Prerequisite Activity 3--Keep It Cool
Summary: Students will construct an insulated chamber to keep ice from melting.
Materials: uniformly sized ice cubes, zip lock bags, insulating materials (foil, styrofoam, newspaper,dirt, rocks, fabric, small cardboard boxes, small pieces of colored posterboard, magazines, etc.--use your imagination), measuring cups
TEKS: 2.1A 2.2A thru F 2.3A,B,C 2.5B 2.7B
>Objectives:
Measure liquids
Graph data
Make predictions
Draw conclusions
Procedures:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Create an insulated container which will keep the ice cube from melting. (You might
want to limit the number of different insulation materials the students use.)
3. Let the class vote on how often to check the containers.
4. Pour the water from the zip lock bag into the measuring cups. Record the measurement
and graph.
Questions:
1. Which insulation seemed to work the best?
2. Did the frequency of checking on the ice affect the results?
3. Did the melting rate change or remain the same?
Expanding the Lesson:
1. Repeat the experiment allowing children to change their insulating materials
as well as the time interval for checking. (If you have time to allow for independent work
, some children might like to continue changing the variables.)
2. Once an agreement is made on the best insulation, repeat the experiment placing the
containers in different locations outside.
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Last Edited: August 25, 2000