Is the ice cooling down the water or is the water melting the ice? Here is a simulation that explores thermal energy transfer with iron, brick, and water. It demonstrates the flow of energy and what happens when each material is either...

Take young scientists on a trip through the water cycle with this interactive science activity. After setting up a series of ten stations representing the different places water can be found, children use the included printable dice...

Clever! Collaborative groups of environmental scientists create a museum exhibit and presentation for an energy-using activity such as heating a home or transportation. They must compare past to present use of energy for that particular...

Roller coasters rely on both kinetic and potential energy, but how much total energy does a roller coaster need? Scholars vary the mass of a coaster and the height of the initial hill. Graphs showing the types of energy and total energy...

Young scientists gain a better understanding of space, the solar system and its vastness by creating a scale model. Students first need to calculate the distance between each of the nine planets according to the size of their scale. This...

Just a swingin'! Introduce physical science scholars to the energy forms associated with a pendulum using a simple interactive. Learners adjust the height from which the pendulum starts, then observe changes in potential, kinetic, and...

What are the three types of energy a ski jumper uses? If you said potential, kinetic, and heat, then you are correct. Scholars adjust the jumper's mass, jumper's form, and height of the start line in the simulation to display graphs of...

Students explore the interconnectedness of living things in an ecosystem. They use pictures and arrows to develop a food web, and participate in constructing a class food web with students representing various parts of the web.

Students become acquainted with the first law of thermodynamics, which concerns the conservation of energy as it is transformed from one form to another. They identify forms of energy, and devices or processes that transform energy from...

Does a trampoline use mostly potential or kinetic energy? Pupils adjust the mass of the jumper, stiffness of the trampoline, and initial jump height in order to answer that question. The simulation displays graphs of the various types of...

Students pretend they are water droplets traveling through the water cycle. Using their text, they discover the steps in the cycle and the different paths water can take. They write a report about their journey through the water cycle...

If the majority of our planet is covered with water, why do we need to bother conserving it? With a thorough and varied investigation into the location and types of water on the earth, learners will gain an understanding of why this...

Emerging engineers discover how important it is to conserve energy as fossil fuel supplies are being diminished. This is accomplished by working through a handout that explains energy requirements for heating a home during the winter....

First graders identify both potential and kinetic energy in a game they play in the classroom. They listen as the teacher explains the difference between potential and kinetic energy when observing a simple machine. Using simple...

Students investigate the planet Earth's infamous ring of fire and the life that thrives from it.  In this ocean environment lesson, students investigate hydrothermal vents and how organisms thrive off their heat.  Students...

Students construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. In this food web simulation lesson, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Students and teacher discuss...

Use the accompanying presentation and colorful technology sheets to introduce your class to the 10 different energy technologies. Connect kids to an interactive computer tool that allows them to combine different types of power...

Learners increase discipline, energy and cohesion within a classroom to take on important group tasks. Students examine ways of how to pick partners within the boundaries of a classroom. Learners validate certain ways to choose thru...

Students are "Energy Detectives" working for an engineering firm that does energy evaluations at schools. In teams, they locate energy sources around the school, and record their findings on an Energy Detective Worksheet.

Students simulate the Big Bang. In this instructional activity on the origin of our universe, students role play to show how the Big Bang explosion may have created our universe.

Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. In this fossil fuel lesson, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct pollution...

How does examining an ice core tell us about weather? Learners set up and explore fake ice cores made of sugar, salt, and ash to represent historical snowfall and volcanic eruptions. From their setups, scholars determine what caused the...

How can organisms light up in water? Bioluminescence is light produced in a chemical reaction that can occur in an organism's body. First, learners determine what happens to light/color as you move into the deep ocean. In groups, they...

Students share information about energy use and conservation. In this energy use lesson plan, students work as a production team to make an instructional video about basic energy information. They develop a short survey about energy use...