G8 C01 W1: Week 1 Content - Kairos Academy Skip to main content

Week 1: Week 1 Content

Grade 8 Science | Rosche | Kairos Academies

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**Choose Your Path:** Select one of the following investigation pathways based on your interests: - **Path A:** [topic-specific content] - **Path B:** [topic-specific content] - **Path C:** [topic-specific content]

**Specialist Track:** As you progress, you'll develop expertise in [topic-specific content]. Advanced learners: try the extension challenge at the bottom of this page.

**Career Connection:** [topic-specific content] scientists and engineers use these skills daily in careers like [topic-specific content]. High school [topic-specific content] builds on these concepts.

**You're in Control:** Design your own investigation to answer: [topic-specific content]. Use the scientific method, but YOU decide the procedure, materials, and data collection strategy.

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NGSS Standards Covered This Week

MS-PS1-4 (Primary)

What it means: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

In student language: I can model how particles move differently at different temperatures and explain what happens when we add or remove energy.

3-Dimensional Learning

Dimension What You'll Practice
SEP-2 Developing & Using Models Model particle motion at different temperatures
DCI PS1.A Structure & Properties of Matter Learn how thermal energy relates to particle motion
CCC-5 Energy and Matter Track thermal energy through systems

Success Criteria - How You'll Know You've Got It

Target 1: Explain thermal energy as the total kinetic energy of particles

Self-check: Can I explain what happens to particles when ice melts?

Target 2: Model particle motion in solids, liquids, and gases

Self-check: Can I describe how particles move in ice vs. water vs. steam?

Target 3: Distinguish temperature from thermal energy

Self-check: Can I explain why a bathtub of warm water has more thermal energy than hot coffee?

Why This Matters to YOU:

Every time you cook, refrigerate food, or even breathe, thermal energy is moving between particles. Understanding particle motion explains why ice melts at different rates, why metals feel cold, and how your body stays at 98.6°F. This is the foundation of understanding weather, cooking, and even climate change!

The Phenomenon: The Melting Ice Race

Consider this experiment:

  • Take three identical ice cubes at the same temperature
  • Place one in room-temperature water
  • Place one on a metal spoon at room temperature
  • Place one on a wooden cutting board at room temperature
  • All three environments are at the same temperature (~70°F)

But the ice cubes melt at VERY different rates! The one in water melts fastest, then metal, then wood. Why?

Focus Question: Why does ice melt faster in a drink than in a cooler?

Learning Targets

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

▼ Percy Julian: Pioneering African American chemist who studied how thermal energy affects molecular structure ▼

Scientist Spotlight: Percy Julian & Thermal Science

Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a pioneering African American chemist whose groundbreaking research in thermal science and molecular chemistry revolutionized our understanding of how heat affects matter at the particle level. Despite facing systemic racial discrimination throughout his career, Julian earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry and became one of the most prolific inventors of the 20th century, with nearly 140 scientific publications to his name.

Julian's most significant contributions involved understanding how thermal energy—the exact topic you're studying this week—affects molecular structure and chemical behavior. His research on cortisone synthesis required precise control of thermal conditions, as adding or removing heat fundamentally changed how chemical bonds arranged themselves. He essentially studied at the molecular level what you're exploring this week: how particle motion changes with temperature. His work demonstrated that temperature is not just a number on a thermometer, but a powerful force that controls how molecules interact and transform.

What makes Julian's legacy truly remarkable is his perseverance in the face of extraordinary barriers. He was rejected by major universities because of his race, yet he became head of research at a major pharmaceutical company and made discoveries that shaped modern medicine and materials science. His work on understanding thermal properties of molecules laid critical groundwork for pharmaceutical development, industrial chemistry, and polymer science—fields that touch every aspect of modern life.

Today, Percy Julian is remembered as a hero of both science and civil rights. He proved that scientific excellence—particularly in understanding how particles behave under thermal stress—transcends race and circumstance. His story reminds us that curiosity about how the natural world works, and determination to pursue that curiosity, are universal human qualities. As you learn about thermal energy and particle motion this week, you're following in the intellectual footsteps of a scientist whose dedication changed the world.

Why This Matters in St. Louis

St. Louis experiences extreme temperature swings (90-100°F summers, below 0°F winters), making thermal energy crucial for daily survival. Summer pavement reaches 140°F+ causing thermal expansion in sidewalks and highways. Ameren Missouri's power grid works overtime during peak seasons managing AC and heating systems. Climate change intensifies these challenges—understanding thermal science helps engineers design climate-resilient infrastructure for our city's future.

Vocabulary

Key Vocabulary (6 terms) — Practice Tool

Cognate Strategy: Many science words look similar in English and Spanish — use your Spanish to learn science!

