
Passive Solar Design
Learners study what passive solar design is for buildings and structures. In this solar design lesson students identify passive solar design techniques.
Curated OER
How Wind Works
Second graders investigate the process that creates wind. In this wind lesson plan, 2nd graders create a wind diagram. Students write an essay to accompany their diagram.
Teach Engineering
The Advantage of Machines
Show your students how to make their work easier. The first lesson in a series of 10 introduces the class to work and the way simple machines can be make work easier. The simple machines scholars can find in everyday items are...
Curated OER
Getting into Shape
Students identify 3-D geometric shapes through different pieces of artwork. They examine and identify segments and angles. Students act out shapes and create a piece of artwork. Additional cross curriculum activities are listed.
Curated OER
How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
Curated OER
No Fossils in This Fuel!
Learners explain how technology leads to a cleaner environment. They gain hands-on experience with ethanol as a fuel alternative.
Curated OER
Mission 2: Electricity
In these electricity worksheets, students learn about electricity, how its used, how it can be changes, and electricity circuits. Students complete an 11 page packet about electricity.
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics Post-Lab
Students investigate energy. In this Physics lesson plan, students explore different sources of energy: heat, nuclear, and chemical. Students sing an electricity song.
Curated OER
Circuits- Lock-out/ Tag-out
In this circuits worksheet, students answer eight questions about different types of circuits, grounding cables to reduce electric shock, circuit breakers and locking and tagging a disconnect device.
Curated OER
Got Light!
Sources of light, and the reflection of light off of objects, are the focus of this brief and simple science activity. Learners must trace the path that light takes which enables a boy to read a book. A suggested activity is to have the...
Curated OER
Windmill activity
Young scholars explore how to build an efficient windmill design by taking into account how the lift and drag caused by the movement of wind can be used to make the blades of the turbine move. Through their readings, hypothesis and by...
Curated OER
Power, Pollution, Pros and Cons
Learners review what they know about non-renewable energy, compare and contrast advantages and drawbacks of each type, such as cost of energy sources, feasibility, air pollution, water pollution, and other risks, and create table listing...
Teach Engineering
Water Power
Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part lesson. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Ecosystems provide many things humans not only use but also need in order to survive. The last lesson in the series of seven introduces scholars to the idea of ecosystem services, that ecosystems provide humans with many things we need....