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TE Activity: Hot Cans and Cold Cans
Young scholars work on problems in which they investigate conduction, convection, and radiation. They attempt to maintain the warmth in one can of soda while cooling the other as much as possible in a thirty minute period. They examine...
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Solar Cooking
Students experiment with a virtual solar cooker to discover the mathematical relationship among reflection, transmission and absorption. Then they actually build and test a solar cooker of their own invention.
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What is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...
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Parts of a Solar Panel-Part II
Students discover how a mini-solar panel is constructed by behaving like detectives. Students examine an actual solar panel, measure the solar panel's voltage and use drawings to describe what they observe before completing questions...
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Identifying Materials by their Reflectivity
In this reflectivity instructional activity, students read about the absorption and reflectivity of light by different materials. Students solve 4 problems and determine the composition of given materials based on the amount of light...
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How Much Land Does It Take To Produce Your Food?
Young scholars calculate the amount of land required to produce the food eaten by an individual for one year. They compare the amount of land required to produce animal versus plant products. Students visualize the areas of land...
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Water Cycle
Young scientists explore Earth elements by conducting an experiment. They define water vocabulary terms such as condensation and precipitation. In addition, they conduct a water experiment in which they build a terrarium, so they can...
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Sand or Rock? Finding Out From 1,000 km
Middle schoolers observe how measurements are made with different instruments. In this remote sensing lesson students investigate the physical state of surfaces including the surfaces of the solar system.
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What a Drag
Students learn examples of friction and drag, and suggest ways to reduce the impact of these forces. The equation that governs common frictional forces is introduced, and during a hands-on activity, students experimentally measure a...
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Measuring Calories
Young scholars burn peanuts and marshmallows to determine the calories each contains. In this calorimetry lesson plan, students set up an apparatus with a ring stand and water in an aluminum can. They record the temperature of the water...
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Sun and Earth
Students explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is. In this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.
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Striking a Balance
Learners simulate animals in a food chain. In this food chain lesson plan, students are identified as grasshoppers, frogs or hawks. Popcorn is spread across a lawn and learners are given baggies (stomachs) and colored sashes to identify...
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The Properties of Metals
In this properties of metals worksheet, students read about the history of metal use and their properties. Students read about metallic bonding and answer three questions about bonding in metals.
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Making Clouds: Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in a Beaker
Students observe a teacher demo on how clouds form. In this earth science lesson, students discover how cloudiness affects relative humidity. They explain the scattering of light by clouds.
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It's in the Bag!
Eighth graders measure temperature changes and make drawings of the interactions between matter and energy. By measuring the temperature students can conclude if there are changes in levels of energy.
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 2-4)
Students observe how the sun's rays can cause evaporation and discuss its role in the weather cycle. They discover what the sun's energy brings to plants. They examine how different types of technology can enhance the amount of solar...
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Exothermic and Endothermic Changes
Students define and identify endothermic/exothermic reactions. Using a series of experiments, they construct and interpret potential energy diagrams for their reactions.
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What Makes you Hot?
Students manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth. In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature.
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Electricity and Magnetism
Fourth graders compare electricity and magnetism. In this science lesson plan, 4th graders discuss the concepts of electricity and magnetism and brainstorm examples of electrical and magnetic forces.
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Read an Electric Meter
Third graders explore electricity. In this science activity, 3rd graders discuss how electricity is transmitted and complete a worksheet in which they practice reading an electric meter.
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All The News
Learners simulate newspaper critics in the topics of heat and temperature. They write a scientific critique of evidence and claims used in a newspaper article and research using KIE software. They write notes on the letter to the editor...
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How Hot Is It?
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.
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What is Climate?
In this climate worksheet, students review the components that make up climate including temperature and precipitation. This worksheet has 8 true or false and 2 short answer questions.
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Boy, Is That Buoyant!
Fourth graders see that salt increases the density of water and creates a condition wherein objects are more buoyant than would be expected under normal conditions. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and...