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Lesson Plan
University of California

Marble Rollercoasters

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Don't let your classes coast through school! Engage them in their learning as they build their own roller coasters to study potential and kinetic energy. Young scholars complete several challenges that require them to consider the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thermal Energy and Heat Unit

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain that heat energy in a material consists of the disordered motions of its atoms or molecules. They know and explain that transformations of energy usually transform some energy into the form of heat, which dissipates by...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Third graders examine plate movements and boundaries with a lab that demonstrates how volcanoes and earthquakes are formed. It presents different types of stresses an object can withstand through a hands-on experiment with clay to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kinetic and Potential Energy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate kinetic and potential energy in the lab. In this physics lesson, students demonstrate how energy can be transformed from one form to another. They collect data from the experiment and write a detailed lab report.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and Thermodynamics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This is actually a 10-day mini unit on thermal energy for your high school chemists. Every avenue is taken to get learners absorbed in heat: a pretest, a PowerPoint presentation, Internet exploration, demonstrations, lab activities, and...
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Lesson Plan
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Purdue University

Can You Design a Hot or Cold Pack?

For Teachers 6th
You're getting warmer. Groups conduct an experiment to determine which of four chemicals are in hot/cold packs. They learn about exothermic and endothermic reactions and use this knowledge to design a hot/cold pack that is small enough...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

2D Motion

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the motion of objects in two dimensions. In this dimensional lesson students view several demonstrations, complete a worksheet and a lab activity.
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Understanding the Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part lesson. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Forms

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore energy by participating in a science lab in class. In this energy form lesson, students define the different types of energy such as light, mechanical and sound while examining energy measuring tools in class. Students...
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Lesson Plan
University of Georgia

Heating and Cooling of Land Forms

For Students 9th - 12th
Compare heating and cooling rates of different land forms. A lab activity has groups collect data on the rate of heating and cooling of soil, grass, saltwater, fresh water, and sand. An analysis of the rates shows how the different land...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 1st Standards
A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab demonstrates stresses...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ultimate Ride Coaster Deluxe

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders describe the energy transformations as cars travel over a roller coaster. They explain the principle of conservation of energy as it relates to a roller coaster ride. The integration of technology is done using educational...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Power

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the Law of Conservation of Energy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. they create a pendulum out of either a rope with a bowling ball or barbell tied to one end.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Much Energy is a Kilowatt Hour?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the conservation of energy.  In this energy lesson plan students explain the differences between potential and kinetic energy.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking into Surface Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students demonstrate how the color of materials on Earth affect the amount of solar energy that is absorbed.  In this solar energy lesson students complete a lab to explore how the color of materials on the Earth's surface impacts warming. 
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Lesson Plan
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Sensing the Invisible: The Herschel Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners of light will construct a contraption in which light is passed through a prism and shone into a box. The temperatures at different points along the path and outside of the path of light. The intent is to imitate William...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Top Quark Lab

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students find the mass of the top quark. In this physics lesson plan, students create a vector diagram from a given set of data. They discuss their calculations and findings in class.
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Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Looking Into Surface Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 10th
How does the color of a surface affect the heating of the earth? Middle school science classes experiment with color and surface albedo to determine the relationship. The website has tabs for an overview, teacher's instructions,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Middle School Home Energy Audit

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders research the origins of local electrical power and compare costs and methods of generation with other areas of the country or world.
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Lesson Plan
LABScI

Freezing Point Depression: Why Don’t Oceans Freeze?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Can you go ice fishing in the ocean? Learners examine the freezing point of different saltwater solutions. Each solution has a different concentration of salt. By comparing the freezing points graphically, they make conclusions about...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 6th
Here is a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on plate tectonics. After completing the previous labs on volcanoes and earthquakes, sixth graders use the gained knowledge to explore plate boundaries and the movement of Earth's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digestion & Nutrition: a Case Study

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore digestion/nutrition and utilize scientific investigation skills. They complete meal logs for several days and graph their results. After analyzing their data, they write formal lab reports.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulum Lab

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students predict how changing the pendulum components affect its period. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate the period using different masses. They analyze lab result and complete assigned worksheet.