Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Building a Parabolic-Trough Collector
Amateurs of alternative energy build a mini parabolic-trough solar energy collector and use it to heat water. Temperature is recorded over a three-minute period and the data is graphed and analyzed. Note that in order to paint aquarium...
Curated OER
It's Just a Phase: Water as Solid, Liquid and Gas
Students construct models of the way water molecules arrange themselves in three physical states - solid, liquid, and gas. They explain the molecular behavior of ice, water, and water vapor.
Curated OER
Lesson: Sand and Water
Students review background information about water tension and adhesive forces on sand. For this sand science lesson, students visit a beach and have a sand building competition near water and away from it. Students discuss water tension...
Curated OER
Transport in Plants
Quite a detailed and advanced look at the transport mechanisms of a plant. The absorption and control of sugar and water concentration are explained and will help an understanding of homeostasis concepts and organ specialization.
Curated OER
Transportation in Plants
Students investigate how plants transport water and nutrients through the plant. In this transportation in plants lesson plan, students use glass tubing, celery stalks, food coloring and leaves from plants to observe adhesion and...
Curated OER
Sewer Lice
Students observe demonstrations that show adhesion, cohesion, equilibrium density, pressure of gases and solubility. In this gases lesson plan, students observe a demonstration of raisins, spaghetti, and popcorn moving up and down in...
Curated OER
Molecular Forces at Work: Creating Soap Bubbles
Students investigate adhesion, cohesion and surface tension. For this molecular forces lesson plan, students observe multiple demonstrations that show surface tension, the attraction of water molecules to each other and the ability of...
Curated OER
Watershed Landscape
Students demonstrate how water flows by building a human watershed using themselves. For this ecology lesson, students compare and contrast point-source and non-point source pollution. They write what they have learned from this activity...
Curated OER
How Much Do I Know About Water?
Sixth graders explore ways to analyze the properties of water and examine the chemistry of water. In this water lesson students work in groups and complete several activities.
Curated OER
How Much Do I Know About Water?
Sixth graders explore how water behaves on a penny. In this states of matter instructional activity, 6th graders observe water as they add drops to a penny. This instructional activity helps students apply the adhesive properties of...
Teach Engineering
Capillarity – Measuring Surface Tension
How do cohesion and adhesion work together? The third installment of a nine-part series teaches young scientists the difference between adhesion and cohesion. They also learn how cohesion and adhesion work together to cause capillary...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Capillary Action
Explore capillary action from different perspectives. In the fourth installment of a nine-part series, scholars perform several experiments to observe capillary action. They look at the meniscus of water in a glass, observe capillary...
LABScI
Surface Tension: Liquids Stick Together
Use science to help you walk on water! Young scientists explore the properties of liquids including cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension. They use graphs to compare different liquids and make predictions about their molecular attraction.
Curated OER
Its OK To Be a Clod
Students describe factors that affect the solubility of a chemical substance in seawater. In this sea environment lesson, student explain how information on the solubility of a substance can be used to measure water currents. They will...
Dick Blick Art Materials
No-Blender Pulp Painting
Like finger painting, this project is very tactile. Kids tear tissue paper into small pieces, add water, and mix up a pulp that can be pressed onto a canvas to create a colorful, textured painting.
Curated OER
Sand Castles: Pre-engineering 101
Students examine how soil holds together and what the effect of particle size and water content is on soil. In this engineering lesson students complete a lab, record their observations and discuss what they learned.
Curated OER
Introduction to Nutrition and Gardening
Students examine the different parts of a plant and each ones role. In this exploratory lesson students complete several activities including a game of charades.
Teach Engineering
Measuring Surface Tension
How do you measure surface tension? The fifth installment of a nine-part series is an experiment where young scientists use tubes of different sizes to measure surface tension. They calculate the average and standard deviation of the...
Curated OER
Carborundum "Intaglio"
Students create a print using a mixture of Carborundum grits of different textures that are mixed with an adhesive and brushed onto a plate. The plate is then inked and wiped like an intaglio plate or it can be printed in relief.
Curated OER
Milk Glue
Students observe a precipitation and neutralization reaction and learn to filter the products of the precipitation reaction. In this precipitation and neutralization lesson plan, students create curds and whey using milk and vinegar....
Curated OER
Contact Angle. Interfacial Tension and Wetting
Students determine the contact angle of water on different surfaces. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate their percent error using a mathematical formula. They explain the advantages of using non-wetting surface...
Curated OER
The Salamander Room
Students examine how each animal's habitat provides what that animal needs for survival. They discuss what an animal needs to survive-food, shelter, water, and space.
Curated OER
Starch Yer Thinkin' About Corn Products
Seventh graders study the parts of corn and explore the role of starch. In this corn products lesson plan students prepare a model of water and stones.
Curated OER
Drops on a Penny
Eighth graders experiment to determine the number of drops of water a heads up penny hold. They create a stem and leaf graph of the class results and use the data for further experimentation on a tails up penny.