Term Spanish Definition
thermal energy energía térmica The total kinetic energy of all particles in a substance
temperature temperatura A measure of the average kinetic energy of particles
particle partícula A tiny piece of matter (atom or molecule)
kinetic energy energía cinética Energy of motion
heat — Thermal energy being transferred from warmer to cooler objects
absolute zero cero absoluto The coldest possible temperature where particles have minimum motion

Worked Example and Simulation

Common Mistake: "Particles stop moving in solids"

WRONG: "Particles in a solid are completely still and don't move at all."

RIGHT: "Particles in a solid are always moving - they vibrate in place! They're locked in position but still have energy and motion."

Common Mistake

Target 4: Predict particle behavior when thermal energy changes

Self-check: Can I predict what happens when we heat or cool a substance?

Step-by-Step Problem Solving

Problem Scenario

Review the problem scenario and work through each step below.

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Simulation: Particle Motion

PREDICT (before running the sim)

Look at the simulation controls. Before changing any variables, predict what will happen when you adjust them. Write your prediction down.

OBSERVE (while using the sim)

Change one variable at a time. Record what happens after each change. Use the data journal to capture at least 3 trials.

EXPLAIN (after collecting data)

Compare your observations with your prediction. Use scientific vocabulary to explain the patterns you found. What surprised you? What confirmed your thinking?

Practice These Vocabulary Terms

▼ Need extra support? Click here for hints and sentence starters ▼

Key Concept Reminder:

  • Temperature = average kinetic energy of particles
  • Thermal energy = TOTAL kinetic energy of all particles
  • Particles always move (except at absolute zero)

Sentence Starters:

  • "In a solid, particles..."
  • "When temperature increases, particles move..."
  • "The difference between solids and liquids is..."

Word Bank:

vibrate, kinetic energy, temperature, faster, slower, fixed positions, slide past, move freely

▼ Stuck? Click here for step-by-step help ▼

Try these steps in order:

  1. Open the PhET simulation and choose "Solid, Liquid, Gas" tab
  2. Click on one substance (water works well) and observe the particles
  3. Use the temperature slider - watch how particle motion changes
  4. Change the state (solid → liquid → gas) and compare
  5. Still stuck? Email Mr. Rosche with your specific question

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM BELOW

Explore the simulation and answer questions about particle motion.

[EMBED G8.C1.W1 Station 1 Form Here]

Form ID: ________________

Station 2 - Temperature vs Thermal Energy

20 Points | ~15 Minutes

Your Mission: Learn the Difference Between Temperature and Thermal Energy

The Big Question:

A cup of hot coffee (200mL at 80°C) and a bathtub of warm water (200L at 40°C). The coffee is HOTTER, but which has more TOTAL thermal energy?

This station will help you understand the crucial difference between temperature (average particle energy) and thermal energy (total energy).

Common Misconception Alert!

Temperature and heat are NOT the same! Temperature measures average particle energy. Heat is energy being TRANSFERRED from hot to cold.

Key Concepts to Understand:

Concept Definition Example
Temperature Average kinetic energy per particle Coffee at 80°C
Thermal Energy TOTAL kinetic energy of ALL particles Bathtub has more (more particles)
Heat Thermal energy being transferred Energy flowing from coffee to air

WORKED EXAMPLE: Comparing Thermal Energy

Learn by following an expert's thinking process. Week 1 shows ALL steps.

PROBLEM:

A cup of hot coffee (200 mL at 80°C) and a bathtub of warm water (200 L at 40°C). Which has more total thermal energy? Explain using particle-level reasoning.

STEP 1: Identify what thermal energy means

Expert thinks: "Thermal energy = TOTAL kinetic energy of ALL particles. It depends on TWO things:"

  • Temperature (how fast particles move on average)
  • Number of particles (more particles = more total energy)
  • "So I need to consider BOTH temperature AND amount of substance"

STEP 2: Compare the amounts of substance

Expert thinks: "Let me compare volumes:"

  • Coffee: 200 mL = 0.2 L
  • Bathtub: 200 L
  • Ratio: 200 L ÷ 0.2 L = 1,000 times more water in the bathtub!
  • "That's 1,000 times more water molecules in the bathtub"

STEP 3: Compare the temperatures

Expert thinks: "Now temperature:"

  • Coffee: 80°C (particles moving fast on average)
  • Bathtub: 40°C (particles moving slower on average)
  • Coffee particles have ~2× the kinetic energy per particle (rough estimate)
  • "But is 2× per particle enough to overcome 1,000× fewer particles?"

