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Thermal Energy -- Third Grade Digital Kit Written By Rachael Freed

He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight

into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the

waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the

land-- the LORD is his name. (Amos 5:8)

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Goals of the British Columbia Education Plan

Our curriculum team is excited to bring you a summarized version of the new BCEd

plan core goals (competencies), strategies and content. As we develop the kits we will

be personalizing the content to suit your students’ need and interests. Big ideas and

concepts will be the focus as well as curricular threads, inquiry learning (discovering

how to ask the right questions based on who, how and why things occur, as opposed to

what things occur), technology integration, and collaboration. First Peoples content will

include the natural history/culture of our province and encourage our God given

diversity. The kits are designed to help you gain a greater understanding of the

following:

Biblical Worldview:

We believe that every child in our school needs to hear the voice of God interwoven into

their entire curriculum. Therefore we will be striving to make sure that this goal is an

overarching strategy.

Communication Competency:

Involves imparting and exchanging information, experiences and ideas, to explore the

world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital

media.

Thinking Competency:

Encompasses the knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual

development. It is through their competency as thinkers that students take subject-

specific concepts (ideas that interest them) and content, (topics that need to be covered

to increase knowledge, and transform them into a new understanding to increase

knowledge), and transform them into a new understanding. This includes specific

thinking skills as well as how students are allowed to learn, make mistakes and grow

from failure. Encompassed in this thinking is the ability to feel safe and comfortable so

that students can explore their surroundings.

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Creative Thinking Competency:

Involves the ability to generate new ideas and concepts that have value to the individual

or others, and then develop these ideas and concepts from thought to reality. It requires

a curiosity and a wondering reflection about God’s creation, with a desire to make

something new and different from what they have read, seen or observed.

Critical Thinking Competency:

Encompasses a set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking and that

of others, and process information they receive through observation, experience, and

various forms of communication.

Social Responsibility:

Involves the ability and disposition to consider the interdependence of people with each

other and the natural environment; to contribute positively to one’s family, community,

society, and the environment; to resolve problems peacefully; to empathize with others

and appreciate their perspectives; and to create and maintain healthy relationships.

Personal and Social Competency:

Is the set of abilities that relate to students' identity in the world, both as individuals and

as members of their community and society.

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Learning Strategies

In response to the goals set out by the BC Ministry of Education, HCOS has made it a

priority to make use of the following learning strategies throughout our unit studies and

courses.

Biblical Worldview: Biblical worldview refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs

through which a Christian individual, group or culture interprets the world and interacts

with it. Individuals with a biblical worldview believe their primary reason for existence is

to love and serve God. A Biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God.

When you believe the Bible is true, then you allow it to be the foundation of your life. We

believe that every student at HCOS needs to develop a worldview based on their

Biblical thinking and beliefs.

Inquiry-Based Learning/Mindset: Students with an inquiry mindset have a God-given

curiosity; a desire to dream big, constantly challenge themselves, and a desire to

research more for increased understanding and clarity. Students who actively inquire

will scan their environments, generate good questions, try new approaches, observe

and collect evidence, synthesize the information, draw conclusions, and generate new

questions from their research.

Maker Education: The Maker Education Initiative’s mission is to create more

opportunities for all young people to develop confidence, creativity, and interest in

science, technology, engineering, math, art, and learning as a whole through making.

This may be through STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

The “maker mindset” includes learning to use your imagination to make connections,

use intuition, persist through difficult circumstances in learning, collaborate with other

team members and community, and become disciplined learners. Maker education

often involves an interdisciplinary approach, teaching science, math and art together.

Here is an example. To learn more go to this page.

First Peoples Content: First Peoples content has been interwoven into every grade in

the new BCEd plan. Aboriginal content is for all learners of all ages, and includes a

healthy diversity of approaches. From learning about cultural traditions and schooling

injustice, creative ways of storytelling, and good stewardship of land and resources, we

can gather rich learning from the traditions of the people groups indigenous to BC. As

Christians we can draw many similarities from their holistic thinking, and share how our

beliefs and traditions might be similar or different.

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HCOS Subscriptions

HCOS families have access to a wide variety of wonderful subscriptions which can be

used to enhance student learning. Several of these subscriptions are used throughout

the unit. Each year, a document containing the usernames and passwords for each

subscription is sent to families. If you have not received this document please contact

your child’s teacher.

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Big Ideas “Big ideas are statements that are central to one’s understanding in an area of learning.

