Inquiry Lesson Plan: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and

Explain
Teacher Candidates:
Topic:
Grade Level:
Robyn Talley/ Co-teacher
Heat Capacity
6-8th
Title of Lesson: (Phrase as a driving question)
How does the heat capacity of water effect the ocean?
Standard:
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate (Hands-On 9)
o The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing
it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
Learner Outcomes: (Worded for clarity, these must all be evaluated for achievement) Students
will be able to:

SWBAT describe how the heat capacity of water influences the ocean.
SWBAT explain how the ocean effects weather and climate.
Evidence of Mastery:
Check for understanding of students as we discuss observations and
conclusions after the activity.
Completion of Voice Thread Discussion
Process Skills: (Skills are you introducing or reinforcing: ex: observation and measuring)
Observation
Timing
Recording Data
Lesson Summary and Justification: (Summary gives detailed information about what
students are doing. Justification why is this lesson being taught)

Students will be using air, water, and sand filled balloons to observe the heat
capacity of water. First students will determine groups and gather materials.
Students will begin activity with balloon 1, placing the balloon filled with air 1 inch
over a flame and record observations. Once the balloon pops, students will record
time and repeat this process with the other two balloons.
This lesson is being taught to show the specific heat capacity of water. This is
important because of the effect that the ocean holds on both climate and weather.
The understanding of this comes from a class discussion about, for example, the
heating of a pool as summer begins. How does the temperature of the water relate
to the weather and the climate. Some parts of the world cant sustain a simple
pool. Similarly to some parts of the world where the ocean is too cold for
swimming, etc.

Background Knowledge: (What do students need to know to complete this lesson?)

Based on prior activities, students should know the relation between heat and
temperature change.
Alternate Conceptions:
Students may believe that climate and weather influence the ocean, vs. the
ocean influencing climate and weather. Furthermore, students may not
associate heat capacity with the ocean (specifically being water)
Key vocabulary: (list and define)
Materials: (list item and possible quantity)
1. Weather-the state of the atmosphere at a
place and time as regards heat, dryness,
sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
2.Climate- the weather conditions prevailing in
an area in general or over a long period.
3. Heat capacity-The heat capacity is the

1. Round latex balloons

2. Matches/lighters
3. Candles
4. Cup of cool water
5. Balloon stand (crafted from a paper cup
with tape. The tip of the flames should be

amount of heat required to raise the

temperature of an object or substance one
degree. The temperature change is the
difference between the final temperature ( Tf )
and the initial temperature ( Ti ).

about 1 inch under the balloon.

6. Stopwatch/Timer (can be used on
phone)
7. Sand
8. Funnel (for putting water in balloons)
9. Goggles
10. Tray (for materials, and to avoid
messes)
11.
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/webfunchem/sp
ecificheat/specificheat.htm
12. www.voicethread.com

Engage: Get the students interested in the topic and provide a direction for the
lesson.
Teacher Will: Ask the students to think about what happens in the summer
to a pool, and ask the students why they dont get in the pool during the
winter. Prompt students to think about how far into summer if takes for a
pool to warm up enough for comfortable swimming. (While it warms up
outside in April, we usually cant swim until the middle of May.)
Explore: A hands-on activity for the students to explore the topic.
Teacher Will:
Instruct students to take out their science
notebook

give explicit directions as to how to run the

experiment
How to set up the materials

Air in balloon 1
cup of water in balloon 2
cup of sand (bottom/first layer)/ cup of
water (top/second layer) in balloon 3
Set up Balloon Stand

Light Candle
Put balloon 1 on top

Time how long it takes to pop

Repeat with Balloon 2 and 3
Check for understanding by asking the
students to repeat the instructions back to
them
Have the students perform the experiment,
walking around and answering questions,
along with checking for understanding
Instruct the students to put group answers
on board for comparison when done

Students Will: (list all steps)

Repeat the directions back to instructor
Choose group of 2-3
Once in a group, one student will gather
materials.
The students will perform the
experiment, along with making
observations
Ask questions needed for clarification
throughout
Fill out the 1/2 sheet of paper along the
way (Attached Below)
Put answers on the board for
comparison

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
One teacher will give direct instruction, the second instructor will walk
around and check for understanding, along with helping struggling students.
Explain: In this section the following three things occur: (1) students share what they
discovered in Exploration, (2) through questions teacher guides students to discover
concepts and introduces vocabulary, and (3) at end of Explain teacher states exactly
what students should have learned from lesson.

