The ability of our society to make informed energy-usage decisions in the future depends partly on current science and engineering students retaining a deep understanding of the thermodynamics of heat engines. Teacher imaginations and equipment budgets can both be taxed in the effort to engage students in hands-on heat engine activities. The experiments described in this paper, carried out using the Adiabatic Gas Law Apparatus (AGLA), quantitatively explore popular complete cycle heat engine processes.