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Matter and Energy Flow

Matter and Energy Flow

 
Courtesy of NASA

Materials, properties of matter, phases (solid, liquid, gases); energy flow, including processes in living systems (respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis, energy reactions in cells)

  • Do Plants Need Light?

    Do Plants Need Light?Lesson

    Students learn about plant growth and development by conducting an experiment that demonstrates the importance of light to plants.

  • Energy for Life (energy from food)

    Energy for Life (energy from food)Lesson

    Students observe and quantify the growth of yeast (a single-celled fungus) when it is given table sugar as a food source.

  • Energy Sources (calories equal energy)

    Energy Sources (calories equal energy)Lesson

    Students measure and compare the amount of heat energy released from two different types of food.

  • Finding the Carbon in Sugar

    Finding the Carbon in SugarLesson

    Students learn about combustion and energy by observing (1) a candle burn within a sealed jar and (2) the burning of white sugar.

  • Food Webs

    Food WebsLesson

    Students construct possible food webs for six different ecosystems and learn about producers, consumers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers.

  • Fuel for Living Things

    Fuel for Living ThingsLesson

    Students observe and discuss what happens when yeast cells are provided with a source of food (sugar).

  • Gases Matter

    Gases MatterLesson

    Students are introduced to the concept of gases. If students already have explored gases, this lesson may be used as a review.

  • Gravity and Buoyancy

    Gravity and BuoyancyLesson

    Students learn about environments with gravity and those with reduced gravity by observing the behavior of a water-filled plastic bag, both inside and outside of a container of water.

  • Greenhouse S'Mores

    Greenhouse S'MoresLesson

    Students learn about the greenhouse effect by observing the reflective or heat-trapping qualities of different materials.

  • How Does Light Affect Root Growth?

    How Does Light Affect Root Growth?Lesson

    Students build an experiment chamber, test the effects of light on Brassica rapa roots, and compare their results with outcomes from plant experiments conducted aboard the ISS.

  • Moving Air

    Moving AirLesson

    Students observe how warming or cooling a small amount of air changes the amount of space it occupies inside a bubble.

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