Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Law of Conservation of Energy: Heat Transfer

For Students 9th - 10th
Given illustrations, scenarios, descriptions, and/or diagrams, students will demonstrate understanding of heat transfer.
Handout
NASA

Glenn Research Center: Conservation of Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
From the Glenn Research Center at NASA, read about the law of conservation of energy. Included are formulas and many links to key terms.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Conservation of Energy as a Fundamental Principle

For Students 9th - 10th
See how this principle translates in to fluids and the Bernoulli equation as well as into electric circuits and the voltage law and finally into heat and thermodynamics through the first law of thermodynamics.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Skate Park

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity focuses on the conservation of energy solely between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy. Students work with a virtual laboratory set at a skate park. They make predictions of graphs before they use the...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Heat

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Using the law of conservation of energy as a starting off point, students use the specific heat equation to perform calculations that relate mass, specific heat,...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy of Motion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
By taking a look at the energy of motion all around us, students learn about the types of energy and their characteristics. They first learn about the two simplest forms of mechanical energy: kinetic and potential energy, as illustrated...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Exploring Solar Power

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This unit provides students the opportunity to explore methods engineers have devised for harnessing sunlight to generate power. Students will initially explore heat transfer and heat storage through the construction, testing, and...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Conversions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students evaluate various everyday energy conversion devices and draw block flow diagrams to show the forms and states of energy into and out of the device. They also identify the forms of energy that are useful and the desired output of...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: The First Law of Thermodynamics

For Students 11th - 12th
By the end of this section, you will be able to define the first law of thermodynamics; describe how conservation of energy relates to the first law of thermodynamics; identify instances of the first law of thermodynamics working in...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: First Law of Thermodynamics

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students analyze and explain everyday examples that illustrate the laws of thermodynamics, including the law of conservation of energy and the law of entropy.
Activity
US Department of Energy

Us Dept. Of Energy: Urbita Elementary School: Linda Gregory: Draft O Meter [Pdf]

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students will observe drafts in homes and in the classroom to determine if or how much heat or air conditioning is escaping. How can the rooms be made more energy efficient?
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: The Three Bears Heat Investigation It's Just Right

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity uses the story of the three bears as a way to investigate conduction, convection, radiation, and insulation properties. It also could be used to describe the laws of thermodynamics and conservation of energy.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Imagine Life Without Friction

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students are introduced to the concept of inertia and its application to a world without the force of friction acting on moving objects. When an object is in motion, friction tends to be the force that acts on this object to slow it down...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Through nine lessons, students are introduced to a range of energy types--electrical, light, sound and thermal-as well as the renewable energy sources of wind, hydro (water) and solar power. Subjects range from understanding that the...
Handout
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas

State Energy Conservation Office: Energy Sources: Biomass: Manure for Fuel

For Students 9th - 10th
Texas is famous for its cattle ranches, and all those cattle produce a lot of manure. Texans are working on projects to harness the energy in manure in various ways. Dry manure has been and continues to be burned for heating and cooking....
Article
US Department of Energy

U.s. Dept. Of Energy: Comparing Light Bulbs [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
A guided activity for students to compare incandescent and CFL light bulbs observing the production of heat and light.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Puck Stops Here

For Teachers 5th - 7th
After learning about transfer of energy, specifically the loss of kinetic energy to friction, students get a chance to test friction. In groups they are given a wooden block, different fabrics, and weights and asked to design the "best"...
Handout
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas

State Energy Conservation Office: Electricity From the Sun [Pdf]

For Students 4th - 6th
Discusses forms of renewable energy that rely on the sun. For example, wind is created when solar energy heats the air, and biomass is solar energy that has been stored in plants.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Efficiency of a Water Heating System

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use a watt meter to measure energy input into a hot plate or hot pot used to heat water. The theoretical amount of energy required to raise the water by the measure temperature change is calculated and compared to the electrical...
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: First Law of Thermodynamics

For Students 9th - 10th
At this site from Georgia State University the first law of thermodynamics is stated and explained. The meaning of internal energy and enthalpy is discussed. Equations are given and the importance of a system analysis is discussed.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Just Keep Cool How Evaporation Affects Heating and Cooling

For Students 9th - 10th
When we get hot, we sweat. The physiological role of sweat is to cool us down. When the water evaporates, it removes energy from our bodies. This sort of evaporative cooling can also be used to cool homes, using what are referred to as...
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Physics for Kids: Energy

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the science behind Energy including its different forms such as chemical, electrical, heat, and gravitational. When is energy considered renewable or nonrenewable?
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students measure energy outputs and inputs to determine the efficiency of conversions and simple systems. One associated activitiy includes Lego motors and accomplishing work. The other investigates energy for heating water. Students...
Handout
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas

State Energy Conservation Office: Renewable Energy Guide for Buildings [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A basic guide for ways to be more energy-efficient and to use more renewable energy sources in a building. These include methods of reducing heat or cool air loss, ways of harnessing solar energy, and using the wind for ventilation.