STEP 4: Combine both factors

Expert thinks: "Let me put this together:"

  • Coffee: Small amount × High temperature per particle
  • Bathtub: HUGE amount (1,000×) × Medium temperature per particle
  • Even though each coffee particle has more energy, the bathtub has SO many more particles that its total energy is much greater
  • "1,000× more particles easily beats 2× hotter particles"

ANSWER:

The bathtub has more total thermal energy, even though the coffee is hotter. Temperature measures average particle energy, but thermal energy is the TOTAL energy of ALL particles. The bathtub's enormous number of particles (1,000× more) outweighs the coffee's higher temperature (~2× per particle).

SELF-EXPLANATION PROMPT:

Why can't you use temperature alone to determine which object has more thermal energy? Write your explanation before continuing.

▼ Need extra support? Click here for hints ▼

Memory Tricks:

  • Temperature = Average energy (like average test score for one person)
  • Thermal Energy = Total energy (like total points scored by whole team)
  • Heat = Energy on the move (always flows hot → cold)

Sentence Starters:

  • "Temperature measures... but thermal energy measures..."
  • "Even though the coffee is hotter, the bathtub has more thermal energy because..."
  • "Heat is different from temperature because..."

COMPLETE THE STATION 2 FORM BELOW

Work through temperature vs. thermal energy scenarios.

[EMBED G8.C1.W1 Station 2 Form Here]

Form ID: ________________

Station 3 - Design a Temperature Experiment

25 Points | ~20 Minutes (Highest Value!)

Engineering Challenge: Design Your Own Investigation

YOUR CHOICE: Select Your Investigation Path

You have THREE investigation frameworks for studying thermal energy. YOU choose the one that interests you most! All three can earn full points.

Path A: Melting Rate Investigation (Material Science)

Investigate how different materials (metal, wood, plastic, ceramic) affect ice melting rates when all are at the same starting temperature. Design a controlled experiment to measure which material transfers thermal energy most efficiently. If you value practical applications like cooking, refrigeration, or building design, choose this path.

Path B: Particle Motion & Temperature (Fundamental Physics)

Investigate how particle motion changes with temperature using the PhET simulation. Design a systematic study measuring particle speeds at different temperatures in solids, liquids, and gases. Connect quantitative data to the kinetic molecular theory. If you value understanding fundamental physics and mathematical patterns, choose this path.

Path C: Thermal Energy Storage (Environmental Engineering)

Investigate which everyday materials (water, sand, metal objects, oil) can store the most thermal energy for later use. Design an experiment to test thermal storage capacity relevant to solar energy systems, home heating, or climate resilience. If you value environmental solutions and real-world impact, choose this path.

Why This Matters: Real scientists choose research questions based on their interests and values. Your choice reflects authentic scientific decision-making!

Your Mission:

Design an investigation to test how a variable affects how fast ice melts or water heats up.

Possible Variables to Investigate:

  • Mass of ice/water - Does size matter?
  • Surface area - Does shape affect melting rate?
  • Type of material in contact - Metal vs. plastic vs. wood?
  • Starting temperature - How does initial temp affect rate?

Your Investigation Must Include:

Component What to Include
Research Question Clear, testable question with IV and DV
Hypothesis If-then-because format with reasoning
Procedure Clear steps with controlled variables
Connection to Particles How does this relate to particle motion?
Prediction What do you expect to happen and why?
▼ Need extra support? Click here for design hints ▼

Design Tips:

  • Pick ONE variable to change (independent variable)
  • Decide what you'll measure (dependent variable)
  • Keep everything else the SAME (controlled variables)

Sentence Starters:

  • "How does [IV] affect [DV]?"
  • "If I [change IV], then [DV] will [increase/decrease] because..."
  • "This experiment connects to particle motion because..."

COMPLETE THE STATION 3 FORM BELOW

Design your thermal energy investigation!

[EMBED G8.C1.W1 Station 3 Form Here]

Form ID: ________________

Exit Ticket - Thermal Energy Basics

23 Points | ~15 Minutes

Show What You Learned

Question Types:

  • 4 NEW - Particle motion, temperature vs. thermal energy
  • 0 SPIRAL - This is Week 1! No review questions yet.
  • 1 INTEGRATION - Connect particle motion to energy transfer
  • 1 SEP-1 - Generate scientific questions about thermal energy

Remember:

This is your first Exit Ticket! Starting next week, you'll also have spiral questions that review what you learned in previous weeks.

COMPLETE THE EXIT TICKET BELOW

This is your final assessment for Week 1. Take your time!

[EMBED G8.C1.W1 Exit Ticket Form Here]

Form ID: ________________

Enrichment & Extension
Optional deep dives for early finishers.

Optional content if you finish early or want to go deeper.

Scientist Spotlight

Research a scientist who contributed to this week's topic area and describe their key findings.

Environmental Justice Connection

Explore how this week's science concepts connect to environmental justice issues in our community.

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