February 7, 2017
These days, thermal energy has become—dare we say it?—an even hotter topic than ever! All over the world, researchers are working to discover new ways to store thermal energy, transform it into usable power (i.e., electricity), and more. Although it may be years before some of these discoveries can be put to practical use, it’s exciting see how this area of science is thriving.
Here are just a few of the headlines that caught our attention in recent weeks. Share them with your students! If you find an interesting article on thermal energy, please post it in our Comments section.
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College level, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: Educational Innovations, green energy, homeschool, insulators, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, science, STEM, thermal energy | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
February 7, 2017
When it comes to thermal energy lessons, we are reminded of the potato chip slogan, “Nobody can eat just one.”
There are so many awesome thermal energy lessons on the Internet, we couldn’t pick just one! Take a moment to review the lesson plans and interactive classroom lab ideas below. We’re certain you will find something to use with your students.
If you come across any thermal energy lessons you’d like to share, please leave us a comment below! Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: conductors, Educational Innovations, energy, experiments, fun experiments, green energy, hands-on activity, homeschool, insulators, kinetic energy, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, science, STEM, thermal energy, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
February 7, 2017
Even toddlers understand the concepts of hot and cold. And we’re all familiar with the plight of an ice cream cone on a hot day, right? So does that mean it’s easy to teach the concept of thermal energy? Not necessarily. It’s important to start with clear definitions of terms such as “heat” and “temperature.” Many students cannot discriminate between these terms or may use them interchangeably. This confusion can present a barrier to understanding other important physical science concepts.
One of the best ways to explain thermal energy to your students is by using real-life examples, which is why we’ve compiled a bunch of curiosity-inducing questions below. Use these questions to start a thermal energy discussion with your students. If you have other questions you’d like to share, please write to us in the Comments section below.
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
February 7, 2017
To put it simply, we think thermal energy is cool! Many of our best-selling discrepant event demos are related to thermal energy, as you’ll see from the reviews below. With our Ice Melting Blocks, you can ask your students to predict which block will melt an ice cube more rapidly… Use a Chemical Heat Pack to challenge your class to figure out how heat—usually associated with melting—can be produced by a reaction that turns a liquid into a solid… Or dazzle them with Nitinol Memory Wire that changes shape upon heating!
If you have a favorite Educational Innovations product, send us a comment below. We’d love to share your review with your fellow teachers and science lovers.
Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: discrepant event, Educational Innovations, electricity, energy, experiments, hands-on activity, hands-on science, homeschool, kinetic energy, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM, thermal energy | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
January 27, 2017
by Jen Donaldson
In my classroom, I’ve devised two new uses for Growing Spheres which help students have a better grasp on some otherwise complicated science concepts.
These small spheres are a wonderful way to make the invisible VISIBLE—in three dimensions!
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Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: Chemistry, Educational Innovations, experiments, fun experiments, growing spheres, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, Physics, science, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
