Curated OER
Methods of Power- Solar, Hydrogen, and Electric
Students examine solar, hydrogen, electric power. In this research based lesson, students will do simple investigations, view videos, discuss, and research how these three types of energy are used for power. They illustrate a...
Curated OER
Science Safari: Energy Resources
Learners discover how scientific methods are integral to the creation of energy. In this energy resources lesson, students follow the provided procedures to learn how science impacts energy production.
Curated OER
The Science of Magnets
Students are introduced to the concept of magnetism and investigate the properties of magnets. For this magnetism lesson, students identify a magnet then examine why certain things are attracted to magnets and some things are repelled by...
Curated OER
Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. In this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
Curated OER
Green Classroom Audit
Students audit their classroom for environmentally friendly practices. In this "green" lesson, students take an inventory of the classroom and identify ways to improve practices. Students complete a worksheet, brainstorm new ideas for...
Curated OER
Electric Motors
Learners examine the different types of electric motors including their history and classification. In this motor lesson students complete several experiments with different motors.
Curated OER
What Is Electricity?
Students investigate vocabulary words associated with electricity. In this electrical lesson, students utilize the Internet to research what electricity is and how it works. Students create an actual circuit in class using a battery,...
Curated OER
Transmission of Electricity
Students examine why electricity is distributed at high voltage and the functions of transformers. In this electromagnetism lesson plan students study at what frequency electricity is distributed.
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity B
In this second of three activities, energy engineers plan and create a hydropower dam as they learn how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity. A hydropower puzzle is also included, which can be worked on by teams that finish...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Electrochemistry
In an electrolytic cell, electrical energy is converted into chemical energy, the exact opposite of a battery! Lesson 15 in a series of 36 explores electrochemistry. Participants begin by reading and discussing oxidation/reduction...
Science Matters
Motors
It's time to get moving! The 13th lesson in a 14-part unit on electricity and magnetism explores the relationship between electricity and mechanical energy. Budding scientists build motors and experiment with different components to...
Purdue University
Light – Just Right!
What does it mean to be resistant to electricity? Scholars answer the question in a six-part STEM lesson on electricity. They begin by assessing the conductivity of several different materials and progress to designing their own circuits...
Trash For Teaching
The Light-House Project
Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity C
Third in a set of lessons regarding reservoirs, dams, and hydropower, this involves a two-day hydropower plant simulation. Collaborative groups build, maintain, and finance the plant. The transparency of the reservoir setup can be...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollutants can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. The last lesson in a series of 36 introduces pupils to radioactive pollution. They study its sources, both natural and man-made, its...
Science Matters
Parallel Circuits
The lights don't always go out when the switch is flipped. The 10th lesson plan in a series of 14 helps learners build a conceptual understanding of the flow of electricity through a parallel circuit. They then build their own parallel...
NASA
Photons in the Radiative Zone: Which Way Is Out? An A-Maz-ing Model
Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...
California Academy of Science
Rapid Brainstorming: How Can We Conserve Our Water Resources?
Water covers around 75 percent of the earth, yet humans struggle to find enough fresh water to live. The fourth of 10 lessons focusing on Fresh Solutions requires brainstorming. Young scientists consider various problems related to fresh...
American Museum of Natural History
Take the Climate Quiz
Climate and weather are often confused. Pupils answer questions online to review concepts related to climate and weather changes. They get immediate feedback and additional facts with each question. The lesson is appropriate as a remote...
Teach Engineering
How Antibiotics Work
Take two pills and call me in the morning. The first lesson in a short unit of four introduces class members to delivery methods of medicines. The instruction introduces the question of which delivery method is best to get you feeling...
Physics Classroom
Resistance Ranking Tasks
Resistance is not futile ... it is voltage divided by current. Scholars apply their knowledge to a series of ranking puzzles. First, they consider wires of varying lengths and then wires of varying cross-sectional areas. Finally, they...
Colorado State University
What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
Curated OER
Fuel Cell Experimentation
With rising oil prices and increasing concerns over global warming, the pressure is on for engineers to develop alternative sources of energy. Among the new technologies being developed are hydrogen fuel cells, which young scientists...
It's About Time
Automatic Triggering Devices
How does the air bag trigger in an accident? The lesson explores how automatic triggering devices work in automobiles. Using examples such as a seat belt lock and air bag, scholars design their own device to better understand the...