Thermal Energy

Topic: Thermal energy

Objectives & Outcomes

• Understand the concept of thermal energy and how it affects the environment.
• Apply the concept of thermal energy to solve problems related to everyday life.

Materials

• Thermometers
• Ice
• Water
• Butter
• Bread
• Probe thermometers
• Butane lighters
• Pie pans

Warm-up

• Have students sit in a circle. Place an ice cube in the center of the circle and ask students to pass the ice cube around while observing how it gets colder as it travels around the circle. Ask students what they think is causing the ice to become colder.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of thermal energy and explain that it is the energy that objects have due to the movement of their particles.
• Ask students to think about a time when they have felt hot or cold and ask them what caused them to feel that way.
• Have students take out their handouts and pencils. Review the definitions of heat and temperature and go over the different ways in which thermal energy can be transferred.
• Emphasize the importance of understanding how thermal energy is transferred in order to make wise decisions about how to protect ourselves from the heat or cold.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of materials that can be used to conduct an experiment to demonstrate the transfer of thermal energy. Examples could include a cup of hot water, a bowl of ice water, a thermometer, and a stirring device.
• Have each group design and conduct their experiment, recording their observations and results on their handouts.
• As a class, discuss the different ways in which the thermal energy was transferred in each experiment.

Independent Practice

• Have students work individually or in pairs to design and conduct their own experiment to demonstrate the transfer of thermal energy. Encourage them to be creative and to use the materials provided in a different way than most groups did.
• Have students write a brief report describing their experiment and the results, and including any observations and conclusions that they made.

Closure

• Have students share their experiments and reports with the class.
• Review the concept of thermal energy and its transfer through conduction, convection, and radiation.
• Ask students to share any new insights or understandings that they gained from the project.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice to see if they are able to conduct an experiment and create a report accurately.
• Evaluate the reports to see if students demonstrate an understanding of thermal energy transfer and the concept of heat.