TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What Is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
That heat flows from hot to cold is an unfortunate truth of life. People have put a lot of effort into stopping this fact, however all they have been able to do is slow the process. Working in groups of three to four, students will...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Efficiency
Learners measure energy outputs and inputs to determine the efficiency of conversions and simple systems. One associated activitiy includes Lego motors and accomplishing work. The other investigates energy for heating water. Students...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Heat Transfer: No Magic About It
Heat transfer is an important concept that is a part of everyday life yet often misunderstood by young scholars. In this instructional activity, students learn the scientific concepts of temperature, heat, and the transfer of heat...
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Heat, Temperature, and Conduction
Students observe, describe, and draw a model on the molecular level, showing how energy is transferred from one substance to another through conduction.
Utah State Office of Education
Utah Science: Properties and Behaviors of Heat, Light and Sound
How can scientists lump heat, light and sound together when investigating properties and behaviors? This learning module will address that question through a series of activities.
Other
Warmair.com: Insulation
The role of insulation in preventing heat loss is discussed. The concept of thermal resistance is introduced and explained. Understandable language but no graphics.
OpenSciEd
Open Sci Ed: 6.2 Thermal Energy Teacher Professional Development Overview
This four-day professional development session introduces teachers to the OpenSciEd materials generally in addition to the 6.2 Thermal Energy unit.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Using Energy Resources Wisely
Students test which type of material retains heat the longest.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Which Is the Better Insulation Material?
You've probably noticed that the price of gasoline can fluctuate a great deal from one year to the next. Using good insulation material is one way to conserve energy and save money. Learn here which insulation materials work better than...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Stop Heat From Escaping
One way to conserve energy in a building is to use adequate insulation. Insulation helps keep the hot or cool air inside or outside of a building. Inefficient heating and cooling of buildings is a leading residential and industrial...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Heat Flow to Hotter Region
Heat flow from a hot region to a cold region is described and explained. Applications of this phenomenon (specifically heat pumps and refrigerators) are discussed. Excellent graphics.
BBC
Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Energy and Heating
Energy is transmitted by conduction, convection or radiation.The conductivity of materials can be compared by examining the time taken to transmit energy through them. This lesson explains how conduction works and provides a link to a test.
Colorado State University
Csu: Heat Transfer Mechanisms
An excellent page from the Colorado State University with a heavy mathematical emphasis. Each form of heat transfer--conduction, convection, and radiation--is defined, compared, and contrasted. Mathematical equations governing the rates...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Three Bears Heat Investigation It's Just Right
This activity uses the story of the three bears as a way to investigate conduction, convection, radiation, and insulation properties. It also could be used to describe the laws of thermodynamics and conservation of energy.
Better Planet Productions
Earth Care: Where's the Heat? [Pdf]
Middle schoolers will work alongside the school caretaker to determine ways in which their school loses heat, and learn about strategies that can reduce or prevent this.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: How Much Heat Will It Hold?
Students relate thermal energy to heat capacity by comparing the heat capacities of different materials and graphing the change in temperature over time for a specific material. Students learn why heat capacity is an important property...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Using Heat From the Sun
In this activity, students will first discuss where energy comes from, including sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear, and such renewable technologies as solar. After this initial exploration, students will investigate the three main...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Heat Conduction
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Investigates what conduction is, how it works, and gives examples of conduction.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science Underwater City: What Are Good and Poor Conductors of Heat?
John and Jessi are going underwater, and they need to stay warm. Help them learn about conductors of heat so they can stay warm.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: How Much Energy Do You Save by Doubling Insulation?
Young scholars use the governing equation for steady state heat transfer across a surface to explore the effect of changing the insulation value on the amount of energy used.
Colorado State University
Colorado State Univ.: Heat Transfer Resistance Modeling
This site from the Colorado State University discusses the tranfer of heat by conduction and convection. Discussion centers around the application of these two heat transfer mechanisms to engines. The variables that effect the resistance...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Heat Conduction
Using understandable words and exceptional graphics, this page describes the transfer of energy by means of conduction. Contains several links to related topics.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Passing the Heat Along
This lesson plan explores the way heat passes--transfers--through various conductors.
Other
Mister teacher.com: Thermal Energy
An explanation, supported by pictures and animation, of how thermal energy transfers between objects.