Jordan Nyblade
Jennifer Watson
Heat Absorption
Grade Level:
3rd
Grade
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectation: P.PM.03.51 Demonstrate how some materials are
heated more than others by light that shines on them.
Objectives:



Students will be able to:
Understand why some colors absorb more heat than others.
Compare data with other groups of students.
Create a chart based on results from simple experiments.
Materials:
A Color Of His Own by Leo Lionni
Engage & Explore Worksheet
3 paper cups (painted different colors [white, black, blue]) *
3 additional paper cups (painted white) *
6 thermometers *
Tape (if doing this activity outside – to tape cups to the ground so the wind doesn’t blow the
cup over)
Cardboard (if doing this activity outside - to tape the cups too)
Light Source (such as the sun or a heat lamp)
Watch, clock or stopwatch
* = More may be needed depending on sizing of groups
Engage:
To engage students, the book A Color Of His Own by Leo Lionni, will be read aloud. After the
story is finished being read to the students, have them think about all of the colors that the
chameleon turned in the story. After the students brainstorm the colors, the teacher will write
them on the board. After the colors are written on the board, the teacher will ask the children
what colors are “light” colors and which colors are “dark” colors. The teacher will then ask the
students about what colors they think would be the warmest if left out in the sun on a hot
day, and what colors would be the coolest. The students will then complete the “PREDICTION”
section of the worksheet for both stations.
Explore:
To explore this topic, the students will complete an activity that will be set up in stations
around the classroom. There will be two different stations (if the class is a large class, there
can be multiple of the different stations). The children will be spilt into groups (3-4 students
per group would be ideal, however, larger groups will work). Groups will complete both
stations.
Station #1:
This station will experiment color absorption with colors.
If doing this activity outside, tape the painting paper cups to a piece of cardboard to keep the
cups from blowing over in the wind (top of cup facing down). Place the thermometers into the
hole in the bottom of the cups (so that when setting the cup down, you will be placing the rim
of the cup on the table, with the bottom facing up).
Have the groups take the initial temperature of the cup and record the data in the chart found
on the worksheet. Place the cups outside or turn on the heat lamps. Every 2 minutes, have
the students record the temperature of their cups. Do this 3 times, or until reaching the 6minute mark. After the students finish collecting and recording data, have them calculate the
total change in temperature. Explain to the students how to do this (take the 6 minute mark
temperature and subtract the initial temperature). Have the students complete the analyzing
data section of the worksheet.
Station # 2:
This activity will be done similar to station # 1. There will be three different materials (sand,
dirt and water) in place of the three different colors. The students will be experimenting with
what material absorbs the most heat. The cups will be filled with the materials and a
thermometer will be placed inside. Have the groups take the initial temperature of the cup and
record the data in the chart found on the worksheet. Place the cups outside or turn on the
heat lamps. Every 2 minutes, have the students record the temperature of their cups. Do this
3 times, or until reaching the 6-minute mark. After the students finish collecting and recording
data, have them calculate the total change in temperature. Explain to the students how to do
this (take the 6 minute mark temperature and subtract the initial temperature). Have the
students complete the analyzing data section of the worksheet.
Explain:
After the lesson is taught and experiment completed, there will be a classroom discussion
about the activity where students will be encouraged to ask questions about anything they did
not understand during the activity. After their questions are answered, students will be asked
to prepare a brief handwritten summary, using their own words, to describe what happened
during the activity. These summaries will be collected and reviewed by the teacher to assess
the students understanding of the material.
Elaborate:
Students can expand their knowledge about heat absorption by answering bonus questions that
require more thinking and application of materials they just learned. Students will be asked to
answer the following questions in pairs:
 Why is wearing a black shirt in the summer not a very good idea?
 On a hot, sunny day which car sitting parked in the sun will be cooler on the inside, a
yellow car or a red one?
 Sue and her friends went to the beach with their parents on a very sunny day. Why would
their parents tell them to keep their socks on as they run through the sand?
 Why is it cooler under a leafy tree when the Sun’s out?
Evaluate:
To evaluate the students learning, their worksheets from the explore activity will be collected
and graded. It will be graded out of a total of 14 points (1 point per question or chart). In
order to get credit for the chart, the chart will need to be completely filled out. The children
will also complete a KWL chart as discussed in the engage section of this lesson. This chart will
allow the teacher to see what the students have learned during the activities.
Name: ______________________________
Heat Absorption Experiment Worksheet
STATION # 1
PREDICTION QUESTIONS
1) Predict what colors you think will have the most heat absorption placing the following colors in
order, from greatest amount of heat absorption to least amount of heat absorption. (1 being the
color that will have the greatest amount of heat absorption)
Black, White, Blue
1)_______________________ 2)_______________________ 3)_______________________
2) Explain why you think this is the correct order. _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
COLLECTING DATA
3)
Comparing Colors
Time Interval
Temperature
Black White Blue
Starting Temperature
2 minutes
4 minutes
6 minutes
4) Total change in temperature (Starting Temperature – 6 Minute temperature= total change)
a) Black _________________________
b) White _________________________
c) Blue __________________________
ANALYZING DATA
4) Put the colors in order based on the highest amount of heat absorption. (1 being the greatest
about of heat absorption)
1)_______________________ 2)_______________________ 3)_______________________
5) Why do you think these were the results?______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
6) Was your prediction (question #1) correct or incorrect? Why? _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
STATION # 2
PREDICTION QUESTIONS
7) White material will have the highest temperature after 6 minutes being under the light source?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
8) Which material(s) do you think will heat the slowest? ____________________________________
Why? _____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
COLLECTING DATA
Comparing Materials
9)
Time Interval
Material
Sand Dirt
Water
Starting
Temperature
2 Minutes
4 Minutes
6 Minutes
10) Total change in temperature (Starting Temperature – 6 Minute temperature= total change)
a) Sand _________________________
b) Dirt _________________________
c) Water __________________________
ANALYZING DATA
11) Which material had the highest temperature after 6 minutes? _____________________________
Why do you think this is happened? ____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
12) What was the temperature increase for dirt? __________________________________________
13) Why did the temperatures change for the materials? ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
14) Look back at your predictions (Questions 7 and 8). Were either of your predictions correct? ____
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
If not, what have you learned from the activity? ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________