Colorado State University
What Is a "Model"?
Model the transfer of energy during a typical 24-hour period. Young scholars use a game-like approach to learning the patterns of heat transfer through the day and night. Groups of four exchange different tokens as the energy transfers...
Curated OER
IPC-Sources of Energy Assignment
In this sources of energy learning exercise, students complete a concept map and they choose one of the sources of energy in the concept map to research. They create a magazine ad, a newspaper editorial, a newspaper article or any other...
US Department of Energy
Geothermal Energy
With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...
Colorado State University
What Is Beyond the Rainbow?
Help your classes see what they cannot see. Using different eyewear, scholars experience different light spectrums. Learners may be surprised by how the world looks with infrared light, thermal imaging, and ultraviolet light.
K12 Reader
Converting Energy to Motion
Combine science and reading skills with a reading comprehension exercise. Kids read four paragraphs about energy conversion and answer some reading comprehension questions about the information they have read.
It's About Time
What Drives the Plates?
It's getting hot in here! Lead your emerging geoscientists on a thrilling journey as they calculate liquid densities to determine forces that stimulate thermal plates from within the earth's crust. They explore effects of temperature on...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Energy in Motion
Fifth graders explore energy transfer. In this thermal energy activity, 5th graders stretch rubber bands several times and estimate the band's temperature change. Students identify this action as an example of thermal energy. Students...
Curated OER
Cooking With Solar
Identify how solar energy generates thermal energy by constructing solar cookers with your students. They will evaluate the factors that affect efficiency and the lesson can be adapted to capture data in a variety of ways.
Curated OER
A Hilly Ride
Different types of energy are the focus of this science resource. Learners identify situations in which kinetic and potential energy are exchanged. They conduct an in-class inquiry which leads them to discover that there is a limit to...
Beyond Benign
What's In a Window?
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...
Curated OER
Characteristics of Energy
Fourth graders view a video and create a KWL to identify energy sources. In this energy sources lesson, 4th graders explore the meaning of energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, radiant energy, and electrical energy....
Curated OER
Heat and Conduction
This simple activity is ideal for upper elementary learners when studying physical science. Using their sense of touch to describe how hot something feels, and then comparing their observations to thermometer measurements, they discover...
Curated OER
Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson plan, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
Science 4 Inquiry
Investigating How Heat Flows
It is impossible to cool down a glass of water by adding ice. Young scientists explore heat transfer through videos, experiments, and interactive games. They quickly catch on that the water melts the ice and things aren't always as they...
Columbus City Schools
Keeping It Hot!
Hot off the presses, this collection of thermal energy activities, lessons, and printables is sure to amaze. Demonstrate how thermal energy moves about in a system using simple materials. Pupils demonstrate their understanding...
Curated OER
Temperature and Thermal Energy
In this temperature worksheet, learners answer 8 questions about temperature and thermal energy. For example, "What term refers to an energy transfer that causes a change in temperature?"
Curated OER
Converting Fuels to Obtain Energy
Students experiment with converting fuels to energy. They also must identify different types of fuels and ways to conserve energy.
Curated OER
Measuring Solar Energy
Students study solar energy and how to measure it. For this energy sources lesson students complete a lab, obtain data and use that to convert surface temperature to energy.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
Curated OER
Bounce Back - The Long and Short of It
Upper elementary scientists test basketballs with differing amounts of air to find if inflation affects bounce height. The lesson introduction poses the question of whether or not the composition of a ball determines bounce height, but...
Curated OER
Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Heat
The laws of thermodynamics raise the temperature in your classroom when physics pupils complete this activity! They demonstrate their understanding by calculating specific heat capacity, final temperature, amount of work done, and more....
Curated OER
Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
Teach Engineering
Household Energy Audit
Do you have an energy hog in your home? Individuals pick at least one room at home to determine the amount of energy the appliances consume. Using that information, pupils fill out a worksheet to determine the cost of running each...
Curated OER
What is Thermal Energy?
In this thermal energy worksheet, students will write down two facts about thermal energy and then they will draw a conclusion based on these two facts.