Pang Yang

ELED 3221-002
April 19, 2018

Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Convection is Cool!
______________________________________________________________________________

Central Focus/Big Idea: Convection

Subject of this lesson: Convection is occurring in a hot air balloon!

Grade Level: 3rd

NC Essential Standard(s): 3.P.3.2 Recognize that energy can be transferred from a warmer
object to a cooler one by contact or at a distance and the cooler object gets warmer.

21st Century Skills: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking- students must be able to think
critically about previous information to develop hypothesis about what will occur in the
experiment and give appropriate reasoning. Collaboration and Communication- students must be
able to communicate in real time and communicate with diverse learners to solve real world
problems and illustrate their own example of convection.

Academic Language Demand

● Language Function:
Analyze – it is important for students to recognize what is occurring in our experiment to
draw that energy that is transferred from a warmer object to a cooler one by contact or at
a distance and the cooler object gets warmer is an example of a heat transferred called
convection.

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize

● Scientific Vocabulary: heat transfer, convection, convection current

Instructional Objective: Students will be able correctly define convection and recognize
convection current as the place where the heat and air is equally being transferred.

Prior Knowledge (student): Students should have already been introduced to the different types
of heat transfers and know the different states of matter. Students should know that heat is
transferred from an area of hot air to an area of cold air.

Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher should know the different types of heat transfers,
especially be familiar to the energy changes and states of matter that is occurring during
convection. --The particles that make up matter are always moving. The energy of the
moving particles is known as thermal energy. The faster the particles are moving, the more
thermal energy the matter has. Heat is the transfer of thermal energy from a warmer object
to a cooler object. Heat is transferred from one location to another through conduction,
convection, or radiation. Conduction is the transfer of heat between objects that are in
direct contact with each other. Convection is the transfer of heat by currents through a
liquid or gas.

Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): I would make sure that
students with physical disabilities are closer to the front of the room so that they can see the
experiment. For ELL, I would provide the handouts in their language, so they will be able to
make their own hypothesis and reasonings.

Materials and Technology requirements:

● Computer & Projector for power point
● Exit Tickets (1 per student)
● Toaster Hot Air Balloon Hypothesis Sheet (1 per student)
● Toaster (1)
● Poster Board (1)
● Large Plastic Bag (1)

Total Estimated Time: 1 class period

Source of lesson: Lesson adapted from:

http://www.hookedonscience.org/files/Experiment_Guide_TOASTER_HOT_AIR_BALLOON.p
df

Safety considerations: The teacher will be using the toaster, it will be hot so the students need
to be at a far enough distance to not get too close to the hot subject.
 Content and Strategies (Procedure)

Engage:

Follow lesson with the power point.

Draw back from prior knowledge about the different types of heat transfers. Focus on
convection.
Introduce convection by definition: movement of heat transfer within a gas and/or liquid.
Heat is transferred by currents within the liquid or gas particles called convection currents,
convection moves in a circular pattern.

Ask students the following questions throughout engage:

● What are the different types of heat transfers? (Conduction, Convection, Radiation)
● What do you know about how heat travels? (From an area of hot to cold)
● What is the density (how close the molecules are) of warm air/water? Cold air/water?
(warm is less dense and cold air is denser)

Explore:

We will conduct the Toaster hot air balloon experiment.

Prior to this, we will discuss the experiment and go through the questions to facilitate the
discussion.
Then the students write their hypothesis about what will happen and have a turn and talk to share
their ideas and reasoning.
Students are encouraged to pay attention to the process of convection and the convection current.
With a toaster and trash bad, the teacher will create a “hot air balloon” demonstration for the
students.
Students will then write down their observations throughout the lesson and after the lesson as
well. Give students time to discuss and draw what they saw.

Questions to ask students are:

 What do we know about toasters?
 What do we know about clear trash bags?
 What do we know about heat transfer?
 What do we think will happen when we cover the toaster with this trash bag?
 Why do you think it will float? Melt? Sink?

Explanation:

Questions to ask to facilitate discussion includes:

● What occurred?
● How was your hypothesis correct or incorrect?
● Why do you think the experiment happened when it did?
● Using the terms that we were introduced to, how can you describe what happened in the
experiment?
Students will discuss about their hypothesis. Have the students turn and talk and then share about
their experience. Whether they were correct or incorrect and their reasonings.
In conclusion, the flow of rising hot air from the toaster creates a convection current inside the
trash bag. As a result, the air is heated, the trash bag expands, become less dense, and eventually
lifts into the air.

Elaborate:
We will discussion about different examples of how convection currents are occurring all around
us and then create an illustration labeling the different parts of convection currents, hot air rising,
and cool air cooling.

Ask the following questions:

● Within this classroom, look around, is there any convection currents occurring?
● If so, where?
● How is convection occurring, using the terms that we know -hot air, cold air, convection
currents?
● What are other examples?

Evaluate:
Summative Evaluation:
Exit ticket about the convection review.
What is convection?
Transfer of heat between a liquid and or gas.
What is this movement called?
Convection current.

Formative Evaluation:
The questions I asked throughout the lesson and the observations I made while walking around
the classroom during the activities.

To be completed after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________

Name:

Toaster Hot Air Balloon

Hypothesis:

I think that the plastic bag will ______________.

Experiment:
Draw the experiment:

Conclusion:

I found out that the plastic bag will ____________.

Name:

Exit Ticket: What is Convection?

Lesson Review
Directions: Answer the following questions.

1. What is convection?

2. What is this movement (the arrows) in this

process called?