A big idea is broad and abstract.” (CT) Big ideas represent the overarching theme of

each unit. They contain references to the content and key questions students will be

investigating throughout the unit. Big ideas are often cross-curricular in nature. Similar

themes can be found in many different subject areas within each grade-level.

Science Thermal energy can be produced and transferred.

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Curricular Competencies

“Competency represents the combined skills, processes, behaviours and habits of mind

that learners use to make sense of the world.” (CT)

Science Questioning and Predicting: Cause and effect

Demonstrate curiosity about the Natural World

Observe objects and events in familiar contexts

Identify questions about familiar objects and events that can be investigated

scientifically

Make predictions based on prior knowledge

Consider ethical responsibilities when deciding how to conduct an experiment

Safely use appropriate tools to make observations and measurements, using formal

measurements and digital technology as appropriate

Make observations about living and non-living things in the local environment

Collect simple data

Experience and interpret the local environment

Sort and classify data and information using drawings or provided tables

Use tables, simple bar graphs, or other formats to represent data and show simple

patterns and trends

Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings

Make simple inferences based on their results and prior knowledge

Reflect on whether an investigation was a fair test

Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence

Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions

Contribute to care for self, others, school, and neighbourhood through personal or

collaborative approaches

Co-operatively design projects

Transfer and apply learning to new situations

Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways, such as diagrams

and simple reports, using digital technologies as appropriate

Express and reflect on personal or shared experiences of place

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Content and Key Questions

Content refers to the topics that will be investigated throughout the unit. The key

questions serve as a guide as you and your child explore the content. Throughout this

unit the key questions will be the starting point for learning.

Science

Content: Sources of Thermal Energy

Elaborations: Thermal energy can be produced by chemical reactions (e.g. hand

warmers), friction between moving objects and the sun.

Content: Transfer of Thermal Energy

Elaborations: Conduction - touching: i.e. holding an ice cube, Convection - current: i.e.

why do we hold mittens over a heat source, Radiation - through space by a wave: i.e.

Heat from the sun, Thermal Energy Transfer - the cause of weather.

Key Question: What are the sources of thermal energy?

Key Question: How is thermal energy transferred between objects?

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How to Use This Kit

The Ministry of Education is in the final stages of overhauling curriculum, learning

strategies, and learning goals for students in the Province of British Columbia. This kit is

designed with those goals in mind. On the next several pages you will discover the

content that serves as the “bulk” of this kit. Rather than being divided by day, the unit

plan uses the key questions detailed on page 8 to breakdown content, activities, and

experiences.

Each key question will have books to read from the HCS Overdrive E-Library, (if you do

not have your client code & pin, please contact Shandra Wiebe at

swiebe@onlineschool.ca), videos to watch, and activities to share with your child. You

will not be required to complete all activities listed under each key question, instead, you

will be able to choose activities which most appeal to you and your child. Each key

question featured in the unit will include recommendations on how many activities to

complete in order to fully address the curriculum content and competencies. Finally,

each activity will have icons (shown on pages 2 and 3) showing which goals of the

BCEd Plan the activity addresses.

***You are encouraged to choose varied activities to ensure all goals are being

addressed. In order to fully meet the goals of this kit, it is important to read 6 or

more of the recommended books, and watch 10-16 videos.***

Reading and discussing/watching and discussing the books and videos listed in this unit

will consistently address the following goals of the BCEd Plan:

It is our hope that our redesigned format will allow for flexibility, individual preference,

and student-centered learning. When selecting activities to complete with your child we

recommend selecting a variety of activities to ensure that you touch on each BCEd Plan

goal throughout the unit. Most activities are designed to address multiple goals.

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Unit Guide

What are the sources of thermal energy?

Books to Read and Talk About, (The following books are from the HCS Overdrive

e-library, if the links do not open, login and type of the name of the book in the

search bar):

Energy, Heat, Light and Fuel by Darlene R. Stille

Things to think about: What is energy? What forms of energy do you know of? How

do we use energy? What are items in your home that use energy? What kind of energy

do they use? What is heat? How do you produce heat? What on earth produces heat?

What else in our galaxy produces heat? Why do we need heat? How do we use heat?

What is thermal energy? How do we use thermal energy? Where does thermal energy

come from? How do you use thermal energy in your daily life? What questions do you

have about energy? How could you find the answers to your questions? (Consider

visiting World Book Kids or Explora to learn more about energy). Who created the sun?

