Unit Overview
In this thermal energy unit, learners help Mosa solve the mystery of the failed “Willy Warm Gloves: Behind the Infomercial.” Through the video mystery as well as a hands-on modeling activity, learners will discover that thermal energy is transferred from areas of high thermal energy to areas of low thermal energy by the motion of particles. After learners observe physical evidence of this in a lab setting, they will use their knowledge of thermal energy transfer to design an insulator or conductor.
Lesson Overview
Solve: Winter Glove Mystery + Vocabulary Mind Map
Make: Lab Stations: Experience Thermal Energy Transfer
Engineer: Apply your Knowledge to Engineer Your Own Insulator and ConductorLearners help Mosa Mack solve the mystery of why the new “Willy Warm Gloves” are falling short. Utilizing new vocabulary and guided video questions, learners discover that the problem may reside in some of Willy’s “science” about how his gloves block cold from getting in. (80 minutes)
Students design and conduct their own experiments to determine the best insulator and conductor. (100 minutes)
It’s time for a challenge! Who can design an insulator that keeps an ice cube colder than the leading brand? Building off what they learned in the “Make” and based on data they collect on different materials, learners will design the best insulator for this challenge. (200 minutes)
Next Generations Science Standards
- MS-PS1-4.
- Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
- MS-PS1-6
- Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes
- MS-PS3-3
- Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
Science & Engineering Practices
- Connections to Nature of Science
- Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
- Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
- Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence
Disciplinary Core Ideas
- Chemical Reactions
- Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
- Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
- Definitions of Energy
- Developing Possible Solutions
- Optimizing the Design Solution
Cross Cutting Concepts
- Energy and Matter
- Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Inquiry Scale
- Each lesson in the unit has an Inquiry Scale that provides directions on how to implement the lesson at the level that works best for you and your students.
- “Level 1” is the most teacher-driven, and recommended for students in 4th-5th grades. “Level 4” is the most student-driven, and recommended for students in 7th-8th grades.
- For differentiation within the same grade or class, use different inquiry levels for different groups of students who may require additional support or an extra challenge.
Common Misconceptions
- Learners’ first inclination is the opposite of reality: They will think that when they open the fridge, cold air escapes or that when their hands get cold, it is cold moving towards their hands. This is best helped with a thorough explanation of particle motion, building off the particle motion unit.
- Learners may need some scaffolding to help them understand why hot water rises and cold air sinks in the “Make” lab. Ask them to visualize the molecules and consider the density of the molecules at different temperatures.
Vocabulary
- Insulator
- Conductor
- Vibrate
- Cold
- Dense
- Hot
- Particle
Content Expert
- Hans C. von Baeyer
Chancellor Professor of Physics, Emeritus College of William and Mary
Resources
- Powerpoints for Make and Design
- Vocabulary Cards
- Solve Student Handout
- Make Student Handout
- Design Student Handout
- Vocabulary Mind Map
New: RocketLit Leveled Reading
* To give our users the most comprehensive science resource, Mosa Mack is piloting a partnership with RocketLit, a provider of leveled science articles.
- Light That Heats
This article talks about how light is different than most kinds of energy. Light can move through space as radiation and we can even feel one part of it as infrared heat!
- Feel the Burn
This article gives an introduction to fuel and the heat that is released when it's consumed. We can feel this heat energy leaving the things that once contained them when we heat up while exercising or set wood on fire.
- Heat in Motion
In this article students read about how convection moves matter by changing the density of a fluid.
- Heat That Shakes
In this article students will read about the way heat travels through a conductor. They learn about the collisions that happen between molecules and how these spread in a conductor and how they are stopped more quickly in an insulator.
- How Hot?
In this article students will read about temperature and the ways that it can be measured. The article explains the concept of average kinetic energy and the differences between alcohol and mercury thermometers.
RocketLit serves tailored Science reading to every student in your classroom at their independent reading level.
RocketLit serves tailored Science reading to every student in your classroom at their independent reading level.
RocketLit serves tailored Science reading to every student in your classroom at their independent reading level.
RocketLit serves tailored Science reading to every student in your classroom at their independent reading level.
RocketLit serves tailored Science reading to every student in your classroom at their independent reading level.