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Activity
Colorado State University

Why Can Warm Air "Hold" More Moisture than Cold Air?—Vapor Pressure Exercise

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Does it feel a little humid in here? Learners assume the role of water vapor in the atmosphere as they explore the differences between warm and cold air. They roll dice to determine their level of energy, which determines if they stay...
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Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Homeostasis of Thermoregulation

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Whether you're battling the flu or trying to warm up on a chilly day, your body's ability to react to temperature change is fascinating! Anatomy scholars discover the fantastic feedback loops that control body temperature in a rigorous...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

If Hot Air Rises, Why Is it Cold in the Mountains?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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.
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Is a "Convection Cell"?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Computer Science: Temperature

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students conduct an experiment on heat transfer and how it works. They record the temperature in whatever environment is surrounding the container and run experiments that use at least two different ambient temperatures. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hot Cans and Cold Cans

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Learners investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rising Water!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elephants

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study elephants and the features they have that help to keep them cool.  In this elephants lesson students research a feature of the elephant. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landscaping And Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 8-9)

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They study two homes and identify types and locations of trees and determine the placement of the central air conditioners. The class plans a landscape design...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Convection Activities

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gases, Liquids and Solids, evaporate, shape volume,

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students conduct an online experiment to discover what happens to solids, liquids and gases in different temperatures. In this states of matter lesson, students get into pairs and work in a virtual laboratory to manipulate heating and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Skin

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals.  In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science lesson, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the environment.  Using technology,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

STATES OF WATER

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify the various states of water. They use hypothesizing and hands-on experimenting on changing the states of water, the properties of water, and the role of heating and cooling in the changes of state.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Sugar

For Teachers 6th - 9th
In this chemical and physical change worksheet, students use a sugar cube and observe its physical properties both when it is whole and after it is crushed. They heat the sugar cube and record 5 properties of the matter while being...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing the Sun's Warmth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Energy? Short Demos

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students engage in three short, hands-on, in-class demos which expand students' understand of energy. First, using peanuts and heat, students see how the human body burns food to make energy. Then, they create paper snake mobiles to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atmospheric Processes - Radiation

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students investigate how different surfaces absorb heat, and how the physical characteristics of a surface have a powerful effect on the way a surface absorbs and releases heat from the sun.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Viscosity of Liquids

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss the properties and characteristics of different substances. They find the viscosity of each substance while at room temperature, when heated and when cooled. They determine if the viscosity of a substance changes...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Formula of a Hydrate Lab

For Students 10th - 12th
In this hydrate worksheet, learners find the formula of an unknown salt by determining the mass of water in the heated compound. Students burn off the water and record data to establish the final mass and formula of the hydrate.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Somethin' Sweet

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students make their own candy. In this science lesson plan, students observe how molecules interact with each other in physical changes and observe how the addition of heat can cause molecules to interact and form new molecules in...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Thermal Energy

For Students 8th - 10th
In this thermal energy worksheet, students answer 6 questions about substances that have greater thermal energy, substances that take more thermal energy to raise their temperatures and the heat lost and gained by substances.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

On a Hot Day, You Can Play Forever

For Students 5th - 6th
In this science and thought process worksheet, learners read a factual information sheet on many ways humans can keep cool on hot days. Students answer 30 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Can Cruncher

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students experiment with boiling water and cans to study changes in pressure. In this pressure lesson plan, students use pop cans filled with varying amounts of water heated to boiling. Students drop the cans in cold water and observe...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Whys

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders experiment with a thermometer and water samples of varying temperatures. They examine the effect different colors and different fabrics have on retaining heat. They examine snow samples for water and dirt content. They...

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