Teacher Will:
What are some observations made

from this experiment?

What made the balloon popping take

longer?

Prompt students to explain why the

balloon with water did not pop, or took
longer to pop.
When the water inside the balloon is
placed in the flame, the water absorbs
most of the heat from the flame. Then,
the rubber of the balloon does not
become very hot. Because the rubber
does not become hot, it does not
weaken, and the balloon does not
break or takes longer to break
Student should see that having a high
heat capacity means a material can
sustain a lot of heat before seeing a
change in temperature
Water is a particularly good absorber
of heat. It takes a lot of heat to change
the temperature of water.
Explain the overall learner outcome:
that water has a high heat capacity- it
takes more heat to heat up water. This
shows how the high specific heat
capacity of water influences climate
and weather changes on the ocean.

Students Will:
Student responses could be:
The balloon without water popped
faster
The water collected the heat
instead of the rubber balloon
Students will respond to instructors
questions
Students will fill out the conclusion
portion of their sheet.

Fun FACT: It takes ten times as much

heat to raise the temperature of 1
gram of water by 1C than it does to
raise the temperature of 1 gram of iron
by the same amount.
EXAMPLE: This is why it takes so long
to bring a teakettle of water to boiling
point. On the other hand, when water
cools, it releases a great deal of heat.
this is why areas near oceans or other
large bodies of water do not get cold
in winter as areas at the same latitude
further inland.

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
Instructor can have the students participate in a think-pair-share and
monitor students answers, and clarify for complete understanding.

Elaborate
How will students take the learning from Explore and Explain and apply it to a new circumstance or
explore a particular aspect of this learning at a deep level?
What will be the student activity?

Teacher Will:
Instruct students to open

laptops/iPads
Show students how to get to

website
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/webfunc
hem/specificheat/specificheat.htm
This is a specific heat capacity

online activity.

Show students how to navigate

website.

Check for understanding of how to

use the online simulation
Instruct students to create their
own data table and graph in
science notebook.
Data of:
Brass
Aluminum
Plastic
Water Temps with each.
Walk around and help students
Keep students on task.

Students Will:
Students will open and log into
laptops/iPads
Pay close attention to finding website
and learning how to navigate
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/webfunche
m/specificheat/specificheat.htm
Ask questions when needed
Complete data table and graph in
science notebook.
When finished with online activity,
data table, and graphing, complete the
exit ticket.

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
Co-teacher can help struggling students and keep students on task (not
visiting other webpages)
Instructor can allow students to work together or alone- based on
preference- but each student needs to complete their own data table and
graph in their science notebooks.
Evaluate
How will students have an opportunity to summarize the big concepts they learned (separate from the
assessment)?
How will all students demonstrate mastery of the learner outcomes? (This should be referenced in
Evidence of Mastery earlier in LP.)

Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Instruct students to open Voice
Open Voice Thread Discussion
Thread Discussion
www.voicethread.com
www.voicethread.com
INDIVIDUALLY post responses to
Instruct students to individually post discussion
responses and respond to at least 1 Respond to 1 peers post
other peers response.
Monitor students during this
evaluation-this needs to be an
individual assessment.
References Used:
http://www.bu.edu/gk12/mikkel/lessons/lesson_files/BalloonHeatingLesson.p

df
http://mindtrekkers.mtu.edu/docs/Lessons%202012/Fireproof%20Balloon.pdf
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/webfunchem/specificheat/specificheat.htm
www.voicethread.com

Balloon 1 (Air)
Time (min/sec)
Balloon Popped
Observations:

Conclusion:

Balloon 2
(Water)

Balloon 3
(Water/Sand)