Solar Convection

Solar Convection
https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/solar-convection/

Lawrence Hall of Science, Science Friday

In this activity, students will use hot and cold water to see how fluids at different temperatures move around in convection currents.

This learning activity takes 30min

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Activity supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Performance Expectations: 4

MS-PS1-4: 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

MS-PS1: Matter and its Interactions

Middle School:

Physical Sciences:

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 8

MS-PS1.A3: Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other.

MS-PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

MS-PS1: Matter and its Interactions

MS-PS3.B3: Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.

MS-PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

MS-PS3: Energy

Middle School:

Physical Sciences:

Cross Cutting Concepts: 10

Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and effect

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Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and effect

MS-C1.2: Patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships can provide information about natural and human designed systems

MS-C1.3: Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.

MS-C1: Patterns

MS-C2.2: Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.

MS-C2: Cause and effect

MS-C5.2: Within a natural or designed system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.

MS-C5.3: Energy may take different forms (e.g. energy in fields, thermal energy, energy of motion).

MS-C5.4: The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system.

MS-C5: Energy and Matter

Middle School:

Science and Engineering Practices: 4

Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Asking Questions and Defining Problems

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Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Asking Questions and Defining Problems

MS-P1: Asking questions and defining problems in 6-8 builds on K-5 experiences and progresses to specifying relationships between variables,and clarifying arguments and models.

MS-P2: Developing and Using Models

MS-P3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Middle School:

Grade Level

Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy is a physical quantity

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

Educators may want to consider this as an introductory demonstration or modeling activity but will want to have additional activities planned that go more in-depth.
Additional activities can be found on the Lawrence Hall of Science website or on the DIYSunScience app available for iPhones or iPads.
The lesson could go much deeper with assessment questions, exploring energy concepts, and connecting to students' lives so teachers should consider supplementing with those concepts.
Educators may want to make connections to weather and ocean currents.

About the Content

Students explore the process of solar convection by modeling convection with hot and cold water of different colors.
Climate change connections are not made explicitly, but this activity could also be used to introduce concepts like ocean currents and their connection to climate change or many of the Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education.
Connections aren't made to defining thermal energy, the role of the Sun as Earth's energy source, or how convection plays out on Earth, nor connections to climate change and human impacts so teachers may want to supplement with some discussion on these topics.
Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

The activity is excellent for showing how the temperature of water affects its density.
Better as a whole class demonstration rather than in partners.
The hands-on nature of the activity is engaging for students and will generate many questions and observations.
Not all lesson elements are present, but the teacher could use this as a core activity to develop a lesson plan for their students' specific needs or even include the scientific process.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

The concepts and steps are laid out clearly and are easy to follow.
Educators would need some prep time to make ice cubes and gather materials.

Entered the Collection: March 2023 | Last Reviewed: January 2025

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