Course Description

DESCRIPTION
Heat energy plays a critical role in natural processes and in human life. Global warming has also focused considerable attention on the processes that control temperatures at the earth’s surface. By acquiring a working understanding of the nature of heat, students in Grade 7 will gain new insights into the ways that heat affects our world. Students will learn about the causes and effects of heat, investigate its properties, relate it to geological and meteorological processes, and use their new-found knowledge to design a device to minimize heat transfer. They will also use particle theory to help them explain their observations. Experiments with heat require that students identify and explain the importance of practices that ensure their personal safety and the safety of others. This includes knowing why very hot water should always be carried in a closed container (e.g., an insulated flask) and why they should stand when heating things and hold objects that are being heated well away from themselves