Investigation Lesson
90 minutes (2 45-minute classes)
Lesson Time:
The purpose of Lesson 8 is to investigate the heating and cooling needs of buildings for a more energy-efficient design. This lesson focuses on exploring HVAC systems and testing how different HVAC efficiencies work to reduce energy needs.
What will we do?
Identify which system components use the most electricity.
Generate initial ideas about a relationship between the outside temperature and the temperature inside the building.
Gather information about HVAC systems and what they include.
Consider how the HVAC efficiency, room temperature, and building size affect energy use.
Materials needed
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Advance preparation
Preview slides and teacher guide.
Print handouts.
Schedule a tour with a facilities manager or other building personnel to introduce the HVAC system and discuss the general energy efficiency (such as low, medium, or high) of the HVAC system.
Test interactives to ensure they work on student devices:
Copyright © 2026 The Curators of the University of Missouri in collaboration with Colorado State University, BSCS Science Learning, and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (Award No 2201204). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.