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Activity
Teach Engineering

Efficiency of a Water Heating System

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Tired of waiting for hot water? Groups of three determine the efficiency of an electric water-heating device. They calculate the amount of energy it takes to heat the water and the theoretical amount of energy required to heat the water....
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Watt Meters to Measure Energy Consumption

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
It used watt amount of energy? This resource investigates the power usage of small household appliances. Using a watt meter, groups measure the actual wattage used by an appliance and then calculate the energy used daily. 
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Solar Power

For Teachers 9th - 11th
How much solar energy is available at my location? An engaging resource provides a presentation along with script to give the class background information on determining solar radiation. Pupils then work through a worksheet to...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

A New Angle on PV Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Let me get an angle on this! Investigate the orientation of a photovoltaic panel and its effect on efficiency. By using a light source, learners collect and plot current output to determine the ultimate orientation. The resource includes...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Organic Solar Energy and Berries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
You can eat a solar cell? A unit on solar energy begins with a discussion about organic solar cells, followed by directions on how to build your own. After following the teacher's directions to build an anthocyanin...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Energy Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is electricity created in the outlet? Using posters of several energy systems, collaborative groups identify and describe the parts of their systems. The groups also look at the environmental impacts of the systems and present...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Energy Sources Research

For Students 6th - 8th
Turn your pupils into teachers! Here is a lesson that requires groups to research an energy source with the provided handout, create a poster, and present their information to the class. Connections are made to practical aspects of...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Light vs. Heat Bulbs

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Careful, that light bulb is hot! Compare heat and light energy using a simple light bulb. The exercise addresses energy conservation and presents actual calculations to determine the most cost-effective light bulb.
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Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

Six Kinds Do It All

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
Teach young engineers that all machines, no matter how complicated or complex, are made up of just six simple devices with this hands-on physical science lesson. Using the included templates, students first create paper models of...
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Lesson Plan
Disney

Renewable Energy

For Teachers 4th - 10th Standards
Bring some energy to your physical science curriculum with this engaging Bill Nye the Science Guy lesson. Based on his Renewable Energy video, students explore the concepts of potential and kinetic energy and learn how they are applied...
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Unit Plan
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PBS

Blow the Roof Off!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics...
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PPT
University of California

Work, Energy, Power, Momentum

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
Planning a physics unit on energy can take a lot of work, luckily this instructional presentation is here to help. Covering everything from work and energy to elastic collisions and the conservation of momentum, this comprehensive...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Give and Take

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Heat-sensitive liquid crystal sheets are available in a variety of sizes and temperature ranges. Purchase a class set of hand-held sheets and color half of each with a silver permanent marking pen. Learners of light can hold them under a...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Hand-Held Heat Engine

For Teachers 6th - 8th
See the direct relationship between pressure and temperature using these classic science toys. As individuals hold the glass bulb, the liquid inside reaches it's boiling temperature, which is just a bit above room temperature. As the...
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Worksheet
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Building a Parabolic-Trough Collector

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Amateurs of alternative energy build a mini parabolic-trough solar energy collector and use it to heat water. Temperature is recorded over a three-minute period and the data is graphed and analyzed. Note that in order to paint aquarium...
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Worksheet
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Water Wheel

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Middle school scientists construct a working water wheel from an aluminum pie pan. Because of the sharp edges on the cut aluminum, this activity is for mature learners only. You could have your class compete to see whose wheel can lift...
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App
Lawrence Hall of Science

DIY Sun Science

For Students K - 8th
Get an up-close-and personal look at the sun from the safety of your classroom with this fun science application. Offering numerous activities, images, and videos, the resource supports children of all ages as they learn about the sun.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fuel Cell Experimentation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
With rising oil prices and increasing concerns over global warming, the pressure is on for engineers to develop alternative sources of energy. Among the new technologies being developed are hydrogen fuel cells, which young scientists...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coasters

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....
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Activity
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Insulation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Youngsters compare the heat-holding abilities of three different cans by insulating two with different materials and measuring the temperature change of hot water over a 20-minute period. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Transfer (Heat)

For Teachers 8th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Household Conservation/Efficiency

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Work and Energy

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
A total of 29 word problems furnish practice in solving for work, energy, and force. A few of the questions display diagrams to help learners visualize the systems, and all of them list five choices from which they select the correct...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Electric Circuits

For Students 9th - 12th
A collection of 15 practice problems, most of them involving circuit schematics, is provided for your physics class on this handout. Learners are to compute the net charge, resistance, energy, or power dissipated for different...