Curated OER
Heat Transfer
Eighth graders form teams. Students place a thermometer in ball of clay and place in an insulated cup filled with hot water and then another thermometer in a ball of clay in an insulated cup of cold water. Students record temperature...
Curated OER
Insulation-Black and White
Eighth graders construct 2 different model homes out of manila folders in order to examine how heat is transferred by means of radiation and convection. Activity allows students to interpret how different colors or material affect the...
Curated OER
Measuring Wind Speed
Fourth graders measure wind speed over a week's time uisng a ping pong and a protractor and graph the results. They convert the number of degrees to miles per hour using a scale. They discuss patterns and relationships.
Curated OER
How Hot Is It?
Sixth graders use paper cups, black and white lining, thermometers and plastic wrap to conduct an experiment that measures the energy-collecting capacity of various colors. They graph the results.
Curated OER
What's it Like Inside the Sun?
Students perform experiment in which they model convection as it occurs in our Sun. They also explain that convection acts where the effect of gravity and heat are present (low density fluids can rise and cool, and high density fluids...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Heat and Thermodynamics
Georgia State University Physics Department privides an incredibly thorough treatment of the laws of thermodynamics. Multiple pages; many informative graphics; opportunities to practice problems and receive immediate feedback.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Transferring Heat by Convection in a Tank
In this engineering science fair project, students will determine the most effective method for quickly raising the temperature of a liquid in a tank. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract,...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Huddle and Cuddle: How Puppies Keep Warm
In this mammalian biology science fair project, students will determine how much huddling reduces heat loss in warm-blooded animals. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: What's the Fastest Way to Cool a Soda?
When you are craving an ice cold drink of soda, the last thing you want is to be stuck with a bunch of soda cans at room temperature. This fun science experiment sends you on a discovery to find the fastest way to cool soda with...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Ocean Currents: Modeling 'Global Conveyor Belt' in Your Kitchen
Ocean currents have a profound effect on the climates of the continents, especially those regions bordering on the ocean. The Gulf Stream makes northwest Europe much more temperate than any other region at the same latitude, and the...
European Space Agency
European Space Agency: Impress: Heat Transfer
Learn about the transfer of thermal energy through concise information, and illustrated animations. Contains descriptions of conduction, convection, and radiation.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Let's Get Breezy!
Students apply an understanding of the concept of heat transfer through convection, conduction, and radiation as they use wireless temperature probes to investigate the heating capacity of different materials under heat lamps.
Wisc-Online
Wisc Online: Heat Transfer
Provided here is an extremely useful learning module that helps students explore three major methods of heat transfer. It also provides them with practice identifying each one.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Thermodynamics
In this interactive unit on thermodynamics, you'll learn why heat flows the way it does and how that flow of thermal energy can be put to good use in your daily life.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Heat Transfer Methods
In this section of the textbook, learn about the methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Book can be downloaded.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Convection
In this section of a college textbook, the topic of convection is explored. Understand how the process of convection transfers heat. Also learn how to calculate the rate of heat transfer by convection. Section also includes problems and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Turning the Air Upside Down
Students develop their understanding of air convection currents and temperature inversions by constructing and observing simple models.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: You're in Hot Water
To explore different ways of using solar energy, students build a model solar water heater and determine how much it can heat water in a given amount of time. Solar water heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Cooking With the Sun
Students learn about using renewable energy from the Sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. They explore the concepts of insulation, reflection, absorption, conduction and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar Water Heater
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. This thermal energy is next transferred to water (to be...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Cooking With the Sun Creating a Solar Oven
For this activity, students will be given a set of materials: cardboard, a set of insulating materials (i.e. foam, newspaper, etc.), aluminum foil, and Plexiglas. Students will then become engineers in building a solar oven from the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Keep It Hot!
Student teams design insulated beverage bottles in this challenge, and test them to determine which materials work best at insulating hot water to keep it warm for as long as possible.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Insulation Materials Investigation
Students test the insulation properties of different materials by timing how long it takes ice cubes to melt in the presence of various insulating materials. Students learn about the role that thermal insulation materials can play in...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: To Heat or Not to Heat?
Students are introduced to various types of energy with a focus on thermal energy and types of heat transfer as they are challenged to design a better travel thermos that is cost efficient, aesthetically pleasing and meets the design...