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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mathematics of Convection: Nature's Model for Energy Production

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers conduct a series of experiments to investigate density, buoyancy and climate. In this math instructional activity, pupils design and build a hot air balloon to demonstrate convection. They research and write a paper about...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Changing the Density of a Liquid - Heating and Cooling

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Ocean Circulation in the North Atlantic

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Swirling and churning, the waters of the North Atlantic play a vital role in Earth's climate! Discover the many factors that produce circulation using a multimedia lesson from PBS's Weather and Climate series for high schoolers. Scholars...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Hurricanes as Heat Engines

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Hurricanes are a destructive yet fascinating phenomenon. Individuals examine evidence that hurricanes use thermal energy from the ocean as they approach land. Learners use images, charts, and graphs to collect data and then draw...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Oceans of Energy

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Are the earth's oceans really just giant batteries, waiting for their energy to be harnessed? Middle school mechanical engineers will be shocked by the amazing amount of energy that forms around them after diving into part four of a...
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Activity
It's About Time

Renewable Energy Sources - Solar and Wind

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
There has been a huge solar energy spill! Let's go outside to play in it. This lesson includes multiple experiments showcasing solar and wind energies. Scholars build a solar heater and an anemometer before testing the results. The...
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Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Energy in Motion

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore energy transfer. In this thermal energy lesson, 5th graders stretch rubber bands several times and estimate the band's temperature change. Students identify this action as an example of thermal energy. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Energy? Short Demos

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners engage in three short, hands-on, in-class demos which expand students' understand of energy. First, using peanuts and heat, learners see how the human body burns food to make energy. Then, they create paper snake mobiles to...
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Transformation: Energy in Disguise

For Teachers 6th Standards
Energy transformations happen everywhere, every second of the day. The energy transformation common to most scholars is potential and kinetic energy. The three-week lesson covers multiple types of energy transformations through...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

An Energy Mix: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What did the windmill say about renewable energy? I'm a BIG fan! Lesson three in the series of 12 has classes discuss potential and kinetic energy and then, in pairs, they complete a web quest over the different types of energy...
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Activity
Discovery Education

It's Melting!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
It's a race to the finish! Which ice cube will melt the fastest? Scholars discover the effect thermal energy has on melting ice. They experiment with melting ice cubes on different materials and learn that even at a consistent...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Energy Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is electricity created in the outlet? Using posters of several energy systems, collaborative groups identify and describe the parts of their systems. The groups also look at the environmental impacts of the systems and present their...
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Interactive
Chemistry Collective

Virtual Lab: Coffee Problem

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Would you like milk with that? Young scientists consider thermal energy transfer to create the perfect cup of coffee. They calculate the amount of milk needed to reach a specified temperature and then test their calculations using a...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can I Turn a Solar Oven into a Refrigerator?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Whether you want to heat things up in science class or cool things down a bit, an intriguing lab's got you covered! Science scholars explore the principles of thermodynamics using a solar oven, then change the conditions to turn their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's the Energy

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research energy conversions. In this energy lesson, students describe the basic operation of a steam engine.  They explain the energy conversions in the steam engine's operation. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Cube Experiment

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bounce Back - The Long and Short of It

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Upper elementary scientists test basketballs with differing amounts of air to find if inflation affects bounce height. The lesson introduction poses the question of whether or not the composition of a ball determines bounce height, but...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Transfer in Musical Instruments

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Learners create unique sounds using different instruments.  For this energy lesson, students read and define several vocabulary terms such as heat, energy transfer and thermal equilibrium.  Learners utilize several household objects to...
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Renewables Workshop

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Youngsters examine resource maps to find out which states are using solar and wind power and discuss as a class various other renewable energy sources. They use a provided data table to record pros and cons to each technology, build and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooking With Solar

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Identify how solar energy generates thermal energy by constructing solar cookers with your students. They will evaluate the factors that affect efficiency and the lesson can be adapted to capture data in a variety of ways.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring Solar Energy

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study solar energy and how to measure it.  In this energy sources lesson students complete a lab, obtain data and use that to convert surface temperature to energy. 
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Interactive
PHET

Masses and Springs

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Have you ever stretched out a Slinkie so much it wouldn't go back to its original shape? Slinkies, like all springs, follow Hooke's Law. A simulation uses springs and masses to demonstrate kinetic, potential, and thermal energy. It...
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Keeping It Hot!

For Teachers 7th Standards
Hot off the presses, this collection of thermal energy activities, lessons, and printables is sure to amaze. Demonstrate how thermal energy moves about in a system using simple materials. Pupils demonstrate their understanding...
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Unit Plan
Next Generation Science Storylines

Why Do Some Things Get Colder (or Hotter) When They React?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Some reactions absorb heat while others release it. Young scholars investigate both types of reactions in a 12-lesson unit. Each lesson presents a lab investigation that monitors temperature and considers the types of reactions taking...