Save the Penguins STEM Teaching Kit

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Career and Technical Education
Science

Grade(s)

7, 8

Overview

In this series of 5 lessons which map to several 8th-grade science and CTE standards, students first build up a background knowledge of thermal energy transfer, distinguishing heat from temperature, through demonstrations and discrepant events. They then investigate the properties of various materials and their ability to prevent heat transfer through radiation, conduction, or convection. They use this background learning to design a structure (igloo) to keep an ice cube (penguin) from melting in the heat from incandescent bulbs. The emphasis of the investigation is the engineering design process, where the class discusses the results of students’ tests of their designs, and groups have an opportunity to redesign their solutions. 

Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.4

Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

UP:SC15.8.4

Vocabulary

  • Particle motion
  • Temperature
  • State [of Matter]
  • Pure substance
  • Thermal Energy
  • Kinetic Energy
  • System

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Changes in particle motion of a pure substance occur when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.
  • Changes in temperature of a pure substance occur when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.
  • Changes in state of a pure substance occur when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the phenomena under investigation, which includes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.
  • Identify the purpose of the investigation, which includes determining changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.
  • Develop a plan for the investigation individually or collaboratively.
  • Describe factors used in the investigation including appropriate units (if necessary), independent and dependent variables, controls and number of trials for each experimental condition.
  • Perform the investigation as prescribed by the plan.
  • Use data from the investigation to provide an causal account of the relationship between the addition of removal of thermal energy from a substance and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Adding or removing thermal energy from a system causes changes in particle motion of a pure substance.
  • Adding or removing thermal energy from a system causes changes in temperature of a pure substance.
  • Adding or removing thermal energy from a system causes changes in state of a pure substance.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Planning and Carrying out Investigations

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models
Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.15

Analyze and interpret data from experiments to determine how various factors affect energy transfer as measured by temperature (e.g., comparing final water temperatures after different masses of ice melt in the same volume of water with the same initial temperature, observing the temperature change of samples of different materials with the same mass and the same material with different masses when adding a specific amount of energy).

UP:SC15.8.15

Vocabulary

  • Factors
  • Matter
  • State of matter
  • Energy transfer
  • Temperature
  • Mass
  • Volume
  • Environment
  • Kinetic energy

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Various factors affect the transfer of energy.
  • The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
  • The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a sample of matter by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment.
  • Temperature is related to the average kinetic energy of particles of matter.
  • Temperature, when measured in Kelvin, is directly proportional to average kinetic energy.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Organize given data to allow for analysis and interpretation to determine how various factors affect energy transfer.
  • Analyze the data to identify possible causal relationships between various factors and energy transfer.
  • Interpret patterns observed from the data to provide causal accounts for events and make predictions for events by constructing explanations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
  • Various factors, such as the state of matter, the amounts of matter present, and the environment, affect the amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a sample of matter. A measure of temperature can indicate the amount of energy transfer.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter
CTE20.ST1.12
CTE20.ST1.14

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

Christine G. Schnittka

License Type

Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
https://webhome.auburn.edu/~cgs0013/ETK/SaveThePenguinsETK.pdf

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings

Comments or Notes

The resource was developed through a grant from the National Science Foundation and has been used in classrooms across the country. It is a vetted NSTA resource here: https://ngss.nsta.org/Resource.aspx?ResourceID=482.

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

Christine Schnittka
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