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Temperature and Thermal Energy – What makes things hot or cold? – Exploring Heat – Heat is energy that flows from warmer to cooler objects. – Exploring Thermal Energy – Thermal energy is the total energy of moving particles in an object. – Relationship between Temperature and Thermal Energy – As thermal energy increases, temperature also goes up. | This slide introduces the basic concepts of heat and thermal energy to third-grade students. Begin by discussing common experiences of hot and cold, such as touching ice or feeling the sun’s warmth, to illustrate temperature changes. Explain that heat is a form of energy that can move between objects and is responsible for these changes. Then, introduce thermal energy as the energy that comes from the movement of tiny particles in all matter. Emphasize that the faster these particles move, the more thermal energy there is, and consequently, the higher the temperature will be. Use simple, relatable examples to help students grasp these abstract concepts, such as comparing the movement of particles to running children who get warmer as they move faster.

What is Temperature? – Temperature measures hot or cold – It tells us if something is hot like the sun or cold like ice cream. – Think of it as weather’s thermometer – Just like we check the thermometer to see if it’s a beach day or a snow day. – We measure temperature in degrees – Degrees are the units we use, like inches for length. – Degrees tell us how warm or chilly | This slide introduces the concept of temperature to third-grade students. Temperature is a basic scientific concept that describes how hot or cold something is. Use relatable examples like the sun’s warmth or the chilliness of ice cream to help students connect with the idea. Explain that a thermometer is a tool we use to measure temperature, similar to how we use a ruler to measure length, and that temperature is measured in units called degrees. Encourage students to think about how the temperature feels on different days and in different seasons to make the concept more tangible.

Exploring Thermal Energy – Thermal energy comes from heat – More thermal energy means warmer – Think of a warm blanket in winter – It heats up our hot chocolate – Like when we heat milk for cocoa – Temperature measures this energy – A thermometer shows this as degrees | This slide introduces the concept of thermal energy to third-grade students by relating it to their everyday experiences, such as feeling warmth from a blanket or heating up hot chocolate. Explain that thermal energy is what we feel as heat. The more thermal energy an object has, the warmer it feels to us. Use the example of making hot chocolate to illustrate how heat, as thermal energy, is transferred to the milk, making it warm. Discuss how we measure this energy with temperature, using a thermometer, and how temperature is shown in degrees. Encourage students to think of times they’ve felt something warm up and relate it to an increase in thermal energy.

Temperature and Thermal Energy – Temperature: hot or cold measure – Thermal energy: particle energy total – Like a dance, each particle’s energy adds up in an object – Higher temperature, faster particles – Think of particles zooming faster when it’s hotter – Temperature up, thermal energy up | This slide aims to explain the relationship between temperature and thermal energy to third-grade students. Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is, which we can feel. Thermal energy is the total energy of all the particles in an object, which is like adding up the energy from each particle as if they were dancing together. When the temperature of an object increases, the particles inside it move faster, and as a result, the object’s thermal energy increases. It’s like when we exercise and our bodies get warmer; our particles move faster, increasing our thermal energy. During the presentation, use relatable examples such as feeling the warmth of the sun or the heat from a cup of hot cocoa to illustrate these concepts.

Temperature and Thermal Energy in Action – Ice melts into water when warm – Ice needs warmth to turn into water – Water boils into steam with heat – Boiling water turns to steam as it gets hotter – Temperature affects thermal energy – Higher temperature means more thermal energy – Observing changes in states of matter | This slide aims to demonstrate the relationship between temperature and thermal energy through observable changes in the states of matter. When ice, a solid, is exposed to warmth, it absorbs thermal energy and melts into water, a liquid. Further heating causes the water to boil and turn into steam, a gas, indicating an increase in thermal energy. These transformations provide a visual and tangible way for students to understand how temperature can affect the amount of thermal energy in a substance. Encourage students to think of other examples where they have observed similar changes, such as melting butter or freezing juice into popsicles.

Real-Life Examples of Thermal Energy – Campfire warmth is thermal energy – Feel the heat from a fire? That’s thermal energy in action! – Snowman remains solid due to low thermal energy – Why doesn’t a snowman melt right away? Low thermal energy keeps it solid. – Discuss more thermal energy examples – Understanding temperature and thermal energy – Temperature measures how hot or cold something is, which relates to thermal energy. | This slide aims to help students connect the concept of thermal energy with things they can observe in everyday life. A campfire is a great example because they can feel the warmth, which is thermal energy being released. A snowman staying solid in the cold weather illustrates low thermal energy, which prevents it from melting. Encourage the students to think of other examples where they experience warmth or cold and relate it to thermal energy. This discussion will help them understand that temperature is a measure of how much thermal energy is present in an object or environment.

Class Activity: Feeling the Heat! – Touch objects of various temperatures – Discuss the sensation of heat – Why do some objects feel warmer than others? – Safety first: no extreme temperatures – Understand temperature vs. thermal energy – Temperature measures how hot or cold; thermal energy is total heat energy in an object. | This activity is designed to help students experience and understand the concept of temperature and its relation to thermal energy through direct interaction with objects of varying temperatures. Before the activity, explain that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is, while thermal energy refers to the total amount of heat energy in an object. During the activity, ensure students only touch safe objects with moderate temperatures. Guide them to discuss why objects feel differently and relate this to the amount of thermal energy. Emphasize safety and make sure students understand not to touch anything that could be too hot or too cold to prevent injury. Possible objects for the activity could include a warm stone, a metal spoon at room temperature, a piece of wood, and a cool glass of water.

Temperature Tells the Thermal Energy Tale – Temperature: Thermal energy’s storyteller Like a thermometer tells us if it’s hot or cold, temperature tells us if something has a lot or a little thermal energy. – Thermal energy: A particle dance Thermal energy is the energy that comes from the movement of tiny particles in an object. The faster they move, the warmer the object feels! – Questions about temperature? – Questions about thermal energy? | As we wrap up our lesson, remember that temperature is a way to measure how much thermal energy something has. It’s like a story that tells us if the particles in an object are moving a lot or a little. When particles move fast, they create more thermal energy, and that makes things feel warmer. Think of thermal energy as a secret dance happening inside everything around us. Now, let’s open the floor for any questions the students might have about temperature and thermal energy. This is a chance to clarify any doubts and ensure they understand the relationship between the two concepts. Encourage curiosity and participation.

Activity: Make Your Own Thermometer! – Gather materials for a DIY thermometer – You’ll need water, alcohol, and a clear bottle – Observe liquid movement in the bottle – Watch the liquid rise or fall with temperature changes – Relate temperature to thermal energy – Warmer temperatures make the liquid expand, showing more thermal energy – Discuss observations with the class | This hands-on activity is designed to help third-grade students understand the relationship between temperature and thermal energy. By creating their own thermometers, students will visually grasp how thermal energy causes the liquid inside to expand and rise when heated and contract and lower when cooled. Teachers should prepare a step-by-step guide to constructing the thermometer, ensuring safety when handling materials like alcohol. Possible variations of the activity could include using different liquids, bottles of various sizes, or comparing indoor and outdoor temperature changes. The discussion afterward will reinforce the concept that increased temperature means increased thermal energy.