Teach Engineering
Building a Piezoelectric Generator
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....
Columbus City Schools
Keeping It Hot!
Hot off the presses, this collection of thermal energy activities, lessons, and printables is sure to amaze. Demonstrate how thermal energy moves about in a system using simple materials. Pupils demonstrate their understanding...
Science Geek
Reaction Kinetics
Show your classes the science behind rates of reactions with a presentation that explains factors that affect the rate, activation energies, exothermic and endothermic processes, and the proportionality of the product and reactant...
Kenan Fellows
Electricity: Sources, Usage, Challenges, and the Future
What does the future of energy look like? Junior engineers collaborate to discover a solution to the global energy crisis during a very hands-on instructional activity. The unit focuses on learning through collaboration to develop a deep...
Teach Engineering
Amusement Park Ride: The Ups and Downs in Design
Groups design the ultimate roller coaster by considering potential and kinetic energy. They test their designs using marbles and then go on to rate each group's design based on aesthetics, loop diameter, and cost.
Center for Learning in Action
Water – Changing States (Part 2)
Here is part two of a two-part lesson in which scholars investigate the changing states of water—liquid, solid, and gas—and how energy from heat changes its molecules. With grand conversation, two demonstrations, and one hands-on...
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling: Effects of Distance and Inclination
Middle schoolers discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.
Curated OER
Fueling Extreme Weather
First graders identify the different stages in the hydrologic cycle. To study earth science, they investigate how sunlight affects the earth's temperature. They also discuss how the sun's energy is transformed.
Curated OER
2D Wavelet Transform
In this 2D wavelet transform worksheet, students compute 9 different types of problems related to using wavelets. They select a set of orthogonal filters, load in any image they want, and compute by the given command. Then, students...
Curated OER
The Bouncing Ball
Learners investigate potential energy. In this potential energy lesson, students do an experiment with a bouncing ball. Learners mark how high the ball bounces when it is dropped and record their results. Students discuss...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Chemical Reactions and Electricity
After a discussion of chemical reactions and electricity, scholars break into groups and follow a scripted activity to discover if fruit can power a clock. After a concluding discussion, the class a presented with a challenge.
Curated OER
Energy Source
Sixth graders work in groups. They are given one type of energy to research. Students look through the different magazines or newspapers to identify pictures that show their type of energy. Students glue their pictures to the...
Curated OER
Photosynthesis and Biomass Growth
Sixth graders examine renewable energy sources such as ethanol. In this photosynthesis and biomes lesson students complete a project on farming techniques.
Curated OER
Transformation of Energy: Heat
Sixth graders investigate how heat is transferred and the concepts of conduction, convection, and radiation. They define key vocabulary terms, and observe teacher-led demonstrations of conduction, convection, and radiation.
Curated OER
Energy Forms
Learners explore energy by participating in a science lab in class. In this energy form lesson, students define the different types of energy such as light, mechanical and sound while examining energy measuring tools in class. Learners...
Curated OER
Alternative Energy
Students identify the five major alternative energy sources. In this physical science lesson, students assess the advantages and disadvantages for each type of energy. They complete a concept map using information they researched.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Third graders examine plate movements and boundaries with a lab that demonstrates how volcanoes and earthquakes are formed. It presents different types of stresses an object can withstand through a hands-on...
Curated OER
Metabolism & Enzymes
More extensive than just a general overview of digestion and reactions, this slide show gives information about all areas of enzyme function. Topics like the chemistry behind efficiency of enzymes, factors that affect speed of...
Curated OER
Exploring Electricity - Four Activities
These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...
Biology Junction
Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics strives to describe how living things gain and transform energy for biological purposes. First, pupils learn about the types of energy before exploring the importance of energy in biological processes. Next, they discover...
Science Matters
Hot Wire S’mores
The proof is in the marshmallows. Believing that electric energy can transform into heat energy can be abstract, but a hands-on lesson gives pupils a concrete example. Young scientists cut marshmallows with copper wires before and...
PHET
Generator
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...
Curated OER
Power Metering Project
Students collect and analyze variable data and understand the concept of electrical power. In this energy instructional activity students use a spreadsheet to manage their data and create box plots.
Curated OER
Ultimate Ride Coaster Deluxe
Eighth graders describe the energy transformations as cars travel over a roller coaster. They explain the principle of conservation of energy as it relates to a roller coaster ride. The integration of technology is done using educational...