In this lab-based activity the students will use their knowledge about the law of conservation of energy to explain the loss of heat by warm water to cold water. Then, the students will use these concepts to design and carry an experiment to determine the unknown temperature of a hot water sample.

Spreadsheets across the Curriculum Module. Students build a spreadsheet to calculate proper medicine dosages using the metric system.

Students experiment with a new material—aerogel. Aerogel is a synthetic (human-made) porous ultra-light (low-density) material, in which the liquid component of a gel is replaced with a gas. In this activity, student pairs use aerogel to simulate the environmental engineering application of cleaning up oil spills. In a simple and fun way, this activity incorporates density calculations, the material effects of surface area, and hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties.

As a historic unit of the National Park Service, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site also is within the boundaries of the Logan Circle Historic District. This lesson is based on the Historic Resources Study for Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, as well as other materials on Bethune and the National Council of Negro Women. The lesson was written by Brenda K. Olio, former Teaching with Historic Places historian, and edited by staff of the Teaching with Historic Places program and Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site.

This comprehensive guide to the Paleontology section of OLogy, the Museum's science Web site for kids, explains how after-school educators can make the most of the site. It focuses on dinosaurs because that's what kids are most familiar with. An introduction to the Big Ideas in Paleontology brings educators up to speed on how scientists study early life on Earth, what kind of information the fossil record contains, and why dinosaurs are not extinct. A Site Map shows where to locate all Paleontology resources, from stories to quizzes to hands-on-activities. Paleontology units offer ways to combine different types of resources around a topic. Follow-up questions encourage inquiry-based learning. Wrap-Up Paleo Projects suggests fun ways to wrap up any of these units. A Links and Resources section lists recommended paleontology-related books and Web sites for educators and for kids. A glossary of paleontological terms wraps up the guide.

By watching and performing several simple experiments, students develop an understanding of the properties of air: it has mass, it takes up space, it can move, it exerts pressure, it can do work.

Air pressure is pushing on us all the time although we do not usually notice it. In this activity, students learn about the units of pressure and get a sense of just how much air pressure is pushing on them.

This is an inquiry activity that relies of pervious understanding of balancing and weighing to introduce a properties of air.

In this Interactive Lecture Demonstration, students will predict the main issues that might be included in short French language videos treating topics such as endangered species, organic farming, the effect of aerosols on the environment, pollution and sustainable development. They will then view short videos on the topics and reflect on how their prior assumptions meshed with reality.

The problem statement describes a changing algae population as reported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. In part (a), students are expected to build an exponential function modeling algae concentration from the description given of the relationship between concentrations in cells/ml and days of rapid growth (F-LE.2).

In this game activity students practice comparing shapes and naming something that is alike or different about them.

Commercial fishing nets often trap "unprofitable" animals in the process of catching target species. In this activity, students experience the difficulty that fishermen experience while trying to isolate a target species when a variety of sea animals are found in the area of interest. Then the class discusses the large magnitude of this problem. Students practice data acquisition and analysis skills by collecting data and processing it to deduce trends on target species distribution. They conclude by discussing how bycatch impacts their lives and whether or not it is an important environmental issue that needs attention. As an extension, students use their creativity and innovative skills to design nets or other methods, theoretically and/or through hands-on prototyping, that fisherman could use to help avoid bycatch.

Bycatch, the unintended capture of animals in commercial fishing gear, is a hot topic in marine conservation today. The surprisingly high level of bycatch about 25% of the entire global catch is responsible for the decline of hundreds of thousands of dolphins, whales, porpoises, seabirds and sea turtles each year. Through this curricular unit, students analyze the significance of bycatch in the global ecosystem and propose solutions to help reduce bycatch. They become familiar with current attempts to reduce the fishing mortality of these animals. Through the associated activities, the challenges faced today are reinforced and students are stimulated to brainstorm about possible engineering designs or policy changes that could reduce the magnitude of bycatch.

These modules were originally presented to First Responders during a two-day workshop at the North Carolina Solar Center (now known as the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center) and were taught by National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium trained instructors. Three separate modules were used to educate them on the properties, technology, and safety precautions to take when working with alternative fuel vehicles utilizing gaseous fuels, biofuels, and electric drivetrains.

A concise fact sheet on aluminum use in transport by the European Aluminium Association (EAA). Topics include applications (auto, air, marine, and rail), benefits, economic role, energy consumption, history, and sustainability.

This report by The Aluminum Association reviews the North American use of aluminum over the past 20 years in order to improve industry emissions, efficiency, recycling, and to address the challenges ahead in regards of sustainability. Challenges faced with sustainability include technological progress, energy and resource use, waste minimization and elimination, business operations, and product end-of-life ("design for recycling" and recycling incentives).

This study was carried out by Ducker Worldwide and funded by The Aluminum Association to evaluate the aluminum content in 2012 model year vehicles and the projected aluminum content growth through 2025. To gather data and form projections, Ducker surveyed original equipment manufactures (OEMs) and The Aluminum Association to create a metallic materials database with 32,000 cells per light vehicle. Using their database and other information from OEMs, Ducker concluded in the 2012 model year the average weight of aluminum on light vehicles will be approximately 348lbs, 30% of hoods will be aluminum, and 50% of cast aluminum wheels will be sourced from China. To meet corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in 2025 Ducker speculates vehicle aluminum content will grow by 80% (671lbs avg. truck and 451lbs avg. for cars), milled aluminum components will increase, 50% of hoods will be aluminum, and manifolds will be made from magnesium rather than aluminum. Based on this study's conclusions, it's clear that aluminum content in vehicles will continue to grow to meet CAFE standards by 2025. For more info on Ducker Worldwide, visit http://www.ducker.com/. Ducker has also performed studies for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Aerogel, commonly called "frozen smoke," is a super-material with some amazing properties. In this lesson and its associated activity, students learn about this silicon-based solid with a sponge-like structure. Students also learn about density and how aerogel is 99.8% air by volume, making it the lightest solid known to humans! Further, students learn about basic heat transfer and how aerogel is a great thermal insulator, having 39 times more insulation than the best fiberglass insulation. Students also learn about the wide array of aerogel applications.