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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Potential and Kinetic Energy

For Teachers 6th Standards
Everything has potential energy; learning to use it is the key to understanding all types of energy. Scholars learn the difference between kinetic and potential energy. They then apply the concept to drawing examples of both types of...
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Lesson Plan
Clarkson University

Understanding Energy (With a Pendulum)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Have you ever wanted to play with a giant pendulum? An experiment allows small groups to do just that. They gather data and make observations as they complete the included worksheet. The instructional activity lays out each instruction...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Electricity ~ The Colour Sensitivity of a Photovoltaic Cell

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Teacher's notes, a materials list, detailed procedure, tips, and extension ideas are all included to make teaching this lesson on photovoltaic cells a sunny spot in your day! After some brief background reading, physical science...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Insulators, Conductors, and Energy Transfer

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders conduct experiments to determine what types of material make good insulators. They prepare a graph of time vs. temperature for their sample. They choose a graph using each kind of material to display for class analysis and...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Cold, Hard Truth

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Things are really getting heated in the lab! Science scholars scope out the facts about heat energy transfer using a simple lab from the K20 Center. Groups collaborate to observe temperature changes between hot metal and water, then use...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Heat Transfer and Heat Capacity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
It's time to increase the heat! Young chemists demonstrate heat transfer and heat capacity in an activity-packed lab, showing the transitions between solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of materials. Individuals plot data as the changes...
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Lesson Plan
STEM for Teachers

Temperature and Bounce

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of STEM lesson plans...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

States and Forms of Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Energy is just energy, right? Explain various forms of energy to your young scientists by using an interactive experiment that contains common objects to demonstrate complex concepts. Pupils conduct experiments for radiant, thermal,...
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Lesson Plan
American Physiological Society

Feeling the Heat

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How do the changing seasons affect the homes where we live? This question is at the forefront of engineering and design projects. Challenge your physical science class to step into the role of an architect to build a model home capable...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Melting Ice: Designing an Experiment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat Energy

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Young scholars study how matter changes from solids to liquids or liquids to solids. In this physical science instructional activity, students discuss heat energy and experiment with heat by changing a candle into a liquid using a hot...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Electric Current Produces Energy

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of electric currents. In groups, they develop their own game board to test different circuits to determine if they are complete. They record their observations of the energy transfer between...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring Thermal Energy Transfer

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment to calculate and quantify heat transfer. They conduct the experiment, and complete a data and lab conclusion sheet.
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Lesson Plan
Foundation for Water & Energy Education

How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity A

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Environmentally friendly engineering teams construct a water wheel and experiment with its speed and the resulting amount of weight it can lift. Consider following this activity with two more of the same title by the same publisher when...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Energy from Water Wheels

For Teachers 6th Standards
Historians believe the first vertical water wheel was invented in Rome during the Augustan Age. The sixth lesson plan in the series of 10 has scholars experiment with designing their own water wheels. Through testing various pastas and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do It Yourself: Energy Transfer Lesson Plan

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss the different types of energy and experiment with tesla coil to show the three types of energy transfer. They write conclusions in their science journal.
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PPT
Curated OER

Heat - A Form of Energy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Middle school or high school physical science pupils will warm up to the topic of heat when viewing this set of slides. It covers heat transfer, measurement tools, phase changes, and more. Have demonstrations and examples of the tools...
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Activity
It's About Time

Exploring Energy Resource Concepts

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Please turn off the lights to conserve energy. Or not, after all energy is always conserved. This first lesson in an eight-part series includes three parts. Part A contains one hands-on activity and two inquiry-based experiments on heat...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Is Energy?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Don't let the energy of your classroom falter! Explore the scientific definition of energy through play. A hands-on lesson focuses on the change of energy from one form to another.
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Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Solar Cooking Race

For Teachers 3rd
Study heat transfer with activities that focus on how heat energy works. Using a solar cooker, ice cubes, and heat transfer bracelets, kids experiment and record what they find by keeping ice cubes cold and vegetables hot.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rolling Balls: Mass and Kinetic Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers identify the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity. Then they explain and graph the relationship between kinetic energy and mass. Students also predict the impact of objects of different mass and...
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Activity
American Chemical Society

Entropy and Enthalpy Changes

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
My room isn't messy — it's a scientific experiment in entropy! Scholars investigate entropy, enthalpy, and spontaneity through a guided procedure and set of questions. The lesson connects the Second Law of Thermodynamics, energy transfer...
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Unit Plan
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PBS

Blow the Roof Off!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics from making...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can Freezing Make Something Warmer?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Crazy fact—freezing liquid actually gives off heat! Young scholars investigate the transfer of energy when liquids freeze using a chemical heat pack. The heat pack gives off heat as its liquid core freezes.