Steam engines have been around since the late 1600s, yet most pupils don't know how they work. Using an soda can, the instructor builds a simple steam engine for scholars to observe. Through a discussion, young scientists learn about the...

Discover the effectiveness of wind, water, and steam as energy sources. The hands-on activity has young scientists create a turbine from common materials. After constructing the turbines, they use wind, water, and steam to turn them and...

Students examine the energy conversions and simple machines are involved in the operation of a steam engine. They make a replica of a small steam engine.

Students research energy conversions. In this energy lesson, students describe the basic operation of a steam engine.  They explain the energy conversions in the steam engine's operation. 

Students investigate the invention of the steam engine. In this technology lesson, students investigate the advancement of technology over time. They relate science and technology together.

An ecosystem is really just the flow of energy through many different living organisms. A study of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book leads to an environmental science activity in which learners study how various factors can affect...

In this changing water states worksheet, learners look at the graphics and then fill in the blanks that pertain to water, ice, and steam. A word bank is provided.

Students design a boat model with simplified steam engine. For this ecology lesson, students compare renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. They determine the efficiency of their boat model.

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...

Students examine the concept of transpiration. They work together to complete an experiment in which they see water loss in plants. They record their observations and discuss their conclusions.

Young scholars investigate how levers help to lift heavy loads. They view and discuss examples of levers, explore various websites, experiment with the levers brought to the class, and watch the video for the book "Mike Mulligan and His...

Why is the end of a spoon hot when it's not all the way in the hot water? A great question deserves a great answer, and learners with visual impairments will use their auditory and tactile senses to get that answer. A talking...

Although it requires a little extra preparation the first time you use this geyser demonstration, it can be used repeatedly once it has been constructed. This demonstration is useful in showcasing how heat leads to increased pressure and...

Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, accumulation. Steam, clouds, rain, lakes. Guide your class members on an imaginary journey through the water cycle with a water cycle adventure script.

What makes ice, water, and steam different? Their molecular arrangements are the same, but their movements are different. Individuals make this conclusion by completing the simulation activity. 

Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Find out what drives a turbine to generate electricity and whether or not it has an impact on the environment. A discussion and lecture is divided by a hands-on activity in...

Students examine the year's cycles by observing the four seasons, their distinctive weather patterns that affect our activities and the weather changes that each brings. The fourteen lessons of this unit offer a good opportunity for the...

Did you know horsepower is actually based on the power of a horse? 60 horse power is the equivalent of being pulled by a team of 60 horses! Viewers will learn other interesting facts like this from a presentation that begins with the...

Students experiment with boiling water and cans to study changes in pressure. In this pressure lesson plan, students use pop cans filled with varying amounts of water heated to boiling. Students drop the cans in cold water and observe...

In this recognizing how states of matter change worksheet, students use words from the word bank to fill in the missing words to describe how water changes to steam and ice and how steam and ice change to form water. Students complete 4...

Students investigate the water cycle. They observe a demonstration of the water cycle involving ice, water, bowls, and steam, explore various websites, and listen to the book, "The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over: A Book About the Water...

Students participate in the scientific process to investigate what happens to water when it evaporates by observing condensation. In small groups they observe what happens to ice in a cup, and what occurs when they hold a bowl of ice...

Learners are introduced to the processes of evaporation and condensation as they observe physical changes in water. They observe how matter changes from a solid to a liquid state. Students are explained that steam is water in its gaseous...

Students conduct experiments with ice, water and steam to observe the water cycle. They discuss substances that water accumulates from the Earth as it moves through its cycle.