Curated OER
Olympic Solar Energy
Students use cardboard and aluminum foil to construct a solar oven that concentrates enough sunlight to cook a hotdog. They review the history and use of solar energy in relation to the Olympics.
Curated OER
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Kit
The National Energy Foundation presents this activity, which instructs students to follow directions to connect a solar electric panel to a buzzer. They charge the solar panel to cause the buzzer to sound. The process is repeated with a...
PBS
Real-World Ratio and Rate Reasoning: How to Power the Skate Park
Bring on the lights! Using an interactive, characters try to figure out how to light a skate park by examining area and ratios to determine the number of solar panels needed to power them. Pupils design a house with a roof to hold solar...
Carnegie Mellon University
Renewables Workshop
Youngsters examine resource maps to find out which states are using solar and wind power and discuss as a class various other renewable energy sources. They use a provided data table to record pros and cons to each technology, build and...
Curated OER
Leaves, the Sun, and the Water Cycle
As a way to combine life and physical science, or simply as an investigation of plant transpiration, this lesson is sure to inspire! Middle schoolers capture the moisture given off by plants that are placed in different conditions. They...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Biology Reference Sheet
First year life science or biology pupils will appreciate this all-inclusive reference page. It provides a diagram of both a plant and an animal cell, the metric system prefixes, classification levels, definitions for cell processes, the...
Curated OER
Energy Solutions; A Brochure
By creating an energy brochure, teams of science learners inform others about the advantages of using alternative energy sources. An instructions page for your class and a grading rubric are provided. The lesson focuses on photovoltaics,...
Colorado State University
What Is a "Convection Cell"?
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
Curated OER
Heating and Cooling a Really Large Lizard
Remind your middle school scientists how fox ear size varies depending on the climate they live in; large ears allow heat loss while small ears keep heat in. Discuss how a cold-blooded animal might try to regulate body temperature. Then...
Curated OER
Solar Racing
Students harness the power of the sun to design, construct and evaluate a solar-powered model car of their creation. They race their cars in a "Solar Sprint" race modeled after the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Junior Solar...
Teach Engineering
The Temperature Effect
How temperature affects the efficiency of a solar panel is the focus of the third in a series of eight resources that presents how engineers are able to control the temperatures of photovoltaic panels. Class members find out how the...
Curated OER
Experiments with Photovoltaic Cells
Students explain how sunlight is converted to electricity. For this series of physics lesson, students study how varying the characteristics of the light source affect photovoltaic cells. They research their different uses in other...
Curated OER
Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
High schoolers explore the optimum angle for orienting a solar collector relative to the rays of incoming sunlight. They review equinoxes, solstices, and various locational ideas before students investigate using meters, light sources,...
Curated OER
Observing Specialized Cells
In this plant and animal cell learning exercise, learners draw five examples of plant or animal cells that are specialized to perform a particular functions. They also complete 6 short answer questions based on their observations.
Curated OER
Eukaryotic Cell Structure
In this cell structure worksheet, learners review the structure and function of eukaryotic cells. Students also compare and contrast an animal cell with a plant cell. This worksheet has 15 fill in the blank, 8 true or false, and 7...
Curated OER
Cell Structure and Function
In this cells instructional activity, students review the different types of cells. Students identify the organelles found in an animal cell and determine the function of these organelles. This instructional activity has 14 matching, 6...
Curated OER
Energy in a Cell
In this cell energy worksheet, students are given clues about the light capturing process in plants and the energy producing reactions in animals to complete a crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
Cell Energy Study Guide
In this cell energy instructional activity, students answer questions about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They compare the two using a Venn diagram.
Curated OER
How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
Curated OER
Temperature and the Tomato
You will need a photovoltaic system and monitor at your school in order to obtain all of the data required to thoroughly implement this lesson. Your class monitors daily temperature and insolation amounts over a two week span of time....
Curated OER
Surface Air Temperature Trends of the Caribbean
Students use real satellite data to determine the changes in near-surface air temperature at different times of the year over the Caribbean Sea. They discover how Earth's tilt causes seasonal differences in incoming solar energy. They...
Teach Engineering
Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
Curated OER
Solar Race Cars
Students explore the relationship between time traveled, distance and speed. In this solar race car lesson students wire solar batteries using series and parallel circuitry.
Curated OER
Hinode Satellite Power
In this Hinode satellite worksheet, students find the area of the solar panels that cover the Hinode satellite to provide power. They determine the amount of power produced by the solar cells and if it is enough to keep all the...