PS4: Conduct experiments to describe the effect of heat on different forms…
Conduct experiments to describe the effect of heat on different forms of matter, including explaining temperature using the kinetic energy of particles (an adjacent-grade match).
The Prince Edward Island Science curriculum outcome PS4 (Physical Science: Heat) for Grade 7 says: “Conduct experiments to describe the effect of heat on different forms of matter, including explaining temperature using the kinetic energy of particles (an adjacent-grade match).” These 2 Fieldbook units teach it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Prince Edward Island Science curriculum.
Solids, Liquids and Gases Grade 5
Where does a puddle go? Why does ice float? A first look at the tiny particles that explain the stuff around us.
- Where does a puddle go? 50–60 min
Teams race wet paper towels in still air, in wind, in a warm spot and under a cup to find out what makes water disappear faster. They catch the 'missing' water on the inside of the cup and explain evaporation with particles.
- Why does ice float? 50–60 min
Students compare water before and after freezing: same weight, but more space. They float a block of ice, measure how much sticks out, and use particles to explain why lakes freeze from the top down and fish survive the winter.
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.
More Prince Edward Island Grade 7 science outcomes we teach
Every Prince Edward Island Grade 7 science curriculum outcome we teach
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