In the study of wind energy, scholars build a small windmill and observe how it transfers wind into mechanical energy. Learners will make connections to the previous instructional activity with concepts such as the...

Junior chemists manufacture biodiesel in the lab. In this exercise, they check the purity of the biodiesel using thin layer chromatography. They also calculate its density and heat of combustion. They are sure to rise to the...

Middle school or high school physical science pupils will warm up to the topic of heat when viewing this set of slides. It covers heat transfer, measurement tools, phase changes, and more. Have demonstrations and examples of the tools...

As the title says, some basics of energy are given here. The first section of the slide show focuses on heat energy, differentiating between it and temperature. Chemical and sound energy are introduced, and then the three are combined to...

Middle school chemists visit interactive websites in order to discover what happens to molecular motion when heat is added to matter. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the expansion of matter with the addition of heat. A lab...

More than a week's worth of investigation is provided in this source. Physical science stars experiment to describe specific heat, conduction, convection, and radiation. They also discover the relationship between mechanical and thermal...

Fifth graders observe different types of conductors. They answer orally about the conduction of heat energy with 100% accuracy. Students investigate some materials that conduct heat much better than others, and poor conductors can...

Seventh graders construct a lunch box that maintains functional temperature zones and does not allow heat transfer between the zones. They examine the transfer of heat, the capacity of certain materials to hold heat, and how the...

When an organism eats, how does food become energy? Young biologists follow glucose through the process of cellular respiration to the creation of ADP using a discussion-based activity. The resource also highlights conservation of mass...

Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...

The proof is in the marshmallows. Believing that electric energy can transform into heat energy can be abstract, but a hands-on lesson gives pupils a concrete example. Young scientists cut marshmallows with copper wires before and...

It's time to get moving! The 13th lesson in a 14-part unit on electricity and magnetism explores the relationship between electricity and mechanical energy. Budding scientists build motors and experiment with different components to...

The pages of this resource are in landscape view and ready-made to use as slides in a presentation on energy transfer in your high school physical science course. Begin with pertinent vocabulary and finish with an explanation of the...

Heat up a lesson on solar energy. The first of three parts in the Experimenting with Solar Heaters unit has scholars construct solar heaters. They then use them to heat up a container of water and calculate the amount of heat energy...

How do humans get energy since they aren't mechanical and can't photosynthesize? Learners explore this question by relating potential energy in food to human energy levels. Scholars measure the change in mass and a change in...

Students examine sea surface temperatures to see how hurricanes get heat from the oceans surface.  In this hurricanes lesson students use the Internet to find data and make line plots. 

Discuss the difference between conduction, convection and radiation of thermal energy, and complete activities with your class by investigating the difference between temperature, thermal energy and the heat capacity of different materials.

Middle schoolers explore heat energy and how it is used to change the phase of matter, and discover that temperature does not increase or decrease until the phase change is complete. This extremely well-written plan is packed with great...

Students examine fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable fuels. They study investigate types of heat transfer such as convection, conduction, and radiation. They complete crossword puzzles based on the vocabulary. They design, construct and...

Matter and the energy held by molecules is explained here. The information provided about the transfer of energy between substances and the resulting temperature change will be useful to your students.  They will be able to work...

This is actually a 10-day mini unit on thermal energy for your high school chemists. Every avenue is taken to get learners absorbed in heat: a pretest, a PowerPoint presentation, Internet exploration, demonstrations, lab activities, and...

If you can find Tinker Toys™, then this may be a fun assignment for your physical science class. Using the construction set and a few other toys, they examine the forces involved when it they are being played with. For each, they...

One of the key objectives of Europe's Copernicus Earth program is to monitor the temperatures of the oceans and seas on Earth. Young scholars learn the effects of different heat capacities through two experiments. These experiments...

Compare the density of different salt solutions and then observe currents that are caused by the difference. Set up a demonstration of dynamic equilibrium. The intent with these activities is to begin building understanding of density...