MS.PS3.4: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy…
Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
The South Dakota Science Standards (2024) outcome MS.PS3.4 (Physical Sciences) for Grades 6–8 says: “Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: South Dakota Science Standards (2024).
Hot and Cold: Particles on the Move Grade 6 · partly supports this outcome
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 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.
- 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 MS.PS3.4
- Hot and Cold: Particles on the Move workbook included with the unit
2 English-support pages, 1 reading, 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-PS3-4.
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