Lesson Plan
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Mining

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore nonrenewable energy resources. In this coal lesson, students investigate how coal is formed and how it is used as a source of energy. Students mine for "coal" using toothpicks and chocolate chip cookies.
Lesson Plan
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What's Cooking?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars investigate solar energy by making sun tea.  In this ecology and solar energy lesson plan, students prepare traditional tea and "sun" tea, then record and graph data comparing color, clarity, smell and taste.
Lesson Plan
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Grass as Biomass

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore energy properties by listening to a sustainability lecture in class. In this biomass instructional activity, students identify what biomass is, how it can be transformed into a usable energy and how it complements the...
Lesson Plan
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This Mine of Mine

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as coal....
Lesson Plan
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Renewable Energy Sentences

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics lesson plan, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by...
Lesson Plan
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Ice Cube Experiment

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

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the process that creates wind. In this wind lesson plan, 2nd graders create a wind diagram. Students write an essay to accompany their diagram.
Worksheet
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Vocabulary - Unit 5, Chemical Bonds

For Students 9th - 12th
All you will find in this resource is a list of vocabulary terms dealing with chemical bonds. Space is provided for chemistry learners to write out definitions. This would be a terrific tool to help prepare them for a quiz.
Lesson Plan
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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
Worksheet
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Sample Midyear Examination (Chemistry and Biology)

For Students 7th - 12th
A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...
Lesson Plan
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Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa.  For this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel. 
Lesson Plan
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Cloudy vs. Clear

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners analyze line plots. In this weather lesson plan using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
Lesson Plan
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How Photocells Work

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
Lesson Plan
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Energy Misconceptions

For Teachers 7th - 9th
The plan is that future physicists take an "Energy Misconceptions" quiz before completing a series of activities that are focused on energy concepts. The activities, however, are not outlined in this resource; only the quiz and detailed...
Lesson Plan
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Temperature and the Tomato

For Teachers 9th - 12th
You will need a photovoltaic system and monitor at your school in order to obtain all of the data required to thoroughly implement this lesson. Your class monitors daily temperature and insolation amounts over a two week span of time....
Lesson Plan
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Things That Glow

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the concept of light as an energy source.  In this energy lesson plan students participate in a lab that show them the concept of light as an energy source. 
Lesson Plan
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Light Can Heat Too!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore absorption and reflection of light energy. In this solar energy instructional activity, 3rd graders explore how light energy transfers to heat energy through the construction of a solar water heater. Students will...
Lesson Plan
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Energy and Energy Conversion

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate different energy conversions through hands-on activities. In this energy lesson, 3rd graders move through four stations and conduct experiments illustrating energy conversions. Wave energy, chemical energy,...
Lesson Plan
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Electricity and Magnetism: From Fun to Function

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders experiment with electricity and magnetism and build an electromagnetic motor. In this electromagnetism lesson, 4th graders use household objects to show electrostatics and magnets and compasses to show magnetism. They...
Lesson Plan
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Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
Lesson Plan
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Be Energy Wise!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students perform activities to explore how electricity comes into their homes. They list appliances and devices in their homes that use electricity. Students create reminders and posters to help their families remember to turn off lights...
Lesson Plan
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Inspiring Change At Home and At School

For Teachers 1st - 7th
Students explore energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. They conduct a home energy audit, a transportation campaign, and an investigation in the school. Students develop a plan to conserve energy and reduce emissions.
Lesson Plan
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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...
Worksheet
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Unit 1 Matter and Energy

For Students 9th - 12th
Topping this worksheet is a comprehensive collection of notes about phase changes. The phase change graph is displayed, along with formulas for the gas laws, and information relating energy to change of phase. After reviewing these...