Where in the Bible does it tell about creation?

Power Up: A Visual Exploration of Energy by Doug Sylvester

Things to think about: What is energy? What forms of energy do you know of? How

do we use energy? What are items in your home that use energy? What kind of energy

do they use? How does your community use energy? How do other people in our world

use energy? What systems harness energy? How do people use thermal energy? What

are the sources of thermal energy? Why is thermal energy important? What questions

do you have about energy? How could you find the answers to your questions?

(Consider visiting World Book Kids or Explora to learn more about energy).

Curious George Discovers the Sun by H.A. Rey

Things to think about: What do you know about the sun? What kind of energy does

the sun produce? Can you transform the sun’s radiant energy into thermal energy? How

is the energy from the sun important to life on earth? What would happen to life on earth

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if we did not have the sun? What are planets like that are further away from the sun?

How did God place earth in the perfect position for life to survive?

Janice VanCleave’s Energy for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave

How to use this book: This wonderful book contains many different fun and exciting

energy-based experiments to try. Consider using this book to complement your study of

thermal energy throughout this unit.

Energy Around Us by Doug Sylvester

How to use this book: This unit features activities and printables. Consider using some

of the printable pages and activities to enhance your study of thermal energy.

Videos to Watch and Talk About:

Getting to Know: Energy (Discovery Education)

Heat, Temperature, and Energy (Discovery Education)

Exploring Energy and Heat (Discovery Education)

Solar Cogeneration: A More Efficient Form of Solar Power (Discovery Education)

TEAMS: Weather Heating the Earth (Discovery Education)

Forms of Energy (Discovery Education)

Geysers (Learn 360)

Volcano (Learn 360)

Cari and the Volcano: Iceland: World of Wonders III (Learn 360)

Hawaii: Volcano National Park (Learn 360)

Activities (Select 3-6):

Blogging: Read The Bay School Blogger by Nan Walker from the HCS Overdrive E-

Library together. Talk about blogging, what is a blog? Who writes blogs? What sort of

information do you share on a blog? After reading the book together, visit this article

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learn how to create a learning blog for your child. Blogging allows students to publish

writing, post pictures of completed projects, and share information with family, friends,

and teachers in a protected environment. Using a blog can be a wonderful means of

creating a digital portfolio that your child can use throughout their grade-school years.

Initially, your child will need assistance with learning how to use the site and share

information. In time, your child will be able to post their work on their blog without

assistance.

Look-Inside Volcano Project: What do you know about volcanoes? What causes

volcanoes? Where are volcanoes located? What do they look like? Do all volcanoes

look the same? What happens when a volcano erupts? Are they all the same size?

What sort of energy do volcanoes emit? What are underwater volcanoes like? What

other questions do you have about volcanoes? How can you find the answers to these

questions, and the other questions you may have? Watch Volcano from Learn 360.

Then, read more about volcanoes from World Book Kids and/or Explora. Once you have

learned about volcanoes create a look-inside volcano.

For this project you will need a small water bottle, 3" of clear tubing with 7/8" outer

diameter (fits perfectly inside opening of water bottle), 4 feet of smaller clear tubing (we

used 5/16" outer diameter and 3/16" inner diameter, but actual dimensions are not

critical), brown play dough (use 4 times this recipe with about 1/4 cup of instant coffee

replacing the 15 drops of food coloring. This made about 8 cups of dough.), tray to hold

volcano, (we used clear glass pie dish), empty ketchup dispenser with skinny nozzle,

baking soda, vinegar, red food colouring, scissors, single hole punch, funnel, measuring

cup, clear sheet of thin plastic (the blogger suggests using a thermal laminated pouch,

laminated with nothing inside), a sharpie or other marker, dish soap, and a chopstick.

Photos of the instructions here, instructions from 123 Homeschool 4 Me.

Step One: “Insert the smaller tubes into your water bottle. You want to end up with

two 6" tubes directly across from each other on the left and right of the bottle (the

secondary vents) and one long 3 foot tube between them at the back (playdough side)

of the bottle (the tube for inserting vinegar). To insert these tubes, first trace around the

tube at these 3 locations near the opening of the water bottle. Then use the single hole

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punch to cut out the interior of your drawn circles. You may need to punch 3 or 4 times

for each hole. Then insert the tubes as shown.”

