Conduction, Convection, & Radiation Complete Lesson Plan - MS

This complete unit provides everything middle school teachers need to introduce students to thermal energy transfer through conduction, convection, and radiation. Students explore the three methods of heat transfer through hands-on investigation, digital learning, and creative outputs. The resource includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, a differentiated station lab, and assessments. Designed for multiday instruction with minimal prep, it emphasizes student-led, differentiated learning so teachers can focus on guiding student success.

Essential Questions for Students

• What methods can be used to demonstrate thermal energy?

• What are conduction, convection, and radiation, and what are examples of each?

Note for Texas teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS and will not be updated for the 2021 standards.

Key Features

• Differentiated supports for learners who need remediation or enrichment

• Multimodal activities to keep students engaged across learning styles

• Flexible formatting—resources are available in both printable and digital formats

• Editable PowerPoints for teacher customization

• Spanish translations of vocabulary, a station lab reading passage, and interactive notebook pages

Instructional Framework: The 5E Model

This lesson is organized around the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—balancing inquiry, practice, and assessment.

Engage

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with discussion prompts, an engaging activity, and common misconceptions

Explore

• A nine-station, student-led lab introduces conduction, convection, and radiation through varied, multimodal activities

Input Stations:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demonstration or experiment

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with comprehension questions

• Research It! – Guided online activity with structured follow-up

• Watch It! – Short video with comprehension prompts

Output Stations:

• Organize It! – Categorization tasks (printable and digital card sorts)

• Write It! – Open-ended responses in complete sentences

• Illustrate It! – Drawing/sketching to reinforce retention

• Assess It! – Vocabulary-in-context and mastery-based questions

Bonus Station:

• Challenge It! – Enrichment activities such as puzzles, games, and mini-projects for early finishers

Explain

• Editable PowerPoints (standard and interactive versions)

• Interactive Notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Guided note-taking organizers

Elaborate

• Student-choice projects on conduction, convection, and radiation to extend or apply learning

Evaluate

• Assessments updated for STAAR 2.0, with both standard and modified versions

• Review worksheets and questions for homework, practice, or class discussions

Flexible Learning Options

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual instruction. The station lab and interactive notebook activities are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making it easy to integrate into blended or online classrooms.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.