PBS
Light Bulb Challenge
Efficiency equals money where homes are concerned. A comparative lesson asks learners to measure heat output of incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs. They follow their investigation with calculating the cost of using the two...
Beyond Benign
Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions
How can you tell the difference between endothermic and exothermic reactions? Chemistry scholars perform and observe two chemical reactions, measure the temperature throughout, then draw conclusions about changes in energy from their...
Curated OER
Stop Heat from Escaping
Students explore the uses of insulation and describe how insulation helps to conserve energy. They work in groups and use plastic, wool, paper and aluminum to experiment with the heat-retaining properties of various materials.
Curated OER
Managing Heat
Third graders perform various experiments to show the flow of energy that causes heat. In this heat lesson, 3rd graders understand how heat is transferred or trapped. Students use the scientific method and critical thinking skills to...
Curated OER
The Magic of Solar Thermal: How the Sun Can Be Used to Heat Water
Students are introduced to how the sun is used to heat water. In this solar lesson students identify the different types of solar water heating and demonstrate how it works.
Curated OER
Primary Energy Sources Pros and Cons
Students explore the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. For this earth science lesson, students discuss the pros and cons of each type. They conduct a variety of experiments on renewable energy.
Curated OER
Energy from the Sun
In this energy from the sun worksheet, learners are given 20 terms to complete sentences about the sun, the energy of the sun, the radiation of the sun, the transfer of energy from the sun and the currents created by the energy of the sun.
Curated OER
The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)
Fifth graders use the scientific process to examine how when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship between surface and...
Curated OER
Specific Heat of Metal
Students experiment with different types of metal by dipping them in boiling water and cool water and recording temperature changes in the water. By doing this, they find the specific heat of the metals.
Curated OER
The Great Heat Escape
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer. For this thermal conductivity lesson, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances. Lesson...
Curated OER
Solar Power
Fifth graders create their own solar panel. They use this experiment to see how the sun can be used as a form of energy.
Curated OER
Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Learners research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Curated OER
How Electric Current Produces Energy
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...
Curated OER
Energy and Work: Transformation Through Engines
Young scholars conduct a webquest on an energy source they chose. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to determine the factors affecting potential and kinetic energy. They calculate speed and create distance vs. time...
Curated OER
Energy and Work: Transformation through Engines
Learners are introduced to the concept of thermodynamics. In groups, they participate in experiments in which they discover how potential energy converts into kinetic energy. They use the internet to research the components of a...
Curated OER
TE Lesson: Renewable Energy
Students examine renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind. They experiment to determine how renewable energy is transformed into electricity. They investigate the role of engineers who work in the field of renewable energy.
Curated OER
Activation Energy
Students investigate activation energy through endothermic and exothermic reactions. In this activation energy lesson plan, students conduct 2 experiments, one is an endothermic reaction and the other is an exothermic reaction. Students...
Teach Engineering
Solar Power
Elementary schoolers discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They take a close look at some of the materials used: sand, salt, water, and shredded paper and evaluate the efficiency of each material. An incredible...
Curated OER
Gas Pressure, Volume, and Temperature
Physical science learners conduct a simple experiment using the heat of their hands to affect the fluid pressure. They place a balloon atop a freezing cold bottle and observe what occurs as it warms up. Both activities demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Energy Transformation
Students identify different kinds of energy such as heat energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, and magnetic energy. They investigate the concept of conservation of energy.
Curated OER
Liquid Logic: Experiments in Viscosity
Young scholars examine specific characteristics of liquids through a hands-on lab activity. An experiment with teacher prepared viscosity tubes is conducted in which liquid identities are predicted based on data. A hypothesis is written...
Curated OER
Window Treatments for Energy Savings
Students investigate energy-saving window treatments. In this environmental lesson, students research how energy-saving windows work by conducting an experiment using a thermometer and graphing data. Students identify why energy-saving...
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Melting
Dry ice is extremely cold — it is -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Scholars observe and explain the molecular motion associated with melting. Then they design their own experiments to speed up the melting process. Finally, a teacher presents a...
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling: Effects of Distance and Inclination
Students discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.