Step Two: “Next, cover half of the magma chamber (water bottle), secondary

vents, and vinegar tube with brown play dough. Add the 3" larger tube to the

opening of the water bottle to form the central vent or throat of the volcano and cover

that with brown play dough as well, as shown. Make sure you form a crater near the top.

When you are done, you can cut off the excess length of the secondary vents. (Note:

While you are doing this, you may want to skip ahead to Step 4 and fill your water bottle

with "magma".”

Step Three: “Next use your marker to mark the edges of your crater on a thin

piece of clear plastic. Use your lines as a guide to cut out a small piece of plastic

which will contain the escaping lava and force it to go down the volcano side and not the

cutaway side of your model. Attach the plastic to the volcano using playdough.”

Step Four: Create magma! “Using the funnel, I added 1/4 cup of water with 20 drops of

red food coloring. To that, I added about 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water bottle. The

baking soda quickly settled to the bottom of the bottle. You could likely try using less

water and a chopstick to stir up the mixture in order to make it look like more uniform

"magma," but I just left it as is.”

Step Five: “To make the vinegar solution, simply fill your ketchup bottle most of

the way with vinegar and add some red food coloring. You could also add a little

dish soap to make the lava foamier. I used about 20 drops of food coloring and a

tablespoon of dish soap.”

Step Six: Now you are ready to start your volcanic eruption! “Our "lava" was fully

contained, but unless you're braver than me, I might recommend taking your volcano

outside. To start the lava flow, simply insert your ketchup bottle tip into the long tube

and squeeze the vinegar into volcano.” Did it work? What happened? Record your

observations and share on your blog (see above – Blogging).

Geyser Experiment: What is a geyser? Have you heard of the geyser “Old Faithful”?

Read about geysers and “Old Faithful” from World Book Kids. Then, conduct this simple

experiment to create your own geyser. For this experiment you will need a pot of water,

a funnel and some tin foil. Fill the pot full of water and place the funnel in the pot upside

down (you may prefer to use a metal funnel) with the tube/spout part sticking up out of

the water. Cover the pot with the tin foil, making a hole for the spout of the funnel to be

open and release steam. Turn the pot on high and let it boil. Once it starts boiling,

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steam will escape and then the water will spout out of the tube just like a geyser! Be

sure to stand at a safe distance. This experiment requires adult support!

Volcano Art: Have fun conducting a science experiment and creating art at the same

time! For this project you will need canvas or good quality art paper, baking soda, water,

vinegar, and food colouring. Use a small amount of water to create baking soda paste,

paint a layer of baking soda paste on your paper or canvas. Then, add drops of food

colouring. Finally, spray with vinegar and see what happens! Brush off the remaining

baking soda once the picture is dry. To see an example, look here.

Thermal Reaction Glow Stick Experiment: (Safety: this experiment uses hot water,

adult support will be needed. Avoid getting chemicals from the inside of the glow stick

on skin, eyes, or clothing).

For this experiment you will need hot water (electric kettle hot), 2 cups, water with ice,

paper towels, and a camera or paper for documenting your experiment.

Take two cups and 2-3 glow sticks of the same colour. What do you know about glow

sticks? How do they work? What do you notice about the liquid inside of the glowstick?

Bend the glowstick to break the ampule inside.

Pour very hot water (close to boiling) into one cup and the ice water into the second

cup. Place one stick in the hot water and one in the cold water. Turn off the lights to

observe. What do you see? How do the glow sticks react to the two different water

temperatures? What happens if you switch the sticks from the two cups? Do different

coloured glow sticks react differently? How long will a glow stick stay lit in a freezer? In

hot water? What other ways could you experiment with the glow sticks? How and why

does this experiment work?

“Light sticks are examples of luminescence and fluorescence. The chemical

reaction that starts when you break the glass ampule in the lightstick releases enough

energy to cause the electrons in the fluorescent dye to get excited. Immediately these

electrons drop back down to their normal state and give off energy in the form of light. In

this experiment you are using the thermal energy of the hot and cold water to change

how quickly the reaction happens.” Visit here to see photographs of the experiment.

Elephant Toothpaste: Exothermic Reaction: Follow the instructions from Steve

Spangler Science to create an impressive exothermic chemical reaction--elephant

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toothpaste! 12% hydrogen peroxide is available at some hairdressing supply stores,

however, if you cannot find 12% hydrogen peroxide, regular drug store hydrogen

peroxide will work, just use a smaller bottle to ensure the reaction is equally impressive.

