Heat

Year 3 and 4

Hands-on workshop for up to 30 students = 90 minutes

Learn about heat and how it changes solids, liquids and gases.

Room requirements

Set up time: 45 minutes. Pack up time: 45 minutes. Change-over time in between repeat sessions: 15 minutes. A regular classroom (or bigger) is needed. Floorspace big enough for 30 students to sit and watch, with at least 2 large tables at the front and at least 6 more tables spread around the ouside edge of the room, a garbage bin, access to electricity, and running water close by.

Australian Curriculum links

Science Understanding

Year 3

Chemical sciences: A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat. Investigating how liquids and solids respond to changes in temperature, for example water changing to ice, or melting chocolate. Predicting the effect of heat on different materials.

Physical sciences: Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another. Describing how heat can be produced such as through friction or motion, electricity or chemically (burning). Identifying changes that occur in everyday situations due to heating and cooling. Exploring how heat can be transferred through conduction. Recognising that we can feel heat and measure its effects with a thermometer.

Year 4

Chemical sciences: Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties. These properties can influence their use. Describing a range of common materials, such as metals or plastics, and their uses. Selecting materials based on their properties.

Science as a Human Endeavour

Nature and development of science: Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships. Making predictions about change and events in our environment.

Use and influence of science: Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions. Considering how heating affects materials used in everyday life. Considering how materials including solids and liquids affect the environment in different ways.

Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting: With guidance, identify quesitons in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge. Working in groups to discuss things that might happen during an investigation.

Planning and conducting: Working in groups to test simple cause-and-effect relationships. Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and record observations, using formal measurements. Considering safety rules for equipment used. Recording measurements usin familiar formal units and appropriate abbreviations such as seconds (s), grams (g), centimetres (cm).

Processing and analysing data and information: Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends. Using tables to organise materials and objects based on observable properties. Identifying and discussing numerical and visual patterns in data collected from students' own investigations and from secondary sources. Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings.

Evaluating: Reflect on the investigation, including whether a test was fair or not. Describing experiences of carrying out investigations to the teacher, small group or whole class.