This resource, from The Physics Classroom provides lesson plans, problems and content support for teachers and students.  (Open Website)

Two balls racing in this simulation gives the student a "feel" for energy and its conservation.  (Open Website)

This student activity is designed to explore the concept of work.  This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy.  (Open Website)

This student activity is designed to explore the energy that can be provided by burning fuels.This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy.  (Open Website)

This student activity is designed to help students understand the concept of power. The energy required to climb stairs, and the rate at which students can do this, illustrates this concept. This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy.  (Open Website)

This student activity is a study of common sources of energy. This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy  (Open Website)

This student activity is designed to explore the potential difficulties related with different power sources. This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy.  (Open Website)

This student activity is designed to study energy flow and conservation.This activity is part of a PTRA manual on Energy.  (Open Website)

One of the best ways for students to visualize Conservation of Energy is to create an energy pie chart or bar graph.  This cost-free web page allows them to select from one of five graph types:  bar, pie, line, area, or X/Y.  They can customize the patterns, colors, grids, and label choices, then print the final product.  (Open Website)

Do high school physics students understand when they should use concepts of energy conservation to solve problems?  Students involved in this research study had great struggles with this, even those with prior instruction on the topic.  (Open Website)

A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and fewer emissions.  This online report, written for non-scientists, is an excellent reference for teachers planning a unit on Clean Energy or Alternative Fuels.  (Open Website)

This resource links to the Energy section of the Science Literacy Benchmarks published by the AAAS.  It is a statement of desired learning outcomes on the topic of Energy Transformations for grades 2, 5, 8, and 12.  (Open Website)

Work-Energy bar charts are a conceptual tool which depict the amount of each form of energy within a system as it undergoes a particular motion or process.  This animated tutorial helps students understand the intricate relationship between work and energy, an area of common misconception.  (Open Website)

This five-part tutorial helps students understand how to analyze motion from the perspective of Work and Energy.  Students explore PE, KE, and total mechanical energy with the help of descriptive text, sample problems with solutions, force diagrams, and links to related animations.  (Open Website)

Energy is a scalar quantity and cannot be represented by vector arrows; thus it can be difficult to assess student understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy.  In this model worksheet, students create energy bar graphs and flow diagrams to analyze what happens as energy is transferred and converted.  (Open Website)

This model assessment on Conservation of Energy assesses both mathematical skills in solving problems as well as qualitative skills in creating energy bar graphs and flow diagrams.  (Open Website)

Energy pie charts are a conceptual tool to help students understand the process of transferring energy into or out of a system.  This model worksheet gives students practice in system definition and in analyzing energy storage.  (Open Website)

This is a nice lesson plan showing how work and energy are used together in Physics.  (Open Website)

This is a good simulation to complement a lesson on work and energy.  As students move objects of varying mass up an incline, they can vary the angle, friction, and applied force.  Can be modified to meet curriculum of grades 5-12.  (Open Website)

This page features animations of carts traveling at constant speed on three inclines of equal distance but varying slopes.  Which path requires the most energy?  (Open Website)

This is a readable and well-organized tutorial for physical science students to gain understanding of what energy is and how energy is converted from one form to another.   Topics range from batteries and generators to full chapters on seven sources of renewable energy.  (Open Website)

This creative student tutorial offers an interactive look at kinetic and potential energy, spring potential energy, gravitational potential energy, heat and temperature, and nuclear energy.  The author uses an entertaining blend of text, animations, and simulations to engage the student.  (Open Website)

Energy is a scalar quantity and cannot be represented by arrows; thus it can be difficult to assess student understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy.  In this model worksheet, students create energy bar graphs and flow diagrams to analyze what happens as energy is transferred and converted.  (Open Website)

This website contains nine sets of curriculum materials on renewable energy sources, organized into units of instruction for Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.   Topics include High Energy Hydrogen, Solar Matters, and Alternative Fuels.  (Open Website)

Students learn about the relationship between potential and kinetic energy as they explore this engaging java simulation.  A detailed lesson plan for teachers is included.  (Open Website)

This page provides step-by-step directions for building a solar oven. The kit calls for simple materials such as cardboard and duct tape, and includes a pattern for building the oven.  Teachers can also freely download the detailed background information and construction plans for student use.  (Open Website)

This resource is gives step-by-step instructions for building a vertical axis wind turbine in secondary classrooms.  The 17-page construction plans may be freely downloaded and are organized for first-time builders.  A printable lesson plan is provided, as well as comprehensive background information on wind energy.  (Open Website)

This resource gives step-by-step instructions for building a water-powered electric generator from plastic spoons.  The model closely resembles real micro-hydro designs, and can produce enough electricity to light a small light bulb.  Detailed background information and links to animated tours of hydroelectric power plants are included.  (Open Website)

This virtual tour begins as water from a reservoir flows through a large pipe at the bottom of a dam and acts to power a giant turbine.  Students can see how energy is transformed from mechanical to electrical by the excitation of electrons within magnets inside the turbine shaft.   This activity would be great teamed with the project above on building a water-powered generator.  (Open Website)

