This article describes some common misconceptions that elementary students may have about energy, heat, and insulation. It also includes suggestions for formative assessment and teaching for conceptual change.

The student will be able to plan, conduct and analyze an investigation of thermal energy transfer.The student will be able to explain the three processes of heat transfer.The student will use science and engineering practices to investigate and clarify concepts of heat and thermal energy.This module was developed by Patricia Kramolisch as part of a Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy STEM initiative sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education.

Students learn about the difference between temperature and thermal energy. They build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. They compare their thermometer to a commercial thermometer, and get a sense for why engineers need to understand the properties of thermal energy.

Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of solar energy available at a given location and time of day on Earth. The importance of determining incoming solar energy for solar devices is discussed.