NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Density and Pressure of a Hot Air Balloon
Using a dry cleaner bag and a blow dryer, create a hot air balloon! The materials list suggests obtaining one dry cleaner bag per student, but since this is probably inconvenient, consider doing this as a demonstration during a lesson on...
Curated OER
Bag Balloons
Young scholars demonstrate that heat can change air. They determine that hot air rises. Students construct a working model of a hot air balloon. They understand that there are two ways that a balloon can rise: it can (1) be filled...
Bonneville
Where Does Energy Go?
Convection currents aren't just a bunch of hot air. The second of five lessons in the Solar Updraft Towers unit focuses on energy transfer and convection currents. Young scientists watch six demonstrations that illustrate how warm air...
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Students examine air pressure. In this air pressure lesson, students perform a series of experiments to evaluate the effects of air pressure.
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Hot Air Balloon
Students view a video and discuss the mechanics of a hot air balloon. They, in groups, construct a functioning hot air balloon.
American Museum of Natural History
Volcanoes Magma Rising
Get ready for an explosive lesson! Learners read and interact with an online lesson describing the characteristics of volcanoes. They study specific historical volcanoes as well as the science of volcanic eruptions using animations and...
Curated OER
Convection in a Pan
Students watch a demonstration using a plastic bag and a hair dryer to create a hot air balloon. After the demonstration, they discuss the results and whether or not hot water behaves the in the same manner as hot air. They conduct...
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Weather-Air Temperature
Students complete activities to learn about changing air temperature. In this air temperature lesson, students study various ways to measure air temperature and learn factors that influence temperature. Students study the weather in a...
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Air: Demonstrating Its Presence and Effects
Students explore the concept of air. In this gravity lesson, students perform various experiments that deal with gravity, air resistance, and air pressure.
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The Water Cycle (Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation)
The 3 steps of the water cycle, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, are the focus of this lesson. After a neat demonstration of rain using hot water, a pie tin, and ice cubes, young scientists observe and discuss the elements...
Curated OER
The Wind and Its Origin
Learners discuss the wind and how it feels. Using talcum powder and a lamp, students participate in an activity where they observe spirals in the air. They discover the causes of wind and how hot air rises and cold air sinks.
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Science: The Changing Life of Air Pressure
Fourth graders observe demonstrations how heated air rises and becomes a low pressure area. After watching several teacher-conducted experiments, 4th graders, in groups, discuss and answer questions in their journals. Finally, they...
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Convection Activities
Learners conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
Curated OER
Convection and Wind
Students use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
Yale University
Airplane Mathematics
The history of aerodynamics is rich with experimentation and international collaboration. Author Joyce Bryant relays this dynamic past and provides math word problems using the formula of lift, the force that makes airplanes fly. She...
Curated OER
Deserts and Winds
Although the wind blows frequently in deserts and may even contribute to their existence, you may teach these two topics separately. Regardless, there are demonstrative photos and diagrams that support the explanations. Explore the...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Heat it Up!
This demonstration of solar ponds can be used in an earth, environmental, or physical science setting. Lab groups set up a solar pond and model how it is able, due to a salt concentration gradient, to maintain heat for future use.
Curated OER
What Makes the Wind Blow?
Student study the properties of wind. They make a miniature hot-air balloon and compose diamond-shaped poems about the wind. They explain that as the sun warms air around the earth, the air rises. Colder air then moves in to fill the...
Curated OER
Convection Currents
In this convection current worksheet, students experiment with hot water in a beaker and a colored ice cube to demonstrate how convection currents work. They record observations and answer questions.
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Let's Make a Cloud
Students watch the teacher make a cloud. For this water cycle lesson, students discuss the water cycle and see the formation of a cloud. The teacher leads the discussion including the role of water vapor, smoke and air pressure.
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Heat Energy- Temperature
Second graders investigate the meaning of temperature. They determine what happens to a thermometer when the temperature rises or falls. They place thermometers in different classroom locations in order to compare the temperature in a...
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Convection Currents
Students explain and understand the circulation of air in the atmosphere. They identify that energy can be carried from one place to another by heat flow or by waves, including water, light and sound waves, or by moving objects. ...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Practice
For this vocabulary practice worksheet, students choose the correct word out of the 2 words given that completes each of the following 16 sentences.
Curated OER
Weather and Wind
Students study wind and its effect on weather. In this investigative lesson students write a report on wind and weather and create a movement sequence.