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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Light Bulbs

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders compare filaments in different light bulbs. In this science lesson, 5th graders view the filaments of light bulbs under a microscope.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Producing Heat

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students listen to "Heat Wave" by Helen Ketterman and discuss the story by creating a word web with heat as the main topic. They break into groups and conduct an experiment using a thermometer to record the temperature of melting ice...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Is Everywhere

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students determine the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy. They discuss life without energy and where energy comes from before reading an article about the different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy, Work and Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the differences between potential and kinetic energy.  For this physics lesson students view a video and apply what they learn about energy to apply it to real world situations. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Energy "trails"

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore ten different stations that demonstrate either chemical, kinetic, or mechanical energy. They examine the way energy is transferred during each station's hands-on activity. Stations include vinegar and baking soda,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students maximizethe comfort-conditioning of a home.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Albedo and Irradiation of Surfaces

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Are You Eating?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Discover the calorie content of foods by observing how much heat they produce in water. If you have a calculator-based laboratory (CBL™) insturment for collecting data, then this laboratory worksheet will not need any changes. If not,...
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Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Staying Warm in Antarctica!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...
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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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Activity
Curated OER

The BEAM Project: Building Efficient Architectural Models

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Technology or engineering teams are given a task to design, construct, and test the efficiency of a structure that will foster an even temperature throughout an entire sunny day. Intended as a long-term project, pupils research, plan,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let There Be Light

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students observe that different lights have different effects on matter. Students see that ultraviolet light is powerful although it cannot be seen through this teacher led demo-experiment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat from Machines

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders continue their examination of the heat energy from machines. In groups, they make predictions on which machines might produce a measureable amount of heat. They take the temperatures of the various machines and record them...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)

For Teachers 5th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Hot Dog Cooker

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students create a solar hot dog cooker. In this solar energy lesson, students use various materials such as tin foil and cardboard to build a hot dog cooker. Students cook their own hot dogs.
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Handout
National Institute of Open Schooling

Chemical Thermodynamics

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
All chemical reactions require energy. To explore thermodynamics, classes read and discuss its laws, exothermic and endothermic reactions, enthalpy in many forms, calculate enthalpy problems, and use Hess' Law to calculate enthalpy of a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electricity and Food: From Glowing Pickles in Citrus Batteries

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore electrical concepts and host a guest speaker. This lesson sets up guidelines for students to follow when they have a guest speaker. Students are primed to become actively involved in a lecture or discussion, while...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Hot Spot

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Not only does a concave mirror focus light waves, it can also concentrate infrared radiation into a hot spot. If you have a small electric heater and such a mirror, demonstrate this for your physical science class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Candy Reaction

For Teachers 6th - 9th
For this triboluminescence worksheet, students use wint-o-green Lifesavers to observe a chemical reaction that gives off light. They break a lifesaver up with a hammer and make observations and they chew a lifesaver and make...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's All In The Surface: The Effects Of Color & Texture On The Ability Of A Surface To Absorb Solar Energy

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine how dark surfaces absorb more light than light surfaces. They perform an experiment that compares various surfaces abilities to absorb heat, then record and analyze the results.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is It Hot in the Light?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make observations about the temperature of items in direct sunlight. In groups, they discuss why asphalt, brick and cement are warmer than items surrounding them. To end the lesson, they examine how heat transfers energy...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How the Amount of Solar Energy Absorbed by the Earth is Dependent Upon the Earth's Position

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the angle of light and how it faces the earth. They conduct a series of investigations with the following two objectives. Students determine if the angle of light is a factor in the absorption of heat. They correlate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar S'Mores

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students investigate solar energy. In this solar energy lesson, students compare how heat is absorbed in light-colored objects and dark-colored objects by making S'mores.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What things let Light Pass Through?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders classify objects according to how well light can pass through them and predict how well objects will transmit light. They experiment with objects to verify predictions while collecting, recording, and interpreting data...