In this investigation, students will construct a model of chemical reactions involving energy and electrostatic interactions. Students learn that a chemical reaction is a process that involves the atoms of substances rearranging to form new substances and that to start any chemical reaction, energy is needed to break bonds in the reactants. Students will compare reactions and changes in energy. Students develop several models to describe observations of reactions. This investigation builds toward NGSS PEs: HS-PS1-4, HS-PS1-5 and HS-PS3-2.

In this investigation, students define potential energy and factors that impact the amount of potential energy that exists in a system. Students start by defining potential energy as energy that is stored in a system of interacting objects. Students then explore the relationship between potential energy and fields in order to explain how objects interact without touching. Finally, students evaluate factors that affect the amount of potential energy stored in a system. This investigation builds toward NGSS PEs: MS-PS3-2 and HS-PS3-5.

This activity will help students to explore why hurricanes/typhoons spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere). They will explore how air moves in high and low pressure systems and how the flow of air is affected by the spinning of the Earth.

In this investigation, students will develop a conceptual model of electrostatic interactions by exploring how various charged objects (Scotch tape, balloons, rods of various materials, and a Van de Graaff generator) interact with each other and with uncharged objects (paper, water bottle, a hand). By the end of the investigation, the student model will include positive and negative charges as well as patterns that can be used to explain and predict how charged objects interact. This investigation builds toward NGSS PE: HS-PS2-4.

In this investigation, students will learn how temperature affects 3D structure and function of proteins and their ability to carry out biological functions. This investigation builds towards PEIn this investigation, PE HS-PS3-5 and PE HS-LS1-6.

Smog events have become less common in the United States since the Clean Air Acts went into effect. Yet there are still poor air quality events in some areas of the country. Other regions of the world have many more bad air days. What causes poor air quality? Explore the question, will the air be clean enough to breathe? You will be guided through the analysis of models and real-world data as you explore the interactions of factors that affect a region's air quality. You will not be able to answer the module's framing question at the end of the module, but you will be able to predict the effect of human development on a region's air quality.

Fresh water is necessary for life on land, but it is not evenly distributed around the world. Explore the distribution and uses of fresh water on Earth. Explore models of porosity and permeability to determine how water moves underground. Run experiments with computer-based models to determine how human actions affect the supply of fresh water. You will not be able to answer the module's framing question at the end of the module, but you will be able to explain how humans can preserve supplies of fresh water for the future.

Windmills have been used for hundreds of years to collect energy from the wind in order to pump water, grind grain, and more recently generate electricity. There are many possible designs for the blades of a wind generator and engineers are always trying new ones. Design and test your own wind generator, then try to improve it by running a small electric motor connected to a voltage sensor.