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...

Physics stars will enjoy learning about the conservation of energy as you demonstrate gyroscope precession. The lecture is broken into five subtopics: cross product, rotating vectors, angular momentum, rotating rigid bodies, and torque...

Students research about the processing of biodiesel fuels. In this energy instructional activity, students produce their own biodiesel using used and new vegetable oil. They discuss the environmental and economic benefits of using...

As scholars examine a simple political cartoon, they consider some of the crises of 2009: oil, foreign wars, energy, global warming, Swine Flu, etc. A list is provided for background information, and 3 talking points (or writing points)...

Students study the different transportation fuels.  In this energy sources lesson students debate the merits of their fuel over others while working together in groups.

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...

Rise and shine! Class members collaborate to construct a photovoltaic solar cell with two semiconductor layers, as guided by this fabulous lab sheet. They test its output with an ammeter or galvanometer. 

When life gives you mold, make penicillin. Scholars design an inquiry experiment to determine what causes rotting and mold growth. It also covers decomposers and the important role they play for other living things. 

How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson....

Students attempt to understand seasonal variation by viewing images of the energy received by the earth. In this weather activity, students view images from NASA of the influx of energy from the sun and make predictions about resulting...

The calculator has an interesting way of displaying numbers in scientific notation, but don't let that confuse your pupils! A lesson designed to give learners practice with scientific notation and calculators provides several practice...

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...

In this energy and matter worksheet, students define 28 terms related to moles, matter, energy, the Law of Conservation of Energy, mass, properties of matter and states of matter.

The actual lesson itself is not unique; groups discuss and rank different sources of energy in order of their cumulative greenhouse gas emissions. They compare their prediction to real data. What makes this resource valuable, is that it...

At the end of a general physics course focused on light and electricity, you can administer this exam. Concepts covered include electromagnetism, circuits, induction, light rays, lenses and mirrors, characteristics of light, electron...

Lead your class to construct a solar still on campus to demonstrate how water can be extracted from the soil. The power of solar energy is emphasized, as is the concept of how capillary water can be recovered and purified by using a...

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...

This is not a lesson plan, but an outstanding resource to provide material for your lessons on seasonal changes and animal migration. Links connect you to live web cams and up-to-date information on Monarch Butterflies, hummingbirds,...

Students examine energy, where it comes from and the different fuels that are used.  For this energy lesson students design an energy infrastructure using a renewable energy source. 

Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem.  In this climate change lesson plan, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways...

Fifth graders explore the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy.  In this energy lesson, 5th graders examine objects and describe  potential and kinetic energy of the objects. Students complete two worksheets.

Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create...

Students make estimates and then measure leaves for accuracy. They calculate the area of the leaves by drawing an outline on graph paper and counting the squares. They compare the leaves exposed to sunlight to those that are in constant...

In small groups, energy engineers research and make a topographic map of a marine natural resource. They report to the rest of the class pros and cons of extracting their assigned resource. The two activities may take up to four class...