In "Nuclear Arthmetic," first-time physical scientists examine atomic structure and the periodic table of elements. The are given the formula, "N = A-Z," in which N is the number of neutrons, A is the atomic mass, and Z is the atomic...

Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...

Students investigate the Chernobyl nuclear disaster by mapping out the winds carrying radiation and viewing a short video about the aftermath and subsequent health problems. They then calculate the amount of radiation that people were...

In this craters worksheet, students solve 3 problems including converting units of Joules into a number equivalent to a one-megaton nuclear bomb, finding the diameters of craters in a given picture and determining the energy needed to...

Students record data, make observations, and share in experimentation and discussion of numerical experiments.

A hands-on simulation perfect for an economics activity, young learners investigate the availability of different sources of natural energy (coal, natural gas, oil, solar, and nuclear) and how this availability affects their cost....

Enrico Fermi, the physicist responsible for the first nuclear detonation, was known for his ability to estimate with little or no data. Use this task to have your classes practice their Fermi skills. They estimate the magnitude of three...

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,...

In this Sombrero Galaxy worksheet, learners observe infrared images taken by the Spitzer Infrared Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. They answer 9 questions about the details of the images such as the radius of the stellar...

Is electricity created in the outlet? Using posters of several energy systems, collaborative groups identify and describe the parts of their systems. The groups also look at the environmental impacts of the systems and present...

Students investigate the dangers of radiation by exploring recent nuclear tragedies.  In this scientific debate lesson, students define the idea of radiation "half life" and determine if low doses of radiation are truly damaging to...

Students recognize the importance of saving energy to save natural resources. In this saving energy instructional activity, students complete a worksheet to find types of electricity meters in their homes. Students use meter readings to...

Here is a fantastic, informative, interactive presentation on plant and animal cells. The PowerPoint is produced by an elementary school teacher who has a doctorate in science, and it shows! This would be a splendid presentation to use...

Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...

Perform data analysis on energy consumption to apply algebraic expressions to the real world. Learners will write and solve equations that answer various questions from residential power use. They will collect data at home and calculate...

How much is your toaster costing you every day? Young environmentalists calculate the monetary costs of household appliances based on their average consumption of wattage.

Scholars shake their way to understanding half-life with the help of candy. They observe and record which side candy lands on to graph the exponential decay in the fifth lesson plan of seven integrating chemistry and algebra. Combining...

Students experiment with converting fuels to energy. They also must identify different types of fuels and ways to conserve energy.

In this scientific notation instructional activity, students solve 10 problems where they multiply and divide numbers using scientific notation and they express their answers with the proper number of significant figures.

Learners listen to books on wind energy for background knowledge. In this wind logic puzzle, students use knowledge of wind energy and critical thinking skills to complete logic puzzles. Learners may work in groups or individually as...

In this statistics and probability worksheet, students analyze frequency distribution tables or histograms and box and whisker plots.  The two page worksheet contains four multiple choice questions.  Answers are included. 

In this space radiation learning exercise, students solve 22 algebraic expressions for "x". They use their answers which correlate with a word in a word bank. They use these words to fill in the blanks of sentences about the effects of...

Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...

For this power of black holes worksheet, high schoolers solve 6 problems including finding the surface area of a black hole, determining the amount of matter in the black hole shell, finding the rest mass energy and determining the time...