+
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Forms of Energy

For Teachers 6th Standards
The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years. The first lesson in a 10-part series teaches scholars about different forms of energy. They rotate through five stations with hands-on activities or experiments at each in order...
+
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

States and Forms of Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Energy is just energy, right? Explain various forms of energy to your young scientists by using an interactive experiment that contains common objects to demonstrate complex concepts. Pupils conduct experiments for radiant, thermal,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Light Bulbs

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
An average home produces twice as many emissions as an average car. Teach your class how to reduce energy consumption by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Perform an experiment to compare...
+
Lesson Plan
Chymist

Energy of a Peanut

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Are you nuts? An engaging experiment burns nuts to find their kilocalories. Young chemists analyze at least two different types of nuts with their experimental results versus what is on the package. The resource offers a great lab for...
+
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...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Baylor College

Using Heat from the Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Let's heat things up! This simple experiment demonstrates for students the important role the sun plays in providing the earth with energy. Place one cup of water in direct sunlight and one in shade, then take measurements in order to...
+
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Potential and Kinetic Energy: The Roller Coaster Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...
+
Lesson Plan
Polytechnic Institute of NYU

Potential vs. Kinetic Energy

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Legos in science class? Watch your pupils fall in love with this activity. After learning to measure potential and kinetic energy, young scientists create their own ramps using Lego Mindstorm sensors and software.
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Some chemical reactions produce heat, but what is really going on? Lesson focuses on the concept of energy changes, both exothermic and endothermic. Scholars perform multiple experiments, hands-on activities, and view videos of the...
+
Lesson Plan
Physics Classroom

All Work and No Play Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Don't let the term, "slotted wood board" detract you from the value of this experiment. Class members tie a string to a cart and, with even horizontal force, drag it up an inclined plane. The objective is to compare the work done with...
+
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Heat and Thermal Energy Transfer

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does radiation affect our daily lives? Answer that question and others with a activity that discusses radiation and its use in thermal energy transfer through electromagnetic waves. Pupils investigate vaporization and evaporation...
+
Lesson Plan
Baylor College

Energy for Life (Energy from Food)

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Energy comes in many forms, but how do living things get the energy they need to survive and thrive? In a simple, controlled experiment with yeast, water, and sugar, groups make observations about how yeast reacts with water alone, then...
+
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Energy and ATP

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Take charge of your biology class by using this exciting analogy to relate the ATP process with batteries. Pupils use batteries and rubber bands to simulate the phosphate bonds between molecules in the body. They measure the distance in...
+
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Sensors in Chemistry

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors sensors to track air pollution and set clean air standards. Enthusiastic young scientists use similar sensors to gather data in their area and then apply the gas laws and conservation of...
+
Lesson Plan
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

No Fossils in This Fuel

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Yeast and sugar go beyond the pantry and into a fuel experiment. Use these common baking ingredients to assist your class in creating ethanol, a natural fuel. Pupils observe the process and gather information to elaborate on the...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
+
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Engine of Life

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to drive...
+
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Matter and Energy: Equations and Formulas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Using simple materials, an informative lesson demonstrates the Law of Conservation of Matter and explains how to balance chemical equations. Young chemists perform experiments, analyze reactions, and balance chemical equations on their...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
Baylor College

Needs of Plants

For Teachers K - 3rd Standards
What better way to learn about plant life than by creating a class garden? Young botanists start with a brief discussion about radishes before planting seeds and watching them grow. To determine the importance of water, sunlight, and...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Heat, Temperature, and Conduction

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How does heat move from one item to another, even when the items are in different states of matter? Pupils experiment with adding washers to hot water and adding hot washers to room temperature water to observe the heat transfer. 
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Changing State: Condensation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
When you have a cold drink and you notice the water forming on the outside, it is literally pulling the water from the surrounding air to form the condensation. After watching a demonstration of condensation forming on a glass,...
+
Lesson Plan
Baylor College

What Is the Water Cycle?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Small groups place sand and ice in a covered box, place the box in the sunlight, then observe as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. These models serve as miniature water cycles and demonstrations of the three phases of...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Understanding the Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part lesson. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
+
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Bacteria Take Over and Down

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...

Other popular searches