Science 4 Inquiry
Investigating How Heat Flows
It is impossible to cool down a glass of water by adding ice. Young scientists explore heat transfer through videos, experiments, and interactive games. They quickly catch on that the water melts the ice and things aren't always as they...
CK-12 Foundation
Heat Engine
How can heat power an engine? Scholars observe a heat engine working and control variables to determine the most efficient setup. They change the amount of heat input as well as the stroke length. Energy efficiency numbers prove the...
Virginia Middle School Engineering Education Initiative
Save the Penguins: An Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Heat things up in your physical science class with this interactive lesson series on thermodynamics. Through a series of class demonstrations and experiments, young scientists learn how heat is transferred through conduction, convention,...
Curated OER
Typical Conceptual Questions for Physics I - Heat
This activity would make a nifty quiz on the laws of thermodynamics. Nine multiple choice questions assess high schoolers' understanding of energy transfer, specific heat capacity, phase change, fusion, and vaporization. It is short but...
PBS
The Ocean and Climate: Heat Redistribution
Here on Earth, heat goes with the flow! Young climatologists dive in to the connection between ocean currents and heat distribution during a science lesson. Scholars work with interactive and print resources to create a thorough...
Curated OER
Temperature and Thermal Energy
Examine how heat can be transferred between systems by reconstructing a diagram on energy flow and solving problems on heat flow and work done.
DiscoverE
Solar-Heated Water
Heat up some interest in solar energy. Young engineers create a water heater that runs on solar power (simulated by a lamp). Using thermometers, they determine the change in temperature before and after the water goes through the heater.
US Department of Energy
Geothermal Energy
With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...
It's About Time
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Emerging biochemists more fully understand the flow of energy in ecosystems as they explore the laws of thermodynamics and relate them to energy transfer in food chains. They also investigate heat loss from the human body and how...
Curated OER
Managing Heat
Third graders perform various experiments to show the flow of energy that causes heat. In this heat instructional activity, 3rd graders understand how heat is transferred or trapped. Students use the scientific method and critical...
Curated OER
Heat Flow
Young scholars explore how a whale's countercurrent flow of blood is an example of a heat exchange system and conduction. Excellent worksheet provided.
Curated OER
Energy
Wow! Colorful and simple, these 160 slides introduce the various forms of energy, along with a relevant image. Some of the images are animations, which help beginning physical scientists to visualize the flow of electrons or energy! This...
Science Matters
Thermal Energy Flow in Materials
The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth instructional activity in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal...
Curated OER
Observing Lava Flows
Students examine the difference between fast and slow spreading lava flows. They identify various types of lava flow and determine the factors that cause them to form. Viewing photographs of lava flows, students working in groups,...
Curated OER
Tree House Escape!
Middle schoolers participate in a role play in which they use simple machines to do the work of retrieving their sibling from a tree which lost its ladder. They investigate how work is accomplished when an object moves in the direction...
Curated OER
Global Water Cycle & Heat Flow
Students experiment to discover how different variables affect the water cycle. They do hat flow experiments and construct a computer heat flow model.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus In the Arctic
Young scholars learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore how insulation works to keep in body heat.
Serendip
How Do Biological Organisms Use Energy?
When an organism eats, how does food become energy? Young biologists follow glucose through the process of cellular respiration to the creation of ADP using a discussion-based activity. The resource also highlights conservation of mass...
Curated OER
Elementary Concepts in Heat
Third graders read a thermometer with accuracy, record observations and data, and infer conceptual meaning. They integrate mathematical charting and graphing skills to organize their data. They explore what happens when they touch or use...
Urbana School District
Thermodynamics
Entropy, it isn't what it used to be. Presentation includes kinetic-molecular theory, heat and internal energy, thermal equilibrium, temperature scales, laws of thermodynamics, entropy, latent heat of fusion, specific heat, calorimetry,...
Curated OER
Heat Transfer & Phase Changes
In this heat transfer and phase change worksheet, students experiment with ice, salt, and milk to show the relationship between the temperature of a solution and its phase. Students turn milk from a liquid to a solid and graph the...
Curated OER
Specific Heat Capacity of a Metal
Eleventh graders investigate the relationship between heat and energy transfer. They review terms including heat, work, calorimetry and the procedures for an experiment. After assembling the materials for the experiment, they observe...
Teach Engineering
Energy Forms and States Demonstrations
Does a tennis ball have energy? What about a bowling ball? Demonstrate concepts of different forms of energy forms and states with a variety of objects. Using the equations for potential and kinetic energy, learners determine the amount...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Energy: Energy Conversion
The energy is not really lost, it is just converted to a different form. Pupils learn about the conversion of energy in the fifth segment of an energy unit with six parts. Learners develop an understanding of the conservation of energy...