Heat Moves in

Mysterious Ways
An introduction to heat’s movement in the
world around us
 Do Now:
Solo work at desk (5 min)

Mark these statements as true or false.

If false, circle the word that makes it false and write a
new word to make it true.

1. Metals in a room are colder than plastics in

the same room.
2. Less dense things (like oil) naturally float on
top of denser things (like honey).
3. Warm air is less dense than cold air.
4. Warmer air sinks.
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Partner Challenge
With your turn and talk partner (10 min)

Challenge: prove that you can change the

temperature of your desktop by at least five
degrees using only your hands and an infrared
thermometer.
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Debrief
Let’s come up with a model for how heat energy moves.
Draw or write your ideas on the back of your Do Now
 Challenge
With lab partners (30 min)

Using the materials given, make three different layers

of colored water in your container:
blue, clear, and red.

Materials (1 per group) Extensions:

✖ Clear plastic container
✖ Pipettes
✖ Food coloring (blue and red)
Materials (unlimited supply)
✖ Hot water
✖ Ice cubes
✖ Room temperature water
✖ Predict what your container
will look like in 10 minutes.
What about 1 hour?
✖ What would you need to do to
get the blue layer on the
bottom to move to the top?
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Debrief
Let’s revisit our model of how heat energy
moves. How would you change or expand it?

Break the Model: What examples of heat transfer in the

real world can you share that might break our model?

Turn in your Do
Now with your
model of how heat
energy moves
before leaving