Why do some items feel colder when they are the same temperature? How should you keep your soda cold? What makes the wind blow? These are just some of the things middle schoolers discover when completing a instructional activity on conduction and convection. Using a 5-E model, young scientists will complete an experiment and a worksheet.

Concepts

conduction, convection

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Designed for lab groups of 4, but could be adjusted to groups with 2-3 members as well
• Extend the lesson by testing the storage items individuals use for their lunches, or the items used in the cafeteria or kitchen at school

Classroom Considerations

• Ideally a two-day activity
• Requires previous knowledge of heat transfer and wind generation
• Items need to be prepared before the experiment, such as colored ice with paperclips inside
• Specific equipment needed may not be in every classroom

 

Pros

• Hands-on experiment is memorable for your class
• Addresses common practical misconceptions
• Daily life applications

Cons

• Lab worksheet includes "Mr. Merrill" as the teacher
• Answer key not provided for lab sheet or assessment

Common Core

RST.6-8.3