Here are some things to think about as we begin the study
of thermal energy:
Before the invention of electric blankets, people used
to take a hot brick to bed, or a hot water bottle. Why
a brick? How would the size of the brick matter?
The instructions for roasting a turkey
recommend taking it out of the oven before it is entirely
done, and then waiting a half hour before serving. How are we
cooking the turkey, if it isn't in the oven?
What is going on inside the turkey?
Everything in a hot oven is at the same temperature. If you touch the oven
rack, you get burned, and yet you can touch a
hot piece of aluminum foil without getting burned.
They are both metals, and good conductors. Why can you
get away with touching the aluminum foil, and not the rack?
Write something about your discussion
to some of these questions -- what you decided, which questions
you were sure of, and which ones didn't seem to make sense.