Regular hydrogen peroxide is also safer. (Exothermic means a chemical reaction that

includes or produces heat.)

Technology Time: Play the Energy Hog Busters game.

Technology Time: Explore Energy Kids and learn fascinating and fun facts about

energy.

Ivory Soap Thermal Reaction: Conduct this simple and fun experiment using a bar of

Ivory soap (it must be Ivory soap), and your microwave. Take half a bar of soap and

place it on a microwave safe plate. Set the microwave for 1 minute, check your soap to

see how poofed it is, and set it for another minute if necessary. Let your soap cool for a

few minutes and then have fun playing with it! For pictures and more information visit

Steve Spangler Science.

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How is thermal energy transferred between objects?

Books to Read and Talk About:

Hot and Cold by Julie Murray

Things to think about: What are the differences between hot and cold? How can you

take something that is hot and make it cold? How can you take something that is cold

and make it hot? In what situations is cold important? In what situations is heat

important? What happens to molecules when they are hot? What happens to molecules

when they are cold? How can you create heat? How can you create cold? How do

people use the cold? How do people use heat? What are sources of heat in your home?

What are sources of cold in your home?

Friction by Patty Whitehouse

Things to think about: What is friction? How can friction be helpful? What are

situations in which friction is not helpful? How can you experiment with friction? How

does friction create heat? What happens when you rub your hands together quickly?

What happens when you rub two objects together quickly? Have you ever seen

someone try to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together?

Geothermal Energy by Tamra B. Orr

Things to think about: What is energy? What forms of energy do you know of? How

do we use energy? What is geothermal energy? How could geothermal energy be

used? Why is geothermal energy a good source of energy? What causes water inside

the earth to be heated? Have you ever visited a hot spring?

STEM: Grade 3 by Elise Craver

How to use thing book: This fantastic resource has a variety of STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math) experiments and projects. For this unit, use the

Melting Master experiment on page 11-12. A rubric for marking your child’s project is

available on page 4 of the book.

Videos to Watch and Talk About:

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Energetic Energy: Science & Me (Learn 360)

Heat and Energy (Learn 360)

Exploring Energy (Learn 360)

Exploring Energy and Heat (Learn 360)

Science Investigations: Investigating Motion, Forces, and Energy (Discovery Education)

Boiling Earth: Fierce Earth (Learn 360)

Activities (Select 3-6) :

Solar Balloons Experiment: The sun provides us with a lot of energy in the form of

heat. See the power of solar energy by conducting this simple experiment. You will

need two large, empty pop bottles, two balloons, and black and white paint. Paint both

bottles, one with the white paint and one with the black paint--you may need more than

one coat of paint. Then, attach a balloon to the top of each bottle so that it covers the

entire mouth of the bottle and stretches down below the ridges where the cap screws

on. Place your bottles outside in direct sunlight. What happens? Consider the following

questions:

● Did one bottle get warmer inside? Why?

● What did the air inside the black bottle do?

● Why does the balloon on the black bottle get bigger?

● After conducting this experiment, what do you think happens when you wear

black clothes in the summer?

● Could you use this method to heat your house? How?

Conduction, Convection, and Radiation: Popcorn Lesson (Three Methods of

Heating): Conduction, convection, and radiation are three ways of heating the

atmosphere (and everything within the atmosphere). It can be tricky to remember the

differences between the three forms of heating. Experiment with conduction,

convection, and radiation by making popcorn!

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● 1. Put oil in the bottom of a pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with popcorn

kernels. Place the pan on the stove and turn on the burner to medium heat.

Cover the pan with a lid. Periodically shake the pan so the kernels move around

in the oil. (Conduction: The heat is transferred by direct contact from the

pan, to the oil, to the kernels of popcorn.)

● 2. Obtain a popcorn popper. Place the popcorn kernels in the popper. Plug

in/turn on the popper. Hot air will transfer heat to the kernels, making them

expand and pop. (Convection: The hot air transfers the heat to the cooler

kernels, and when enough hot air heats the kernels, they pop.)

● 3. Microwave a bag of microwave popcorn. Each of these methods of cooking

popcorn is really an example of the three ways heat can be transferred.

(Radiation: The kernels are heated by the radiation in the microwave, and

the kernels heat up, giving off more heat to the kernels surrounding it and

making it “doubly warm.”)

