Science Lessons for Inquiry-focused Instruction
1. Identify the Scientific Concept: What scientific concept/principle should students learn
from this lesson? Use indicators from the Standards, including both skills and processes.
2. Identify a Real-World or Practical Application Related to the Concept:
It can be
a problem students can solve or
a decision students can make or
a question students can answer
Posing the challenge is the heart of the Engagement. Students become motivated as
activities are described. Students access prior knowledge. Motivational activities
include: a demonstration by the teacher and/or student, a reading from a current media
release, a science journal, literature, analyzing a graphic organizer, etc.
3. Provide Opportunities for Students to Explore, Collect and Record Information:
Students may gather information from: a) lab work, and/or b) books/journals and/or, c)
interviews and/or d) the internet, etc.
The Exploration will be activities designed so students can collect information and build
skills they will use to complete an Extension activity. Students will read for information
and perform an investigation.
4. Students Develop a Series of Questions based on the Exploration Activities: Students
answer these questions through opportunities to design investigations and implement the
set of procedures they write.
5. Students Evaluate Data and Provide Explanations: Help students analyze
data, guide their thinking as they develop meaning and understanding, compare class data
and ideas, and critique conclusions.
Teachers should modify explanations as required, add information to enhance
understanding, or move to a related, more complex concept.
6. Evaluation Occurs Throughout the Lesson: Evaluations provide
opportunities for students to demonstrate and check their understanding of the
concepts. Scoring tools developed by teachers and students target what students must
know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools improves learning. A final evaluation of
important concepts, skills and processes may conclude the lesson.
Unit/Lesson Plan Title:
Primary Subject
Integrated Subjects
Grade Level
Length of Unit/Lesson
Research Sources
Thermal Energy
Math/science
6
8 days
Solar oven webquest
https://home.comcast.net/~sdelbono/solar/newpage1.htm
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-05/ss0601_54.pdf
Unit/Lesson Summary
Students will investigate the three different methods that thermal energy
is transferred (convection, conduction, and radiation)
Key Vocabulary
conduction, convection, radiation, thermal energy, kinetic, potential,
energy, heat, temperature
Essential Standards/NCSCOS
Essential Questions
Materials/Resources Needed
Exploration/Engagement
Activities
6P.3.1 Illustrate the transfer of heat energy from warmer objects to
cooler objects using examples of conduction, radiation, and convection
and the effects that may result
P.6.3.3 Explain the suitability of materials for use in technological design
based on a response to heat (to include conduction, expansion, and
contraction
How does heat transfer?
Why does water heat up when placed on a burner?
Compare and contrast convection, conduction, and radiation?
If you had to come up with the fastest way to heat up your soup for
lunch, explain which method would you use.
popsicles, ice, salt
solar oven-computer webquest
beakers, pennies, food coloring
Tell students that we will use knowledge of thermal energy to make a
tornado, make some smores, and freeze a popsicle within minutes.
Accommodations for
Differentiated Instruction
Assigning jobs for cooperative learning. Recorders, time keepers,
shakers, probers, team leader. ESOL/EC shadow high functioning for
language struggles. Give templates for students to fill in.
Cross Curricular
Integration
Math: Measurements, comparing, graphing
Writing: graphing and explanation of information
SS: The change of life allowed with the invention of refrigeration.
Students will create lab write up for each activity. Exit cards will be
given to create new hypothesis after each initial lab.
Pretest, posttest,
Assessments:
•Performance-based
•Formative
•Summative
Extension Activities
Created by
Email
Extension labs available for student who are able to successfully able to
complete in class activities.
Jaime Pacilio, Tina Holman, Kathy Boyd
pacilioja@rss.k12.nc.us