Students recognize that these changes do not occur without the addition or removal of heat. Students become aware that heat transfers from one object to another, and that this conduction can cause a change in a material state. Students also become aware that not all forms of matter react the same way to heat or loss of heat. Teams of students use everyday items in simple investigations to construct their understanding that matter can exist in different states. They begin by exploring the angle of sunlight that hits the Earth's surface and relating differential heating to changes in weather conditions around the world.
Students explore weather systems by observing, measuring, and recording local conditions.
They use tools such as thermometers, rain gauges, and barometers to collect data. With that data, students identify and describe weather patterns and make predictions about future weather conditions. They explore how those systems change as a person exercises and becomes more fit. In this module, students examine possible solutions to environmental problems, such as water pollution from oil spills, solid waste, and destruction of wildlife habitat. They apply the processes of technological problem-solving as they investigate a local environmental problem and propose possible solutions.