TITLE: MOLECULES and TEMPERATURE
AUTHOR: Kathy D. Baim, Holy Rosary Elementary,
Idaho Falls, Idaho
GRADE LEVEL: Appropriate for Primary Grades
OVERVIEW and PURPOSE: The study of molecular concepts,
especially their movement and relationship to
temperature, is difficult for primary children to
grasp. Through language arts, science experiment and
movement activity, students will gain an understanding
of temperature and molecular movement.
OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
1. Explain that molecules are in everything living and
nonliving.
2. Explain that molecules are too small to see but we
can watch their movement.
3. Demonstrate molecular movement in hot and cold
water and explain temperature rise and fall
depending on molecular movement.
4. Through oral and written expression demonstrate an
understanding of the following vocabulary words:
temperature, molecule, movement, molecular
movement, particle, rise and fall.
5. Through movement activity, demonstrate molecular
movement as pertaining to rising and falling
temperature.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED:
Hot as an Ice Cube by Philip Balestrino
Two clear cups/bowls and food coloring
Observation page (see below)
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
A. Read Hot as an Ice Cube by Philip Balestrino
Concepts to develop:
1. Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold
something is.
2. Adjectives to describe temperature such as
hot, cold, warm, lukewarm, chilly, sizzling and
freezing.
3. Heating something makes its temperature rise.
As it cools off its temperature falls.
4. Everything is made of tiny particles called
molecules.
5. Molecules are always moving.
6. The faster the molecules in something move, the
hotter it is. The more you heat something, the
faster the molecules move. This is what causes
its temperature to rise.
B. Experiment-To see that molecules of water move
faster when the water is hot.
1. Put water in two clear cups/bowls (one hot, one
cold).
2. Allow the water to sit for a moment to stop
movement.
3. Carefully put a drop of food coloring into the
middle of each cup.
4. Observe the molecules move the food coloring
around (rapidly in hot water, slowly in cold
water).
C. Observation page:
Name: ______________________ Date: _________________
Material: ____________________________________________
Procedure (What I did): _______________________________
A picture of what I saw:
Here are things I noticed:
_______________________________________________________
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Extension Activity: Small groups of children act out
being molecules. They start out as frozen water
(clustered very still as frozen water molecules).
Pretend the temperature is gradually rising until it
reaches boiling (children move around rapidly) and then
let the temperature fall again.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org