Heat Conduction: This experiment demonstrates how water can conduct and absorb

heat. You will need a lit candle, water and balloons. Begin by blowing up a balloon. Hold

it over a lit candle, what happens (if your child is sensitive to noise, warn them that the

balloon will pop)? What happened? The lit candle weakened the balloon, melted it, and

caused it to pop. Now take another balloon and fill it halfway with water. What do you

think will happen this time? Try touching the balloon to the candle, what happens? Why

do you think the balloon isn’t popping? (The water in the balloon is absorbing the heat

from the candle--see here for photos of the experiment).

Build a Solar Oven: Cook s'mores using your own solar oven. For this exciting

experiment you will need a pizza box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, tape, scissors, a ruler,

a paper plate, and supplies for s’mores. “Cut a flap in the top of the pizza box leaving a

2″ border on the sides and front. Wrap the bottom side of the flap and the interior of the

pizza box with aluminum foil – shiny side out – and tape in place. Cover the opening

created by the flap with plastic wrap and tape into place. Place marshmallows to be

cooked on a paper plate inside the solar oven. Prop the flap open with a ruler in

position to reflect the sun into the oven. Let the sun bake the marshmallows. Depending

on the time of day, heat and other variables, it may take up to an hour. Be careful

removing food {it will be hot!} and then add crackers and chocolate for a yummy

s’more.” How does this work? According to the Museum of Science and Industry: “The

sun’s light rays are collected by the foil flap and concentrated inside the box. The rays

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are transformed into thermal energy that slowly raises the temperature inside the box,

causing the food to cook.”

Solar Cooker with BrainPop Jr.: Watch Heat from BrainPop Jr. Then, follow their

instructions to create your own solar cooker.

Cook an Egg on the Sidewalk: On a hot, sunny day, try cooking an egg on the

sidewalk. If you want to up the heat factor, place tin foil between the sidewalk and the

egg.

Why Do We Need Sunscreen? An Experiment: For this interesting experiment you

will need cream sunscreen and black construction paper. Fold your construction paper

in half. Put a very small amount of sunscreen on one side of the paper and spread it

(thin and even) so it fills one full half of the paper. Place the paper outside in direct

sunlight. After five+ hours you will be able to see that the sunscreen has kept half of the

paper dark black, while the other half has faded. What happens to our skin when we are

in the sun? What harm can the sun cause? Why is the sun very important to life on

earth? How can we protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun while still

enjoying the positive effects of the sun?

Solar Motor/Solar Energy Tower: Follow the instructions from the National Research

Council of Canada to create a solar motor. For this exciting activity you will need three

tin cans, a can opener, masking tape, thumbtacks or straight pins with heads, one sheet

of white paper or aluminum foil 15cm square, scissors, wire, two bricks, wooden blocks

or stacks of books. After you conduct the experiment, consider the following questions:

● What would happen if the tower was not on the books?

● Would a paper tower work in place of cans?

● Would pinwheels made of different materials, or in different sizes spin faster?

● What if the tower was painted black?

● Could enough power be generated by the spinning pinwheel to turn a generator?

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Make a Solar Still: Water Desalination Experiment: For this fascinating experiment

you will need a glass container, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of warm water, a second

(smaller) glass container shorter than the edge of the first container when it sits inside,

one or two rocks or several glass beads, plastic wrap that will secure tightly around the

containers, and a spoon. Begin by pouring water into the larger container, add the salt

and stir. Place the smaller container in the center. Then, tightly wrap the containers in

plastic wrap. The wrap should not be touching the smaller container. Add the rocks or

glass beads to the centre of the container. Let it sit for two hours or more in the sun.

The longer it sits the more water will collect in the smaller container. Remove the plastic

wrap and taste the water in both containers. Why did this work? What has happened?

What do you observe about the containers and the materials you used to conduct the

experiment? What role did the sun/solar energy play in transforming the water? How

could desalination harm sea creatures?

Heat Energy Experiment: For this experiment you will need two clear glasses, hot

water, cold water, and food colouring. Pour hot water into one glass and cold water into

the other. Let the glasses sit untouched for 2 minutes. With a dropper, carefully place

one drop of food colouring into each glass. Do not touch or move the glasses, simply

observe what happens to the food colouring in each glass. What do you see? What

happens to the food colouring in the cold water? What happens to the food colouring in

the hot water? Why is there a difference? (Heat energy is the energy of vibrating

molecules, the faster the molecules vibrate, the hotter the water. Because the

molecules in the hot water are moving more quickly the food colouring moves about the

glass faster).

