Heat Transfer

Attention students:

This is a letter from the Mr. Wallace, Head of the Junior School.

"Recent studies have shown that windows cause students to lose focus during the school day. As a result of this the school has decided to board up all windows in the school buildings. On behalf of the school administration I would like to thank you for your cooperation and look forward to the completion of this construction process."

The preceding message has been given to all students, but you have the opportunity to research why this may not be such a good idea. The concept of heat transfer may be the key information needed to change the minds of the administration. You must first learn how things are cooled as well as heated.

Students, it is up to you to persuade the administration of your school that windows and moving air are crucial to your well being.

If the school boards up the windows there will be very little heat transfer and this could mean very uncomfortable temperatures.

However, if you can prove through research and explanation that the comfort of students and teachers will be sacrificed over this new "research" the decision may be overturned.

You will be using internet resources provided within this webquest to apply the concept of heat transfer to everyday appliances and situations.

You will also find out how this transfer of heat helps all of us stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

As a group of four you will answer questions to help better understand this concept, and develop a project of different individual activities to show how heat transfer is important to comfort and well-being.

First you'll be assigned to a group of four students.

Within this group you will research the concept of heat transfer. More specifically the terms conduction, convection, and radiation. Each group will view websites to help understand why things heat up and cool down like they do.

It is important to pay close attention to the examples of each type of heat transfer because later in the webquest you will be asked to provide a good example and explain it.

Each member of the group can view the websites individually; however, this part of the webquest is a group activity.

Step 1: What is temperature?

Click here: www.brainpop.com/science/energy/temperature

Username: boliviaelementary Password: bears

Step 2: Heating & Cooling

Students will watch a short video on heating and cooling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y3mfAGVn1c

Step 3: Define the terms

Go to this website to find the definitions for conduction, convection, and radiation. Write the definitions in your workbook

http://www.webquest.hawaii.edu/kahihi/sciencedictionary/

Step 4: Conductors and Insulators

Read all of the information on this website and write in your journals what you have learned.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/materials/heat/read/1/

Apply what you have learned.

Presentation to save the school.

The research is finished and now you are preparing to go before the Mr Wallace. Each group member must choose a different activity to complete as a part of a presentation for the administration.

Activities:

1. Write a letter to Mr Wallace explaining the importance of moving air to keep the classroom cool in the warm months. Explain the concept of convection in your letter.

2. Research the Greenhouse Effect and relate it to what would happen in the school building with boarded windows. 

The Greenhouse Effect http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-overview-interactive.html

3. Explain mathematically why warm air rises. Included in this explanation should be the term density and the idea of moisture.

4. Convection is found in weather in the wind chill factor. Create a line graph of temperatures over one week displaying what wind or moving air does to the temperature. 

Wind Chill Scroll down until you see wind chill calculator http://www.weatherwizkids.com/temperature.htm

5. Create a short rhyme showing the difference between the three types of heat transfer.

6. Create a skit about the three different types of heat transfer.

7. Draw a diagram of the three different types of heat transfer. Example may be a boiling pot of water on a stove.

8. Draw a diagram of how a hot bowl of soup cools down.

These activities should be collected and put together for a proposal to keep windows unboarded.

When all of the above is finished, you may click here: http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/heat-energy-games.html for some heat related games.

Evaluation Rubric

Students should have learnt what is heat transfer and the methods of heat transfer.

Students should also be able to state an example of each method of heat transfer.

Thank you to all the excellent educators and organisations who have created the resources provided in this web quest.

This web-quest can be used as a module to teach students about heat transfer. There are also some activities that needs the teachers assistance but it will be advisable that you guide the students over the process.  The students must complete this web-quest preferably in a group but can they can complete  it individually.