My angle on cooling: Effects of distance and inclination
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A lesson plan for grade 6 Science
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In this lesson students examine how distance and inclination affect the amount of heat received from a heat source. Developed by the Challenger center as part of NASA’s MESSENGER Mission, this lesson challenges students to discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced. Students perform experiments that measure how the heat experienced by a test subject changes as the distance or the viewing angle changes. Students learn to distinguish which effect is more important for determining the seasons on earth. They also learn how the MESSENGER mission to Mercury takes advantage of these passive cooling methods to keep the spacecraft comfortable in a high-temperature environment. Science NetLinks provides helpful lesson overviews and detailed plans for teachers and several handouts for students, as well as links to web resources necessary for completing the tasks. This plan also contains links to three similar lessons from Science NetLinks.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 6
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.02: Develop appropriate experimental procedures for:
- Given questions.
- Student generated questions.
- Objective 1.04: Analyze variables in scientific investigations:
- Identify dependent and independent.
- Use of a control.
- Manipulate.
- Describe relationships between.
- Define operationally.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- Explain observations.
- Make inferences and predictions.
- Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
- Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
- Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
- Goal 5: The learner will build understanding of the Solar System.
- Objective 5.01: Analyze the components and cycles of the solar system including:
- Sun.
- Planets and moons.
- Asteroids and meteors.
- Comets.
- Phases.
- Seasons.
- Day/year.
- Eclipses.
- Objective 5.03: Relate the influence of the sun and the moon's orbit to the gravitational effects produced on Earth.
- Solar storms.
- Tides.
- Objective 5.04: Describe space explorations and the understandings gained from them including:
- N.A.S.A.
- Technologies used to explore space.
- Historic timeline.
- Apollo mission to the moon.
- Space Shuttle.
- International Space Station.
- Future goals.
- Objective 5.05: Describe the setting of the solar system in the universe including:
- Galaxy.
- Size.
- The uniqueness of Earth.
- Objective 5.06: Analyze the spin-off benefits generated by space exploration technology including:
- Medical.
- Materials.
- Transportation.
- Processes.
- Future research.
- Objective 5.01: Analyze the components and cycles of the solar system including:
