This lesson has students explore both conduction and insulation.
Additional Resources:
A Chilling Story: How Things Cool Down by Eve & Albert Stwertka; illustrated by Mena Dolobowsky Jilian Messner/Simon & Schuster, New York 1991. Grades 4-8
Catch the Wind: All About Kites by Gail Gibbons Little, Brown & Co., Boston. 1989. 4-8
Einstein Anderson Lights Up the Sky by Seymour Simon; illustrated by Fred Winkowski Viking Press, New York. 1982. Grades 4-7
Einstein Anderson Shocks His Friends by Seymour Simon; illustrated by Fred Winkowski Viking Press, New York. 1980. Grades 4-7
Einstein Anderson Tells a Comet's Tale by Seymour Simon; illustrated by Fred Winkowski Viking Press, New York. 1980. Grades 4-7
June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin, New York. 1992. Grades 2-6
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. 1958.
In this demonstration, students will get their first look at both conduction and insulation. Conduction is the passing of heat from one molecule to the other, while insulation is a material that slows or stops the heat from moving. In this activity, use caution to be sure students remove wire as it gets warm.
1-Use science process and
thinking skills
2-Manifest scientific attitudes and interests
3-Understand science concepts and principles
The following rubric could be used or adapted for grading this activity.
Description | Total | |||||
Number of conductors listed | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Number of insulators listed | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Student's journal showed understanding with pictures/drawings. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Student used complete sentences/correct spelling/neatness | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Oral interview of activity. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
This lesson is part of the Sixth Grade Science Teacher Resource Book (TRB3) http://www.usoe.org/curr/science/core/6th/TRB6/. The TRB3 is designed to be your textbook in teaching science curriculum to your students. This book covers all the objectives of each standard and benchmark. If taught efficiently, a student should do well on the End-of-Level (CRT) tests. The TRB3 is designed for teachers who know very little about science, as well as for teachers who have a broad understanding of science.