Resource #V101592

Précis

Students can explore the steam elements of the locomotive and how the water changes into steam, identifying the basic elements of the process.

Contextual Summary

This resource is for key stage 3 students who are covering ?States of Matter? as part of the compulsory science element of the National Curriculum.

It allows students who visit Isle of Wight Steam Railway to engage with the scientific concepts within the railway environment and to identify how materials change due to various processes, including combustion.

Students can explore the steam elements of the locomotive and how the water changes into steam, identifying the basic elements of the process. They can see the water being added at the station, witness the coal fire being stoked, and the resultant expansion of the steam being harnessed to provide traction.

Curriculum Relevance

Science → Chemistry → Properties and Changes of Materials

Implementation

This task can be introduced to students before their visit to Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The resource assumes that students have covered atoms and molecules as particles, changes with temperature in respect of motion and spacing of particles, the particulate nature of matter; the properties of the different states of matter in terms of particle kinetics, and the changes of state in terms of particle kinetics and energy changes.

This resource helps consolidate the learning above and show particle kinetics and energy changes in real life situations. When on site at the railway, students can then complete the questions on the sheet as they move around the venue. This will focus students? attention on the key areas for learning.

Key Skills Practised

• Understanding the properties of the different states of matter and how they change
• Understanding the particulate nature of matter
• How energy is created and how it changes through various processes

Learning Opportunities

Pre-Visit

Students need to have covered work on atoms and molecules as particles, motion and spacing of particles, the particulate nature of matter, the properties of the different states of matter in terms of particle kinetics.

On Site

Completion of this activity

Post-Visit

Class discussion/Q+A; completion of labelled diagrams, PowerPoint slides or animations showing these examples; finding other examples of particle kinetics and energy changes in action around us; class discussion about the scientific processes/techniques used by the railway team

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how particle kinetics and energy changes function in real life situations.