PBS
Thermal Energy 101: Heat Transfer | UNC-TV Science
Discover what makes a cup of tea feel hot one minute and cold the next. Young physicists learn about thermal energy, why substances feel hot or cold, and the three means of thermal energy transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation...
Science Matters
Thermal Energy Flow in Materials
The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth lesson in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal energy. Scholars build...
Curated OER
Keeping Warm: Science Review Game
Test the class on what they know about thermal conduction, insulation, and heat. This interactive game provides 15 questions related to the science of temperature, heat, and cold. Keep your class warm with a fun review game!
Curated OER
Thermal Energy
Explore thermal energy with your class with this introductory presentation. While there is information about heat, conduction, temperature and other topics, further information could be added to make it a richer experience.
Curated OER
More on Conduction and Convection
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 lesson on conduction and...
Virginia Department of Education
Heat and Thermal Energy Transfer
How does radiation affect our daily lives? Answer that question and others with a lesson that discusses radiation and its use in thermal energy transfer through electromagnetic waves. Pupils investigate vaporization and evaporation while...
Curated OER
Transferring Thermal Energy
Multiple examples of heat transfer through different materials are shown. The information will reinforce concepts of particle energy change and movement at a early, secondary level.
Curated OER
How Hot Is It?
Discuss the difference between conduction, convection and radiation of thermal energy, and complete activities with your class by investigating the difference between temperature, thermal energy and the heat capacity of different materials.
Curated OER
The Mathematics of Convection: Nature's Model for Energy Production
High schoolers conduct a series of experiments to investigate density, buoyancy and climate. In this math lesson, pupils design and build a hot air balloon to demonstrate convection. They research and write a paper about solar chimneys.
Curated OER
Thermal Expansion
Students examine how thermal expansion of water can affect sea level. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates what happens to water levels when exposed to heat, record the results on a data sheet, and discuss the results.
Curated OER
Conduction, Convection and Radiation
Sixth graders listen to descriptions of types of heat to gain background knowledge In this heat lesson, 6th graders perform experiments to understand various types of heat transfer (convection, conduction and radiation.) Students assess...
Curated OER
Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
More than a week's worth of investigation is provided in this source. Physical science stars experiment to describe specific heat, conduction, convection, and radiation. They also discover the relationship between mechanical and thermal...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Heat
Raise the temperature in your class with this hot film! Cartoon teens discuss thermal energy, the conservation and transfer of energy, three methods of heat transfer, conductors, and insulators. The publisher effectively packed every...
American Chemical Society
Matter on the Move
Start this mini unit on matter out by demonstrating how food coloring behaves when placed in cold and in hot water. Then have the class experiment with warm water and soap film. Pupils will learn that an increase in thermal energy also...
Curated OER
Gas Pressure, Volume, and Temperature
Physical science learners conduct a simple experiment using the heat of their hands to affect the fluid pressure. They place a balloon atop a freezing cold bottle and observe what occurs as it warms up. Both activities demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Cool and Not-So-Cool Materials
Why do some materials feel cool to the touch, but not others? Learn about thermal conductors and thermal insulators with a fun science experiment. First, kids read the results of an experiment with spoons and hot water. They then try...
Curated OER
The Great Heat Escape
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer. In this thermal conductivity lesson plan, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances. Lesson...
Mr. E. Science
Thermal Energy and Heat
The presentation covers Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales for temperature as well as conduction, convection, and radiation.
Curated OER
Heat and Conduction
This simple activity is ideal for upper elementary learners when studying physical science. Using their sense of touch to describe how hot something feels, and then comparing their observations to thermometer measurements, they discover...
Curated OER
Melting the Ice: Energy Transfer
Students study thermal energy and energy transfer to sea ice processes. For this energy transfer lesson, students make their own ice cream and discuss energy transfer and thermal energy. Students view a radiation overhead and its role in...
Curated OER
Temperature
Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...
Curated OER
IPC Textbook Guided Reading-Chapter 27-Heat
In this heat instructional activity, students answer 21 short answer questions about heat transfer through conduction and convection, thermal conduction and conductors.
Curated OER
Heat Transfer
Answer short answers and fill-in-the-blank questions after reading a briefing of how heat energy is transferred between objects. This straightforward learning exercise can be useful as homework the evening before you do demonstrations of...
Curated OER
Heat: The Transfer of Thermal Energy
In this heat worksheet, students complete experiments with heat and answer short answer questions about the transfer of thermal energy. Students complete 4 questions, one chart, and one bar graph.