Unit Plan 4 (Grade 4 Science): Heat Transfer

Focus: Make observations to provide evidence that heat energy can be transferred from place to place by conduction (through direct contact) and radiation (from a heat source at a distance).

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science — Energy & Heat Transfer)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore how heat energy moves from warmer objects or areas to cooler ones. Through simple investigations with metal vs. foam, cups of warm water, and lamps or sunlight, students collect evidence that heat can travel by conduction (through direct contact between materials) and by radiation (from a heat source without touching it). They learn to describe patterns in how quickly different materials warm up or cool down and begin to connect this to real-world choices like insulation, clothing, and shade.

Essential Questions

• How does heat energy move from one place or object to another?
• What is the difference between heat transfer by conduction and radiation?
• How can we use observations and measurements to show that heat has been transferred?
• Why does it matter which materials we choose for keeping things warm or cool?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe everyday examples of heat transfer (e.g., a metal spoon getting hot in soup, the sun warming the sidewalk).
2. Plan and carry out simple investigations that compare how different materials warm up or cool down when in contact with a warm object (conduction).
3. Make and record observations that heat can travel from a source like a lamp or sunlight to objects without touching them (radiation).
4. Use data tables, drawings, or simple graphs to show changes in temperature or “warmness” over time.
5. Construct a brief written or oral explanation using evidence to show that heat energy moves by conduction and radiation.

Standards Alignment — 4th Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 4-PS3-2 — Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents (this unit focuses on heat through conduction and radiation).

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can describe a situation where heat energy moved from something warm to something cooler.
• I can explain how conduction happens when two objects touch and heat moves between them.
• I can explain how radiation happens when heat travels from a source, like the sun or a lamp, to an object that is not touching it.
• I can record observations in a table, drawing, or simple graph to show how something became warmer or cooler.
• I can use words like heat, energy, conduction, radiation, warmer, and cooler correctly in my explanation.