This heat transfer STEAM activity explores conduction, convection, and radiation as well as physical change and ends with tasty popcorn!!
My girls love any activity that comes with a tasty treat and popcorn is just that! My 6yr old, Charlotte, enjoyed this activity so much and I was very surprised with her level of engagement!
The best part was that all three of my girls (ages 10, 6, and 2) were involved at some point and their little brother bounced like a piece of popcorn in his Jumperoo while we got poppin’!
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Why STEAM Activities?
STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
STEAM, like STEM, is an integrated approach to learning that encourages learners to make connections between the concepts they are learning and how they apply them to real-world problems.
STEAM helps students ask questions, problem solve, think creatively, and produce innovative solutions. Many schools have adopted STEAM learning activities into their curriculum, but it’s never too early to start building critical thinking skills.
We love to learn through play at our house and have a blast doing activities for toddlers all the way to tweens!
Looking for some more hands-on activities that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)? Then you have to check out STEAM Kids!
This book features more than 50 hands-on activities that are organized into easy to implement categories, so you know exactly what concepts your kids are learning!
Grab your copy from Amazon today or get instant access to this great book by purchasing a downloadable PDF!
Key Heat Transfer Terms
- Heat – the flow of energy from warmer substances to cooler substances
- Heat transfer – heat that moves from one substance to another
- Conduction – heat transfer that occurs directly from one substance to another
- Convection – movement in a liquid or gas in which warmer parts rise and colder parts move down
- Radiation – heat transfer that occurs through empty space
- Volume – the amount of space an object or substance occupies
- Physical change – a change in a substance’s form that does not change it’s chemical makeup
Popcorn STEAM Activity Materials
- 1 bag of popcorn
- Popcorn kernels
- Microwave
- Saucepan with lid
- Canola oil
- Air popper popcorn machine
- Stove top or hot plate
- Safety goggles
- Oven mitt
- 2 transparent plastic cups
Get Poppin’ Heat Transfer & Physical Change Popcorn STEAM Activity
CAUTION: Please wear safety gear (goggles and oven mitt) as needed for this activity. Adult supervision required!
Part 1 – Counting Kernels
Count 100 popcorn kernels and place them in a transparent plastic cup. Talk about volume and the space that the 100 popcorn kernels occupies.
Part 2 – Conduction
Add 2 tbsp of canola oil to a saucepan on a stovetop or hot plate. Add 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels or empty 1 bag of microwave popcorn if you don’t have popcorn kernels.
Turn on stove or hot plate to a medium-high heat and cover saucepan with lid. Place saucepan on burner.
Talk about the heat transfer from the pan to the kernels. What is conducting the heat?
Wait for your saucepan to heat up. Once the kernels start to pop, hold the handle of the saucepan and shake carefully.
When you can count to three between pops, remove the saucepan from heat and wait until the pops stop before removing the lid.
Part 3 – Convection
Follow the directions on your air popper and place the popcorn kernels in the popper. Turn on the popper.
Discuss convection and how the hot air transfers heat to the kernels, which makes them expand and pop.
Part 4 – Radiation
Place your popcorn bag in the microwave and set it to the appropriate setting.
Discuss how the microwave is heating the popcorn through radiation.
Part 5 – Counting Popcorn
Count 100 pieces of popcorn and place them in a transparent plastic cup. Talk about volume again and compare your popcorn with the 100 popcorn kernels.
What physical change occurred by adding heat to the popcorn kernels?
Part 6 – Enjoy Some Popcorn!
The best part of this activity, according to Charlotte, was eating the popcorn although she giggled like a maniac while the popcorn was popping on the stove.
Frequently Asked Questions About Heat Transfer
What is Heat?
Heat is the flow of energy from warmer substances to cooler substances.
What is heat transfer?
Heat transfer occurs when heat moves from one substance to another.
What is conduction?
Conduction is heat transfer that occurs directly from one substance to another.
What is convection?
Convection is the movement in a liquid or gas in which warmer parts rise and colder parts move down.
What is radiation?
Radiation is a form of heat transfer that occurs through an empty space.
What is volume?
Volume is the amount of space that an object or substance occupies.
What is physical change?
Physical change is a change in the form of a substance that does not change the chemical makeup of that substance.
Want to connect these heat transfer STEAM activity with other buckets? Check out these extensions!
Science – This activity is primarily science based! You can extend this activity by talking about Energy and Energy Transfer.
Technology – Make a slow motion video of your popcorn popping!
Engineering – Build a bowl out of paper to hold your popcorn after you’ve popped it, so you can eat it!
Art – Use corn to make art with corn kernel prints. Paint your corn with tempera paint and roll it across a blank sheet of paper. You’ll get a pretty neat piece of art!
Math – Count your popcorn kernels in groups of 2, 5, or 10.
Some Books to Read with Your Popcorn Heat Transfer STEAM Activity
We love incorporating books into our activities. Here are some great books about popcorn to read with your activity!
- The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola
- Popcorn! by Elaine Landau
- The Popcorn Princess by Jacqueline McComas
Similar STEAM Activities
- Learn about Static Electricity with this Zombie Crossing Activity!
- Under Pressure! Balloon in a Bottle Activity!
- We Put the Boo in KaBOOm with this STEAM Activity
- How to Pop Popcorn from a Cob from Tinker Lab
31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activities for Kids
This activity is part of our 31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activities for Kids. Every activity focuses on each of the buckets of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) although these integrated projects fit in more than one bucket.
You and your kiddos are going to love all of the activities that we have in store! Visit the 31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activity hub and pin it, so you can come back and visit it daily!
If you’d like to receive your activities weekly, you can sign up for our weekly newsletter!
Remember to follow us to stay connected with our latest STEAM activities for kids!
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Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code
Hey there, I’m Toni! I’m a software engineer and Maker Mom that finds my joy in unleashing my children’s curiosity by exploring STEAM concepts with my fantastic five!
When I’m not chasing toddlers or raising tweens, you can find me tearing things up and putting them back together over here at Our Family Code.
I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!
You can also find out more about me by visiting ToniGardner.com!
Krystal Miller (@hhtfamilyblog)
Monday 22nd of October 2018
My kiddos would be all for this because they get to eat the experiment at the end! :)