Heat TransferGrade 6 Science for Kids

Conduction, convection and radiation, conductors and insulators.

Heat Transfer helps sixth graders sort examples of conduction, convection and radiation, race butter melting on spoons and find the best wrap to keep a drink hot. Physics kids can feel in everyday life.

  • Grade 6 · Ages 11–12
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Three Ways Heat Moves
  • Heat Detective
  • Conductor Race
  • Butter Melt Race
  • Keep It Hot
  • Wrap Test

Science lab course · Grade 6

Heat Transfer · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Sort examples of conduction, convection and radiation, race butter melting on spoons, and find the best wrap to keep a drink hot.

  • Heat moves by conduction, convection and radiation, always from hot to cold.
  • Metals conduct heat quickly. Wood and plastic are insulators that slow heat down.
  • Insulators like wool trap air and slow heat loss, keeping the drink hottest.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Three ways heat moves

    Conduction, convection and radiation explain cooking, weather and keeping warm.

  • Insulation

    Testing wraps shows why we use thermoses, coats and home insulation.

  • Energy efficiency

    Understanding heat helps kids think about saving energy at home.

Inside Heat Transfer

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Three Ways Heat Moves

    Heat always moves from hotter things to cooler things.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Heat Detective

    Heat is on the move all around us. Is each example conduction, convection or radiation?

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Conductor Race

    Thermal conductors let heat move through them quickly. Metals are great conductors.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Butter Melt Race

    Let's stand three spoons in hot water with a blob of butter on each handle. Which butter melts first?

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Keep It Hot

    Good insulation keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Wrap Test

    Let's wrap cups of hot water in different materials and check their temperature after 20 minutes.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Three Ways Heat Moves

Heat always moves from hotter things to cooler things.

Conduction: heat passes through touching materials, like a hot pan handle.

Convection: warm liquids and gases rise and cool ones sink, making currents.

Radiation: heat travels as waves, even through empty space, like sunlight.

Conductor Race

Thermal conductors let heat move through them quickly. Metals are great conductors.

Insulators slow heat down. Wood, plastic and air are insulators.

That's why pan handles are often made of plastic or wood!

Keep It Hot

Good insulation keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.

Trapped air is a great insulator. Wool and foam are full of air pockets!

Shiny foil reflects heat radiation back.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Wrap three cups of warm water in foil, a towel and nothing. Check which stays warm longest with a thermometer.

Heat Detective

  1. Hold your hand near (not on!) a warm mug: radiation.
  2. Touch the mug: conduction.
  3. Watch steam rise above it: convection.

Heat moves by conduction, convection and radiation, always from hot to cold.

Butter Melt Race

  1. With a grown-up, put metal, plastic and wooden spoons in a mug of hot water.
  2. Put a small blob of butter near the top of each.
  3. Watch which slides off first!

Metals conduct heat quickly. Wood and plastic are insulators that slow heat down.

Wrap Test

  1. Wrap 3 jars of warm water: one in a sock, one in foil, one bare.
  2. Wait 20 minutes.
  3. Feel or measure: which stayed warmest?

Insulators like wool trap air and slow heat loss, keeping the drink hottest.

Practice

Grade 6 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Heat Transfer. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    Heat always moves from…

    • A.Hot to cold
    • B.Cold to hot
    • C.Up to down
    Show answer

    Hot to cold

  2. Question 2

    Which is the best heat conductor?

    • A.Wood
    • B.Metal
    • C.Plastic
    Show answer

    Metal

  3. Question 3

    Which kept the water hottest?

    • A.Nothing
    • B.Paper
    • C.Wool
    Show answer

    Wool

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Heat Transfer · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Heat Transfer is a grade 6 science course for kids ages 11–12. That is Year 7 science in the UK and Year 6 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Sort examples of conduction, convection and radiation, race butter melting on spoons, and find the best wrap to keep a drink hot. Along the way they practice: Heat moves by conduction, convection and radiation, always from hot to cold; Metals conduct heat quickly. Wood and plastic are insulators that slow heat down; Insulators like wool trap air and slow heat loss, keeping the drink hottest.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Heat Transfer is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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