Worksheet
Curated OER

Typical Conceptual Questions for Physics I - Heat

For Students 9th - 12th
This worksheet would make a nifty quiz on the laws of thermodynamics. Nine multiple choice questions assess high schoolers' understanding of energy transfer, specific heat capacity, phase change, fusion, and vaporization. It is short but...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Does the Earth Cool Itself Off?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Solar Oven

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students build a solar oven. In this Science lesson, students construct a functional solar oven. Students design the oven and explain the energy concepts involved.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Heat Escape

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer.  In this thermal conductivity lesson, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances....
PPT
Curated OER

Temperature

For Teachers Pre-K - 11th
Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...
Unit Plan
US Department of Energy

Thermodynamics—Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
I'm so cool! No, you're exothermic. This thermodynamics lab unit includes an introduction, teacher demonstrations, six labs that students rotate through each class day, homework assignments, application of knowledge, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers distinguish between kinetic an potential energy. They recognize that energy is conserved when changing from one form to another. Students compare the scientific meaning of work with its everyday meaning.
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Insulation Materials Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Don't melt away! Pairs investigate different insulation materials to determine which one is better than the others. Using a low-temp heat plate, the teams insulate an ice cube from the heat source with a variety of substances. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Insulators, Conductors, and Energy Transfer

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders conduct experiments to determine what types of material make good insulators. They prepare a graph of time vs. temperature for their sample. They choose a graph using each kind of material to display for class analysis and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Thermal Pollution

For Students 7th - 12th
In this pollution worksheet, learners read about thermal pollution and how hot water affects wildlife. Then students complete 1 short answer question.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Transformation

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners identify different kinds of energy such as heat energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, and magnetic energy. They investigate the concept of conservation of energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thermal Energy Transfer - Conduction

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine how heat passes through a pane glass window.  In this energy transfer lesson students complete a lab activity.
eBook
Utah Education Network (UEN)

Utah Open Textbook: Physics

For Students 9th - 12th
Textbooks come in all shapes, sizes, and media these days. An electronic textbook resource offers Physics materials for an entire course. The text offers an explanation of physics topics as well as examples of calculations and reading...
Lesson Plan
Beyond Benign

What's In a Window?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take a peek inside a window to heat efficiency. Scholars watch a demonstration to investigate how heat dissipates from several different cups of hot water. Scholars then relate the exchange to how heat escapes from the windows of a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Comparison of Land and Water Temperature

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Refrigeration

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students build a refrigerator that does not require electricity. In this environmental science lesson, student consider desert dwellers of Africa who have no access to electricity. Students use flower pots, sand and water to study the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Hilly Ride

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate situations that show how kinetic and potential energy are exchanged. They determine how friction is a source of energy transfer from kinetic to thermal energy by experimenting with a car and track. They answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. In this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Characteristics of Energy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. For this energy forms lesson, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Young scholars view a matter video clip in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students determine the best material from which to make a jacket to keep the body warm in a cold, dry, windy climate. This task assesses the student's ability to perform an entire investigation. In this question the independent...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

More on Conduction and Convection

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Why do some items feel colder when they are the same temperature? How should you keep your soda cold? What makes the wind blow? These are just some of the things middle schoolers discover when completing a lesson plan on...
eBook
Rice University

College Physics for AP® Courses

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Magnificent Mendeleev: An Elemental Tale

For Teachers 7th Standards
Discover how the periodic table tells the story of its elements. Learners begin by studying the makeup of several mixtures. Their analysis leads to a discussion of elements and the periodic table. As they dig deeper, they understand the...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Staying Warm in Antarctica!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...