Students learn about glass and how it is made, and how this affects it use, especially as related to technology. In an associated activity, students investigate butter and compare it to glass.

In this activity, students observe a demonstration of the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer, explore the properties of snow, and design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances.

In this student-centered learning model, students work collaboratively in small teams to design a heat- and water-conserving "green roof" of plant material for an urban apartment building. This is a multimedia project involving web and library research, hand drawings, creation of exhibit boards with text, photos and data graphics, and a final presentation of findings.

Students discover the properties of light (radiant) energy from the sun by experimenting with soalr collectors, cookers, and calculators.

In this lesson, students apply the concepts of conduction, convection and radiation as they work in teams to solve two challenges. One problem requires that they maintain the warm temperature of one soda can filled with water at approximately human body temperature, and the other problem is to cause an identical soda can of warm water to cool as much as possible during the same 30-minute time period. Students design their engineering solutions using only common everyday materials, and test their devices by recording the water temperatures in their two soda cans every five minutes.

In this lesson, students test a variety of insulators and relate their knowledge to energy conservation. With teacher guidance, students design their own investigation. After all experiments are completed, the class looks across the data and draws evidence-based conclusions.

Assess students' understanding of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, background research, scientific procedures (including investigation design, measurement techniques, and error analysis), data collection, data display, scientific questions, formulating an hypothesis. Students will design and carry out an investigation to test which material is the best insulator; they will predict which way heat energy will flow in a system and analyze the flow of energy in a system from one point to another and from one form to another.

While investigating heat transfer by conduction, students will make decisions about appropriate approaches and methods for gathering specific information.

In this activity, students explore insulation and heat transfer by designing and testing a soda insulator.

In this lesson, students investigate the conductivity of various materials. Explorations lead to a beginning understanding of uses and safety concerns associated with conductors and insulators.

This lesson demonstrates that the source of energy to run small motors can be the sun or chemical energy stored in a battery.

In this lesson, students discover that heat is conducted through different materials at different rates by performing a simple experiment. They begin to consider how knowledge of heat transfers can be used to safely and efficiently utilize heat transfers in everyday situations.

In this lesson, students investigate the insulating properties of variety of materials. Using their knowledge of heat transfers, students design an insulated water bottle.

In this lesson, students idenitfy sources of unwanted heat transfer within their school and homes and make suggestions as to how these types of transfers can be slowed. Students further investigate how buildings are heated.

Students will work collaboratively to explore absorption and reflection through the construction of a solar water heater.

This is the educator's guide for a set of activities that teach students about humans' endeavors to return to the moon. The emphasis is for students to understand that engineers must "imagine and plan" before they begin to build and experiment. Each activity features objectives, a list of materials, educator information, procedures, and student worksheets. Students should work in teams to complete the activities. Note: Activities do not align to all objectives that are listed; specific activities align to specific objectives.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team and is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science.

This STEM Teaching Kit (STK) is designed to help middle grades students with science concepts related to heat and energy as well as teach them the basics of engineering design. They also come away with a sense of how engineers are people who design solutions to problems. The students’ goal is to design and build a shelter for an ice cube-shaped penguin that reduces heat transfer and keeps the ice from melting.