Describe the effect of heat on the motion of particles, explain…
Describe the effect of heat on the motion of particles, explain temperature with the particle model, and investigate the effects of heating and cooling on the volume of materials, such as expansion joints (an adjacent-grade match).
The Alberta Science Grades 7–8–9 Program of Studies outcome (Unit C: Heat and Temperature, Outcome 2) for Grade 7 says: “Describe the effect of heat on the motion of particles, explain temperature with the particle model, and investigate the effects of heating and cooling on the volume of materials, such as expansion joints (an adjacent-grade match).” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Alberta Science Grades 7–8–9 Program of Studies.
Hot and Cold: Particles on the Move Grade 6
Why tires go soft in winter, why sidewalks have gaps, and how a thermometer knows. Five lessons on what heating and cooling do to the particles in everything around us.
- Why do bike tires go soft in winter? 45–60 min
Students stretch a balloon over a bottle, move it between warm and ice water, and find out what happens to air particles when they cool down. Then they explain a cyclist's 'flat' tire on the first cold morning.
- Why does food colouring spread faster in hot water? 45–60 min
Two cups, two drops, one race. Students drop food colouring into warm and ice-cold water at the same moment, then explain what the moving colour tells us about particles they can't see.
- How does a thermometer know? 50–60 min
Teams build a working thermometer from a bottle of coloured water and a clear straw, then calibrate it against a real thermometer. At the end, they explain how any liquid thermometer 'knows' the temperature.
- Why do sidewalks have cracks on purpose? 50–60 min
Students loosen a stuck jar lid with warm water, then go on a gap hunt around the school to find and measure the joints engineers build into sidewalks, walls and railings. They explain why solid things need room to grow and shrink.
- Can you keep an ice cube frozen the longest? 60 min, plus a 40-minute wait (teach something else while the ice sits)
A design challenge with insulation, a budget and a class leaderboard. Teams build an ice cube keeper, measure how much melted, and explain why the best designs slow down heat moving in.
Printable practice for this outcome
- Hot and Cold: Particles on the Move workbook included with the unit
4 English-support pages, 4 readings, 3 practice pages, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
- Hot Stuff: Heat, Temperature and Cooling workbook included with the unit
3 practice pages, 3 readings, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
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Compared with NGSS: MS-PS1-4, MS-PS3-4.
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