Expanding Balloon: Follow the instructions from Steve Spangler Science to use heat

to expand a balloon! If you don’t have a hot plate, you can place your bottle in a pot

filled with water.

Insulator Designer: Which insulator will keep a cup or jar of hot water hottest for the

longest amount of time? For this experiment you will need 4-5 mugs or glasses, hot

water, a thermometer, and insulating material (fabric, bubble wrap, paper, foil, anything

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else you would like to try). Wrap your glasses in the insulated material. Then, place

them on a table or counter. Have an adult pour very hot water into each glass. Use a

thermometer to take the temperature of each glass, record it on a piece of paper. Take

the temperature again at 5-10 minutes intervals. Which glass cools down first? Which

glass stays hot for the greatest length of time? Which insulator works best? Why do you

think this is? What are situations in which it is useful to have insulators?

Technology Time: Have fun exploring Energy Quest!

The Fiery Furnace: Watch the Veggie Tales episode Rack, Shack, and Benny from

RightNow Media. Discuss what happens in the story. Read the Shadrach, Meshach and

Abednego story from your favourite Bible. How is the Veggie Tales version of the story

different from the version shared in the Bible? How are they the same? What do you

know about heat energy? What are examples of heat energy in the story? How do they

make the furnace hotter? What should have happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego with that much heat? What are some other things that give off as much heat

as the furnace in the story? What does this story tell us about the power of God? Have

you ever been in a situation where you have had to stand-up for what you believed? Is it

always easy to do the right thing? Who do we need to rely on in difficult situations?

What are some other Bible stories in which we learn to trust in God? Use paint,

construction paper, tissue paper, glue, and other materials to create artwork showing

the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Share your artwork with a friend or

family member and explain to them what we can learn from the story.

Technology Time: Have fun exploring the Kids Energy Zone.

Convert Radiant Energy to Thermal Energy: (Safety Note: this experiment involves

creating fire, adult supervision is mandatory). Conduct this experiment and try

converting energy! Radiant energy is energy that is transmitted in a wave motion--

picture waves in your mind, can you use your hand to show how a wave moves? Light

is a form of energy that travels in waves--it is radiant energy. Thermal energy is energy

in the form of heat. Create thermal energy by rubbing your hands together; you are

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using friction to create heat. For this experiment you will need a pie plate or cake pan, a

small piece of white paper, a magnifying glass, and a glass of hot water. You are going

to use the magnifying glass to concentrate the radiant energy of the sun and convert it

to thermal energy. If you can heat the paper until it burns than the conversion has been

successful.

Procedure: Tear off a small piece of paper and place it in the centre of the pie plate.

You need to be in an area where you have direct sunlight. Use the magnifying glass to

focus the sunlight into a tiny circle on the paper. Once the light is focused it should not

take very long for the paper to begin to burn. Consider trying a scrap of black to see if it

burns faster or slower.

To learn more about thermal energy and thermal energy transfer visit PBS Learning

Media and launch the interactive presentation.

Conductors Versus Insulators Marshmallow Experiment: Stick mini marshmallows

on a wooden spoon, and more mini marshmallows on a metal spoon. Place both

spoons upright in a pot of boiling water. Which marshmallows melt the fastest? Why do

you think this is? Which material is a conductor? Which material is an insulator? Use

Explora to find the definitions of insulator and conductor.

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Bibliography

Almost Unschoolers. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.ca/2015/04/simple-solar-thermal-projects-for-

kids.html

Radiant Energy To Thermal Energy Experiment - Geez, Gwen! (2014). Retrieved May

10, 2016, from http://geezgwen.com/radiant-energy-to-thermal-energy-experiment/

Solar Energy ............. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

http://web.archive.org/web/20030407014939/http:/www.geocities.com/thesciencefiles/so

larenergy/page.html

Solar Oven. (2012). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/15594/solar-oven

The "Why do we need sunscreen?" Experiment - I Can Teach My Child! (2011).

Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.icanteachmychild.com/why-do-we-need-

sunscreen-experiment/

Third Grade Science-Heat Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

http://hubpages.com/education/thirdgrade

Volcano Art. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/510243832758655831/

Volcano Project - Look Inside a Volcano. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from

http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2016/03/volcano-project-look-inside-volcano.html

Yellowstone Learning~ Old Faithful Geyser Experiment - Teach Beside Me. (2014).

Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://teachbesideme.com/old-faithful-geyser-

experiment/?utm_source=feedburner