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Solar Cell Simulation
Students study photovoltaic technology. In this photovoltaic technology lesson, students simulate a photovoltaic system. Students discuss how to simulate a cloudy day.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Mining
Students explore nonrenewable energy resources. In this coal lesson, students investigate how coal is formed and how it is used as a source of energy. Students mine for "coal" using toothpicks and chocolate chip cookies.
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What's Cooking?
Students investigate solar energy by making sun tea. In this ecology and solar energy lesson, students prepare traditional tea and "sun" tea, then record and graph data comparing color, clarity, smell and taste.
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Grass as Biomass
Students explore energy properties by listening to a sustainability lecture in class. In this biomass activity, students identify what biomass is, how it can be transformed into a usable energy and how it complements the energy cycle....
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This Mine of Mine
Students explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as coal....
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Renewable Energy Sentences
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics instructional activity, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean...
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Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
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How Wind Works
Second graders investigate the process that creates wind. In this wind lesson, 2nd graders create a wind diagram. Students write an essay to accompany their diagram.
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Vocabulary - Unit 5, Chemical Bonds
All you will find in this resource is a list of vocabulary terms dealing with chemical bonds. Space is provided for chemistry learners to write out definitions. This would be a terrific tool to help prepare them for a quiz.
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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
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Sample Midyear Examination (Chemistry and Biology)
A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...
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Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa. In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel.
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Cloudy vs. Clear
Students analyze line plots. In this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
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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...
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Energy Misconceptions
The plan is that future physicists take an "Energy Misconceptions" quiz before completing a series of activities that are focused on energy concepts. The activities, however, are not outlined in this resource; only the quiz and detailed...
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Temperature and the Tomato
You will need a photovoltaic system and monitor at your school in order to obtain all of the data required to thoroughly implement this instructional activity. Your class monitors daily temperature and insolation amounts over a two week...
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Things That Glow
Third graders study the concept of light as an energy source. In this energy instructional activity students participate in a lab that show them the concept of light as an energy source.
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Light Can Heat Too!
Third graders explore absorption and reflection of light energy. In this solar energy lesson, 3rd graders explore how light energy transfers to heat energy through the construction of a solar water heater. Students will discuss and...
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Energy and Energy Conversion
Third graders investigate different energy conversions through hands-on activities. In this energy lesson, 3rd graders move through four stations and conduct experiments illustrating energy conversions. Wave energy, chemical energy,...
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Electricity and Magnetism: From Fun to Function
Fourth graders experiment with electricity and magnetism and build an electromagnetic motor. For this electromagnetism lesson, 4th graders use household objects to show electrostatics and magnets and compasses to show magnetism. They...
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Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
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Be Energy Wise!
Students perform activities to explore how electricity comes into their homes. They list appliances and devices in their homes that use electricity. Students create reminders and posters to help their families remember to turn off lights...
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Inspiring Change At Home and At School
Students explore energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. They conduct a home energy audit, a transportation campaign, and an investigation in the school. Students develop a plan to conserve energy and reduce emissions.
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Albedo and Irradiation of Surfaces
Here is a physical science activity where pupils place thermometers inside of a white and a black paper pocket and place them under a lamp. They record and compare the temperature increase over a ten-minute period. Have your class...