Engage young scientists in the upper-elementary and middle school grades with this collection of simple experiments. Whether you're teaching about heat transfer, density, or potential energy this resource has a lab for you.

Concepts

energy transfer, energy, potential energy, heat transfer, heat, thermometers, temperature, density

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Additional Tags

potential energy, density, heat transfer, thermometer, converting temperature, energy transfer, science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use these labs to supplement science lessons on temperature measurement, properties of matter, and potential and kinetic energy
• Implement the calibrating thermometers lab at the beginning of the year or semester, familiarizing students with lab materials and procedures
• During the potential energy experiment assign each group a different height for their ramp, compiling and comparing the results as a whole class
• In the density experiment, provide each group with a different object to measure, afterward having the class compare the densities of each material

Classroom Considerations

• The thermometer calibration lab requires the use of a Bunsen burner or other source of heat, which may or may not be available in your class

Pros

• Each lab poses a specific question that students must try to answer with their experiment
• Guiding questions are included for helping students with developing their experimental procedures
• Provides equations for converting between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and calculating density and potential energy

Cons

• None

Common Core

5.OA.A.1 6.EE.A.2.a 6.EE.A.2.c 7.EE.B.3