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eBook
Rice University

College Physics for AP® Courses

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
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Interactive
PHET

Faraday's Electromagnetic Lab

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
"But still try, for who knows what is possible." - Michael Faraday. Faraday's advice features in a simulation that permits pupils to play with a bar magnet in order to make a light bulb glow connecting electromagnetic induction to...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

The Grid

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Upper graders form a "Presidential Task Force," and attempt to make recommendations concerning the future of the national power grid. After a teacher-led discussion which proves that our nation's energy consumption will soon outpace our...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forms of Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students complete a series of activities related to forms of energy. In this energy lesson, students look at forms of energy in their school, how energy is conserved and used efficiently, how magnets are used to generate electricity, and...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Probes of Prior Knowledge

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
A bright future learning about electricity awaits. Future scientists conduct two probes to investigate electrical energy. The first requires them to think about how electricity is made, while the second has them identify appliances that...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Renewable Energy Panel

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Plan a panel on public policy. On the first day of lessons, scholars identify local government planners and create questions to ask regarding renewable energy and infrastructure. On the second day, they conduct the panel and learn about...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Biolite - Fire to Phone Charging

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Provide the spark to foster a love of science. Instructors perform a demonstration that uses a camping stove to generate electricity to charge a phone. Pupils use data from the experiment to the calculate the efficiency of the stove....
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Solar Panel Data Sharing

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's important to share—especially in science. Pupils share the data on voltage, current, and resistance they recorded when they built circuits with solar cells in a previous instructional activity. They discuss the results with the...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Engaging with Solar Panels

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Build a fan and become a fan of solar power. The second of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit has learners first construct circuits with solar cells to power a fan, a motor, and an LED. They then test their circuits both...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Solar Energy Equity and Sustainability

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Generate some knowledge about generating electricity. Pupils first read several articles to learn about solar energy, its advantages and disadvantages, and advancements in technology related to solar cells. They then have a class...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Variables Affecting Solar Power

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Determine the best energy generator. Groups play with a photovoltaic cell to determine the variables that affect its energy output. The teams investigate a variable to determine the optimum performance of the solar cell. Pupils compare...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Variables Affecting Wind Turbine Power

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Design the best from the best. Groups work together to come up with the best configuration of different variables that affect a wind turbine. The teams choose from several variables such as the number of blades, the angle of the blades,...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Bonneville

Three Ways to Generate Electricity

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Get your hands on electricity. Pupils investigate magnetic fields and make the connection to generators in the fourth lesson in a series of six lessons on wind versus solar energy. Learners use a small electric motor as a generator to...
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Unit Plan
California State Parks

A Teaching Unit on Electricity

For Teachers 4th
It's the invisible energy most people take for granted. Explore the properties of electricity in a complete three-week unit. Learners first manipulate circuits, then experiment with electromagnetism, and finally discover different...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Solar Panel

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Solar panels are everywhere! How do they work? Energize the class with an interactive that explains the magic of solar energy. The simple click-through demonstration shows how photons are captured and converted to a usable source of...
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Unit Plan
Essential Energy

Being a Safety Star (Stage 3)

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
A spark of static electricity contains up to 3,000 volts, while a lightning strike contains around 3,000,000 volts. To understand electricity, its power, and the safety considerations relating to it learners engage in a comprehensive...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Design a Folding Solar Panel

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Solar energy is an amazing alternative ... but, not always particularly portable! Challenge young scientists to a folding solar panel build-off with an easy-to-execute activity. Scholars brainstorm around specific design needs, construct...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can You Demonstrate the Different Efficiencies of Different Light Bulbs?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Need a bright idea for an engaging lab? Watch your class light up as they explore the difference in efficiency between incandescent and LED bulbs! The resource makes use of simple materials and encourages learners to infer what's...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Electric Motor

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How does a direct current run a motor? Pupils control five variables in an electric motor and observe how the force diagram changes. The force, magnetic field, and current vary based on the changes in the design of the magnet and motor....
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Piezoelectricity

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What effect makes children's shoes light up? Answer: Piezoelectric effect. Here is a PowerPoint presentation that describes piezoelectric materials as being able to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. Individuals learn how...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Building a Piezoelectric Generator

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In pairs, learners build a piezoelectric generator from readily available electric components in the second and final installment of the two-part series. Tapping the piezoelectric element produces enough electricity to light an LED....
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Interactive
PHET

Generator

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Michael Faraday was self-educated, earned an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford, invented the first Bunsen burner, discovered the laws of electrolysis, and proved that a changing magnetic field produces a current. In this...
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Lesson Plan
Energy for Keeps

Renewable Energy Action Project: What's in Your Energy Portfolio?

For Students 6th - 8th
Uncover the renewable energy potential in your region. The activity outlines an approach to research current practices and trends. Learners conduct surveys to assess the attitudes of the local population and prepare a paper summarizing...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Concentrated Solar Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The seventh segment in an eight-part unit promotes the idea of concentrating the sun to increase the power of a photovoltaic panel. Pupils learn about devices used such as reflectors or lenses.