For the teacher looking for an immersion experience for grades 8-12, this resource offers detailed labs with set-up instructions for constructing a wind turbine,  solar oven, water-powered electric generator, and bio-gas generator.  Content support is integrated throughout.  (Open Website)

A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and fewer emissions.  This online report, written for non-scientists, is a great reference for teachers planning a unit on Clean Energy or Alternative Fuels.  (Open Website)

This is a great online tutorial that students can manipulate to learn how masses and springs relate to potential energy and Hooke's Law.  (Open Website)

This activity and accompanying lesson plan was developed to help beginning physics students get a feel for energy conservation as they play with a simulated free-falling ball.  Values for mass, total energy, and absorbed energy can be changed.  (Open Website)

Students explore conservation of energy by building ramps, jumps, and tracks for a skateboarder.  The relationship of kinetic and potential energy becomes clear through energy vs. time and position charts.  (Open Website)

This interactive activity is a great way for beginners to get a "feel" for the law of conservation of energy.  Students create two energy diagrams to reflect kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy of a car rolling down a hill.  Try teaming it with the activity below titled "Sliding Down" for an engaging and inquiry-based exploration.  (Open Website)

This interactive diagram explores conservation of energy as students solve a problem involving a child on a playground slide.   Students receive automated feedback as they create side-by-side energy bar graphs to reflect KE, GPE, and thermal energy from friction.  Try teaming this activity with the "PADs Energy Diagram" above.  (Open Website)

The motion of a pendulum is a classic example of mechanical energy conservation.  In this animated tutorial, energy bar graphs depict the changing ratios of kinetic-to-potential energy as the pendulum swings.  (Open Website)

One of the best ways for students to visualize Conservation of Energy is to create an energy pie chart or bar graph.  This cost-free web page allows them to select from one of five graph types:  bar, pie, line, area, or X/Y.  They can customize the patterns, colors, grids, and label choices, then print the final product.  (Open Website)

Work-Energy bar charts are a conceptual tool which depict the amount of each form of energy within a system as it undergoes a particular motion or process.  This animated tutorial helps students understand conservation of energy as they visualize the relationship between work and energy.  (Open Website)

In this five-part tutorial, students explore potential energy, kinetic energy, and total mechanical energy with the help of descriptive text, sample problems and solutions, force diagrams, and links to related animations.  (Open Website)

Energy is a scalar quantity and cannot be represented by vector arrows; thus it can be difficult to assess student understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy.  In this model worksheet, students create energy bar graphs and flow diagrams to analyze what happens as energy is transferred and converted.  (Open Website)

This model assessment on Conservation of Energy assesses both mathematical skills in solving problems as well as qualitative skills in creating energy bar graphs and flow diagrams.  It could be an effective follow-up to the model worksheet above.  (Open Website)

Energy pie charts are a conceptual tool to help students understand the process of transferring energy into or out of a system.  This model worksheet gives students practice in system definition and in analyzing energy storage.  (Open Website)

This virtual tour begins as water from a reservoir flows through a large pipe at the bottom of a dam and acts to power a giant turbine.  Students can see two types of energy transformation:  1) Gravitational Potential Energy transforms to Mechanical Energy when rushing water turns the turbine, and 2) Mechanical Energy is transformed to Electrical Energy by the excitation of electrons within magnets in the turbine shaft.  (Open Website)

This animated tutorial features a downhill skier and four energy bar graphs.  Students observe the transformation of energy from potential to kinetic during the descent.  The end of the run is unpacked snow and the skier loses total mechanical energy (TME) to the dissipative force of friction.  (Open Website)

This tutorial features an animated roller coaster with moving bar graphs that depict kinetic and potential energy as the car descends and climbs.   It is an example of a system in which TME (Total Mechanical Energy) remains the same during the course of the motion.  Try teaming it with the Downhill Skier animation above.  (Open Website)

The motion of a pendulum is a classic example of mechanical energy conservation.  In this animated tutorial, energy bar graphs depict the changing ratios of kinetic-to-potential energy as the pendulum swings.  (Open Website)

This interactive homework problem is an excellent way to promote student understanding of when to use the Work-Energy Theorem to simplify problem solving.  This problem involves a truck traveling on a straight road, both with and without a payload.  The author takes the student step-by-step through a Socratic format of conceptual analysis, strategic analysis, and finally, setting up the equations.  (Open Website)

Like the problem above, this interactive homework problem helps beginning students understand how to use the Work-Energy Theorem to solve problems which would be difficult or impossible using the kinematic equations.  It features a bobsled making a double-hill run.  Students are guided every step of the way in concept formation, strategic analysis, and how to do the math.  (Open Website)

Try this homework problem as an extension of  the two above.  It involves a cart and block connected by a string passing over an ideal pulley.  Students choose whether to solve the problem using Newton's Second Law or the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem.  Extensive help is offered for either choice.  (Open Website)