AC9S3U03: Identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another

Students learn to identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary and evidence to explain and apply the concept.

Learning routine: Observe → Model → Investigate → Record → Explain

Success looks like

• Recognise heat energy
• Use temperature
• Explain transfer
• Apply in a new context
• Justify with evidence

heat energy

energy transferred because objects have different temperatures

temperature

a measure of how hot or cold something is

transfer

movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler one

The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning.

• Content description: identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another
• E1: exploring how we sense heat and identifying sources of heat such as the sun, fire, electrical devices and geothermal springs
• E2: recognising that changes in heat energy can be measured using a thermometer
• E3: observing and, with assistance, measuring, what happens when a cold object is placed in direct contact with a warm object and proposing explanations
• E4: modelling the movement of heat from one object to another using drawing or role-play
• E5: investigating how well heat is transferred by different types of materials such as metals, plastics and ceramics and identifying how materials are used to keep things hot and cold
• E6: exploring how First Nations Australians developed clothing from animal skins such as possum furs and kangaroo skin cloaks that trap heat close to the body to stay warm (teaching context)

Use reliable, community-approved sources and identify the specific Nation, People or community where the source does. Do not present diverse First Nations knowledges as one generic tradition. Follow local cultural and intellectual property protocols before reproducing cultural material or inviting community participation.

Core idea: Students learn to identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary and evidence to explain and apply the concept.

Remember

• Recognise heat energy
• Use temperature
• Explain transfer
• Apply in a new context
• Justify with evidence

Important questions

• When a warm spoon is placed in cooler water, what happens first? Explain using the model or evidence above.
• Complete the direction. Explain using the model or evidence above.
• Explain show the direction of heat transfer. Explain using the model or evidence above.
• Correct: Heat and temperature are the same. Explain using the model or evidence above.

Read the topic guide and use the teacher slide for instruction. Students can then use the worksheet for written work, open Practice for supported feedback, or take the Test when they are ready.

• Heat and temperature are the same — Heat is energy transfer; temperature is measured hotness or coldness.
• Feature named without effect — Explain how the feature changes meaning or outcome.
• One example treated as a rule — Test the idea with another example.

This table gives closest-topic mapping for search and planning. The Australian Curriculum code is exact; overseas entries are broad equivalents because each jurisdiction structures outcomes differently.

Curriculum equivalents for Sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when...

Mapped skill: identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another

These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.

Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.

• Australian Curriculum Version 9.0
• Victorian Curriculum F-10
• NSW Curriculum
• Common Core State Standards
• Next Generation Science Standards
• England National Curriculum
• New Zealand Curriculum
• NCERT textbooks

• AC9S3U01: Compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals
• AC9S3U02: Compare the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and investigate why they are important Earth resources
• AC9S3U04: Investigate the observable properties of solids and liquids and how adding or removing heat energy leads to a change of state
• AC9S3H01: Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations
• AC9S3H02: Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem
• AC9S3I01: Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
• AC9S3I02: Use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions, including identifying the elements of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment
• AC9S3I03: Follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate