Thermal Energy: Added or Removed

Eight real-world scenarios, two bins. An ice cube melting, a puddle drying, dew on the grass, dry ice fogging, frost on a car window - students read each situation, figure out the change of state, and decide whether thermal energy was added or removed to cause it. It doubles as an inference activity: the scenario is the clue, and students reason their way to the answer. A perfect check that they understand the one idea behind all six changes.

What's Included

• 1 student page: 8 illustrated scenario cards (Energy Added / Energy Removed) plus a Sum It Up fill-in with word bank
• 1 teacher key page with the answer and the specific change of state for every card, plus a Big Idea box
• Letter-size PDF, no prep

How It Helps You Teach

• Locks in the organizing principle: adding energy drives melting, evaporation, and sublimation; removing energy drives freezing, condensation, and deposition
• Scenario-based, so students infer the change from a real situation rather than just recalling a definition
• The key names the exact change (with its direction) behind each scenario, making it easy to discuss

Pair It With

Best paired with Reading in Science: Changes of State, and with the States of Matter set. Check out our library for the full collection.

Standards: NGSS MS-PS1-4; DCI PS1.A & PS3.A; reinforces TEKS 6.6A. Part of the Daily Science series by Workybooks.