Oklahoma Science PH.PS3.4

ScienceGrades 9–12Energy

The Standard

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy between components in a closed system results in a more uniform distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (2026)

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students plan a test with warm and cool water in separate sealed bags inside a covered foam box. They measure both temperatures over time to find out whether the readings move closer together.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student records temperatures at set times and graphs both sets of readings. They explain that energy moves from the warmer water to the cooler water, so the temperatures grow closer.
Common Misconceptions: Students may say cold moves into the warm bag or that energy disappears as the warm bag cools. Some think equal temperatures mean both bags contain the same amount of thermal energy.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Two equal bags of water start at 40°C and 20°C and touch inside a closed foam box. Which temperature rises, which falls, and why?

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Tape temperature strips to sealed bags of warm and cool water, press them together in a covered foam box, and record readings every five minutes.
Ask students to write where the energy from the warm bag went, using two readings from their test as evidence.
Give pairs cards showing starting and ending temperatures for two water bags; have them sort plausible changes from implausible ones.
Place a sealed warm food container and a chilled drink in an insulated lunch bag; compare their temperatures before and after 30 minutes.

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