Debbie Plate
Introduction
Standards
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources
Introduction
  This page refers to Part I in a three part unit on solar energy and heat transfer. 
  The student link covers Parts I through III.
  In Part I: The Science of Cooking, students will define the three 
  methods of heat transfer. 
  In Part II: Build It, students will construct solar ovens.
  In Part III: Try It, students will conduct trials, cook snacks in 
  their ovens, and evaluate their experiments.
Subject: Science
Topic: Heat (thermal energy) transfer
Grade Level: 6
Student Lesson name and URL: Now You're Cookin'  http://ctap295.ctaponline.org/~dplate/student 
Standards Addressed
Sixth Grade Science: Earth Science
  3. Heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects to cooler 
      objects until all the objects are at the same temperature. As a 
      basis for understanding this concept:
          c. Students know heat flows in solids by conduction (which 
              involves no flow of matter) and in fluids by conduction and by 
              convection (which involves flow of matter).
          d. Students know heat energy is also transferred between 
              objects by radiation (radiation can travel through space).
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Instructional Objectives
     Students will take a pretest on heat transfer to determine prior
     knowledge.
     Students will conduct online research and answer questions about 
     solar (thermal) energy.
     Students will view and take notes on a Bill Nye video about heat 
     energy.
     Students will either:
              1.  use digital cameras to photograph and identify examples
                  of radiation, convection, and conduction around campus; or
              2. "paint" examples of radiation, convection, or conduction
                  using AppleWorks. 
              They will present their findings to the class.
     Students will pass a posttest on heat transfer. 
 

Student Activities
Introductory Activity
  Students will take an online pretest on conduction, convection, and 
  radiation to determine prior knowledge. 
Enabling Activities
   Using an internet "scavenger hunt" sheet, students will 
   research and answer questions about solar (thermal) energy. 
   Students will view and take notes on the video,  "Bill Nye Heat". 
   They will use their notes to supplement their answers on the 
    scavenger hunt sheet.
   Using digital cameras, groups of students will photograph situations 
    that illustrate methods of heat transfer, and report their 
    findings on the Photo Analysis Page.  They will download their 
    photos to the class computer and present their findings to the class 
    via the TV.
    ALTERNATE ACTIVITY: Using AppleWorks, students will "draw"
    pictures illustrating conduction, convection, or radiation.  Their
    drawings will be transferred to the class computer and presented
    to the class via the TV.
Culminating Activity
  Students will retake the online posttest on methods of heat transfer.
 
 

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Assessment
Pretest  a 15-question quiz on heat and heat transfer
Posttest  the same 15-question quiz on heat and heat transfer
Rubric
  The students will be assessed by:
    1.  performance on the posttest (A through F grade based upon number
        correct/15); and
    2. performance on the 20-point Drawing Analysis page (A through F grade based 
        upon completion/accuracy of results, and presentation to the class). 
 

Results
The chart indicates the average percent correct on the 15-question pretest and posttest, and percent change (+ or -).

 

CLASS
 
PRETEST
% correct
POSTTEST
% correct
% CHANGE
 AM CORE
45% 
87% 
+42% 
PM CORE
23% 
62% 
+39% 

Web Resources & Supplementary Materials
  The following sites were useful in preparing this lesson: 
  California State Standards
  Solar Cooking Archive
  Solar Cooks Do It in the Sun
  Professor Neutron
  Solar Cooking
  Bill Nye.com
 

 
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Lyman Gilmore Middle School
10837 Gilmore Way Grass Valley, CA 95945
Debbie Plate (dplate@gvsd.k12.ca.us)
Last Revised: 03/17/2001