Heat
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2010 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Heat is a kind of energy like sound and light. We recommend watching the Light movie together as a review. Explain to children that they can see and feel examples of heat all around them. They can observe heat’s effects when they go outside in the sunshine and feel the warmth on their skin. At night, outdoor temperatures drop because that part of the Earth is not facing the Sun. The Sun is a source of light and heat for the Earth and all living things rely on the Sun in order to survive. Cold-blooded animals, such as snakes, lizards, frogs, salamanders, and insects, cannot produce their own heat and rely on the Sun to warm their bodies. Warm-blooded animals, such as humans and birds, can create their own body heat.

We get heat from different sources. A fuel is something that can be burned for heat and energy. Wood, coal, charcoal, oil, gasoline, and natural gas are all examples of fuels. Your children may be familiar with the term fossil fuels, which is oil, coal, or natural gas from decomposing plants and animals.

Friction is the force that slows down moving things. When two things rub together, they create friction. On a bike, there are two pieces of hard rubber that push against the tire when the brakes are engaged. The pieces of rubber rub against the tire, slowing it down to a halt. Explain that friction creates heat. Have your children rub their hands together vigorously and feel the warmth between their palms. The friction caused by the rubbing creates heat. Encourage your children to think of other examples of friction.

Heat can change matter in different ways. For example, by adding heat to an ice cube you can make it change from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a gas. You can take heat away from water by freezing it and changing it from a liquid to a solid. Heat can cause chemical changes, which is a change in the chemical composition of a substance to produce a new material with new properties. We use heat to cook and chemically change raw ingredients into something different.

Ask your children to think about how we need and use heat. Heating our homes and fueling our cars take up a lot of natural resources and the product of burning some fuels is air pollution. Less heat is necessary when homes are properly insulated or sealed with storm windows. Help children understand with concept of insulation by explaining that they insulate themselves from the cold by wearing sweaters, coats, or hats. Encourage them to think of ways to conserve heat and protect our resources.

Heat Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Heat Family Activities – Click Here!

Heat Teacher Activities

© 1999-2010 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Ice Race

Break up your class into small groups or partners and give each group a plastic resealable bag and one ice cube. Then have groups race each other to see who can melt the ice cube first. Encourage groups to be creative in the way they add heat to their ice cubes. Students may use friction to help speed the melting, blow hot air on them, or put the bags in a sunny spot in the classroom. The first group whose ice cubes melts should raise their hands. You may wish to use a stopwatch and take the opportunity to discuss elapsed time as a math extension.

Thermometer Time

Have your students practice using thermometers. Have groups or partner use a thermometer to measure the temperature outside during different hours, such as the morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. How does the temperature change? Why do they think it changed? Then have small groups use thermometers to measure the temperature of a cup of water. Add ice cubes and measure the temperature again. How does the temperature change?

As a math extension, have students make up word problems using their temperatures. Model an example for them: Today the temperature is 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Yesterday the temperature was 5 degrees cooler. What was the temperature? Have students share their word problems with each other and solve.

Wet Blanket

Have small groups wet two paper or cloth towels. Then have them put one towel in a sunny spot outside or inside and another in a cool, dark place. Later have students observe which towel is dryer. How did heat affect the way the towel dried? Where did the water in the towel go? Remind students that heat can cause matter to change states; for example, heat can make water evaporate.

Heat Family Activities

© 1999-2010 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Heat in the Kitchen

Cook with your child so he or she can learn how heat causes changes to matter. For example, examine an egg together. Crack open the egg and have your child describe what he or she observes. Then scramble the egg in a pan. How does the egg change? What makes the egg change? Can the scrambled egg change back to its original appearance? Why or why not?

Heat Source

Walk through your home together and find different sources of heat. Make sure your child is careful when identifying sources of heat such as the heater, radiator, fireplace, barbeque, toaster, or stove. Encourage your child to find heat in unsuspecting places, such as the television set. Is it warm after it has been on for a while? Why? Encourage your child to think about how we use and need heat.