Physical Science · Energy Transfer
Thermal Energy Transfer: Temperature, Mass & Materials
Plan fair thermal-energy investigations, analyze temperature-change data, and use particle models to explain patterns involving mass and material type.
Teacher workspace
Start with the lesson plan.
55 min~12 min prep8 materialsNGSS Middle School (Grades 6–8) Alignment · MS-PS3-4
Lesson Plan
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Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Plan a fair thermal-energy investigation by identifying one changed variable, the measured outcome, and important controlled conditions.
- Use temperature-change data to identify patterns involving sample mass or material type.
Key science ideas
- Temperature is related to the average kinetic energy of particles in a sample; it is not the same thing as the sample's total thermal energy.
- When the same material receives the same controlled energy input, samples with different masses can show different temperature changes.
- Equal-mass samples of different materials can show different temperature changes under matched conditions.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 6
- 55 min
- ~12 min prep
- MS-PS3-4
- 8 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary