Lesson 8
Lesson 8
Teacher:
Ms. Steiner
Date:
Thermal Energy
I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
Thermal Energy
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
Lesson 8 of a 9 lesson unit
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to applicable national or state standards. If
an objective applies to only certain students write the name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.
Students will be able to:
Reference proof that thermal energy is based on the total energy of the particles in an object.
Work cooperatively with groupmates
4-PS3-1 Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
4-PS3-3 Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and
effect relationships.
5.I.I.III.1 Use appropriate units to make precise and varied measurements.
5.I.I.III.3 Make predictions based on analyses of data, observations, and explanations.
5.II.I.II.3 Know that there are different forms of energy
II. Before you start
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Assessment
(formative and summative)
Formative:
Monitor discussions
Student responses after partner share
Monitor experiments
Observations/data/inferences in journal
Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)
RECOGNITION
STRATEGIC
AFFECTIVE
The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student
activities
Take out your energy journals but do not open them up yet. Pass out goggles.
I need you to think way back to when we talked about sound energy. Tell your shoulder partner what
those teeny tiny things that make up everything around us are called.
Yes, they are called atoms! Can anyone raise their hand and tell me something that they remember
about atoms?
We are going to continue talking about thermal energy today. I am going to pass out one cup of hot
water (A) and one cup of cold water (B) to each table. Then, I will come around with some food coloring.
I will put one drop in each cup of water. Before I pass out the cups of water, I need you to open your
science journals to page 18 and predict what will happen in our experiment.
15
Motivation
(Opening/
Introduction/
Engagement)
40
Development
Play with the simulator. Increase and decrease the temperature. Change the substance. If kids are wellbehaved, ask what they would like to see happen. Guide the class through page 19 as you use the
simulator. Make sure that everyone is writing down observations as you go!
Give students a couple minutes to complete page 19, then go over the bold-faced questions as a class.
I need pencils down and all eyes on me while I explain our next experiment.
We are going to test what our simulator just told us. Does temperature really depend on the average
speed of the particles in a substance?
I am going to give each group a jar of sand and a thermometer. Very carefully, like true scientists, each
group needs to record the starting temperature of their sand. You can record that temperature on page
Closure
Return to the main objective of the lesson: Temperature depends on the average energy of the
particles. How did our results from todays experiments prove this?