Lesson Plan
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Solar Hot Dog Cooker

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Young scholars create a solar hot dog cooker. In this solar energy lesson, students use various materials such as tin foil and cardboard to build a hot dog cooker. Young scholars cook their own hot dogs.
Lesson Plan
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Go With the Flow!

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students experiment with heat transfer in a countercurrent system and describe the importance of conduction in heat-energy transfer.
Lesson Plan
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How Hot Is It?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders use paper cups, black and white lining, thermometers and plastic wrap to conduct an experiment that measures the energy-collecting capacity of various colors. They graph the results.
Lesson Plan
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Cool Times with Heat

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners work with thermometers to complete problems about temperature. They investigate cooling patterns, how location affects temperature, and what happens when water having different temperature is mixed. They measure temperature in...
Lesson Plan
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Conserving Energy Resources

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
Lesson Plan
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Ammonium Nitrate - Heat of Solution

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students quantify the relationship between temperature, energy and heat and define an endothermic reaction. They measure the energy change caused by dissolving one mole of ammonium nitrate in water.
Lesson Plan
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Hot Time in the Classroom

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders, in groups, examine how temperature is a measure of the average translational kinetic energy.
Lesson Plan
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Ice Melting

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students design investigations to test various materials to prevent heat gain in frozen water. The task assess students' knowledge of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection, measurement,...
Lesson Plan
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Heat Misconceptions

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders determine that gloves do not provide heat, but rather, they insulate or hold in any heat that is in their hand. They discuss the different temperatures found in ecosystems around the world. What do animals that live in...
Lesson Plan
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Driving Currents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars conduct a variety of investigations to see how water, heat, and salinity affect the flow of the world's ocean currents,as well as, explore many factors that affect the flow of the world's ocean currents. They also describe...
Worksheet
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Thermodynamics

For Students 11th - Higher Ed
For this thermodynamics worksheet, students review the first law of thermodynamics and define enthalpy, state functions, and heat capacity. Students use Hess' law and heats of formation to solve reactions. This worksheet has 30 problems...
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Solar Box Cooker

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore solar power. In this solar power lesson plan, students build simple solar cookers after they study convection, conduction, and radiation. Students transfer their knowledge of how the solar cooker works to climate changes...
Lesson Plan
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Hot Stuff

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate mechanical and electrical machines in the classroom and school, and identify which produce heat while operating.
Lesson Plan
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Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the layers of earth's atmosphere and conduct an experiment to identify carbon dioxide. They construct models using styrofoam to represent molecules in the atmosphere's layers. To discover how sunlight efffects...
Lesson Plan
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Keep It Cool

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars complete a science experiment to study insulation, heat transfer, and permafrost. In this permafrost study lesson, students design and test a soda insulator. Young scholars graph their class data and discuss the results....
Lesson Plan
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How Much Energy is a Kilowatt Hour?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars study the conservation of energy.  In this energy lesson students explain the differences between potential and kinetic energy.
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Sun Friendly Homes

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students design and build a model solar energy home. In this technology lesson plan, students test the efficiency of their model houses by measuring temperature at regular intervals. They analyze data and share results with the class.
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Bouncing Superball Physics

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders experiment with bouncing balls to investigate the elasticity coefficient of different sizes and types of balls. In this superball physics instructional activity, 9th graders bounce various types of balls from differing...
Lesson Plan
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Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students meet NASA researchers who describe the relationship between force, energy and motion. They discuss how NASA's experimental X-plane is being tested to make space travel more reliable and show how proportionality and ratios are...
Lesson Plan
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Waterwheel Work

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
Lesson Plan
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Heat And Heat Transfer

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...
Lesson Plan
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The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grades 8-9)

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Learners use the scientific process to show that when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They examine the "urban heat island" phenomenon and analyze why it increases energy...
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Heating the Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students construct a thermograph for maximum and minimum temperatures for the 2-week period. They illustrate how the earth's atmosphere is heated by convection and conduction currents and evaporation of water.
Worksheet
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How Do You Use Thermal Energy?

For Students 6th - 12th
In this thermal energy worksheet, students review radiation, convection, and conduction. This worksheet has 3 matching and 6 short answer questions.