Heat Transfer

In this weeks’ application inquiry, I chose four different materials to test their ability to insulate heat.  Four identical mugs were filled with the same amount of the same temperature water.  On each cup a different material was placed on the top and secured with a rubber band.  After thirty minutes the temperature of the water in each cup was recorded (see appendix for table).  The insulators I chose were faux fur, plastic bag, paper towel, and tin foil.
            I chose the fur because I thought it would be a good insulator and I chose the paper towel because I thought it would be a poor insulator (?).  {good insulator and poor conductor mean the same thing} The others I chose because I was just curious.  I also included the students in my class, I presented them with ten different materials to use as insulators and they chose four of them.  The faux fur was the best insulator; the temperature did not decrease by that many degrees.  {Since you measured the initial temperature, you could use that information here.} The next best was the plastic bag.  I was surprised that this, I did not expect the plastic bag to be a good insulator because it is so thin.  Although, it is hard for air to escape from a plastic bag so maybe that had an effect on it.  The paper towel was the third best insulator.  I did not think that the paper towel would do a good job because it was a cheap paper towel that was thin and single ply.  The worst insulator that I chose was tin foil.  This was surprising because one of the reasons people use tin foil is to cover hot dishes to keep them warm.  I am sure that using faux fur to cover lasagna would be very messy, but it would keep the lasagna the warmest.  I think a good experiment would be to find the best type of material (that would be appropriate) to cover food to keep it warm.

Other materials I might choose - saran wrap, paper, fleece, Under Armor cold gear, stocking socks - I think the best would be the Under Armor

Other materials I would want to test - any hot food products - to see which material would keep the food the warmest

How would I set this up for my classroom? I think I would set this experiment up in the same way - I think that reading the story of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears was a good introduction.  I think my students would like being able to set up their own experiment.

Learning objectives for my students - what materials are the best insulators, different types of heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation) -

Engaging in Guided Inquiry

The question I chose was “How do different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles?”

The process:

-        --- Choose three different surfaces, have 2 different sized marbles, and a ramp

-       ---   At each surface place both marbles at the top of the ramp and release the marbles – notice what happens to each marble

-        ---If you have a floor that is slightly slanted you can roll the marbles towards a wall or raised threshold to see how the marbles roll back towards the ramp

-        ---Rolled the marbles from the ramp at least 3 times at each surface

What happened in the experiment:

·         tile floor = both marbles were rolled from a ramp (they weren’t pushed, they were just placed at the top and released) towards a raised door threshold – the large marble bounced off and then stopped close to the threshold – the small marble bounced off and almost rolled back to the ramp – the tile floor is on a slight slant so I placed the marbles next to the threshold and let the marbles roll down the slant, the larger marble always got to the cabinets first, it picked up more speed than the smaller marble

·         carpet floor = both were rolled from a ramp (they weren’t pushed, they were just placed and started rolling) - the smaller marble went farther  

·         wood floor - both were rolled from a ramp (they weren’t pushed, they were just placed and started rolling) - towards a wall – both marbles hit the wall about the same time and started rolling back, the larger marble picked up more speed and made it back to the ramp before the small marble did, the small marble had a hard time picking up speed after it hit the wall – on the wood floor the marbles rolled the smoothest, there were not bumps to make them stop rolling

These were basically the results I expected.  I didn’t think there would have been such a difference in the speed of each marble on the slanted floor.  I was surprised that it took the smaller marble a longer time to bounce off the wall and start rolling the other way.  I thought that the larger marble would have done that.

Everything went well in this experiment.  I didn’t really have any problems.  I didn’t realize that my floor was slanted, but it kind of worked out and added something to the experiment.

Modifications: different sized ramps, a true flat surface (no slanting), an extra large marble and a super tiny marble to exaggerate the difference 

I think I would set this experiment up the same way.  I would have the students choose one question and come up with an experiment.  In my classroom I would have had many different objects that students could use to see momentum. 

Making the experiment relative to students’ lives: what happens to objects in cars during a crash, what happens to groceries in the car when you are driving home

What I would like my students to learn:  how different surfaces affect momentum, how different masses affect momentum – I learned these things from this experiment.

Lesson Reflection

Student Weathering and Erosion Presentations

I thought this lesson went great!  It was very different than anything the students have done in their other classes and it was very different than anything I have done in my class. I hope that my students took away a lot from this lesson.

The students did a good job of finding examples of weathering and erosion on campus, but their explanations of the examples and how it effects humans were not as good as I was looking for.  I think the students got the concept, but they did not know how to write it in words.

Melting Icebergs Experiment

1. Exhibit curiosity

a. In what way do humans contribute to global warming?

Pollution – car emissions – factory pollution

b. How long do we have until the polar ice caps melt completely? 

            Scientists don’t know how long we have until the polar ice pas melt, but the rate at which they are melting is much faster than in the past.

c. Write two other questions about global warming.

            1. What are some ways that humans can lesson their carbon footprint?

            2. What is being done by governments/companies to stop global warming?

2. Define questions, from current or background knowledge

a. What will happen when the ice melts?  Write your prediction your science journal.

            Low lying coastal areas will be flooded.  People will loose homes and businesses. 

Yes, the water overflows because the ice was floating on top of the water and sticking out of the water.  If the ice was completely submerged the water would not overflow because the melted ice would take up the same amount of space as the ice did.  But since the ice was sticking out of the water, there is an excess of water.

3. Propose a possible explanation

a. As the ice melts, does the water overflow? Explain

            No, the ice did not melt.  I thought it would because the ice was sticking out of the top of the water.  The water level seemed like it rose a little, but I did not measure it, so that is just a guess.  I think that if I used more ice, then the water would overflow.  I should have filled the bowl completely with ice.    

5. Gather and record evidence from observation

a. Document observations in science journal

            After the ice melted, the water overflowed the bowl.

6. Respond to question based on evidence

a. What happens when the ice melts?

            After the ice melted, the water overflowed the bowl.

If the ice was completely submerged the water would not overflow because the melted ice would take up the same amount of space as the ice did.  But since the ice was sticking out of the water, there is an excess of water.

7. Consider other explanations

a. Conduct research and complete a Venn diagram that compares various points of view on global warming issues.

8. Communicate explanation

a. Describe the impact of global warming.  Take position on global warming and support this viewpoint with reasons, facts, and examples gathered during lesson activities.

The effects of global warming will drastically change the earth.  People’s lives will be changed and the surface of the earth will be changed.  Some example of how the earth will be changed are the polar ice caps melting, the temperature of the oceans rising, the climates of regions changing, habitats of animals being affected by climates changing, and the list goes on.  I think that humans have a duty to lesson the effects of global warming on the earth.  Every person who lives in a country that contributes to global warming should do their part. 
The result has direct connections to NASA-funded studies conducted last year that found perennial, or year-round, sea ice in the Arctic is declining at a rate of nine percent per decade and that in 2002 summer sea ice was at record low levels. Early results indicate this persisted in 2003. (www.nasa.gov)
Researchers have suspected loss of Arctic sea ice may be caused by changing atmospheric pressure patterns over the Arctic that move sea ice around, and by warming Arctic temperatures that result from greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere. (www.nasa.gov)
Comiso's study also finds temperature trends vary by region and season. While warming is prevalent over most of the Arctic, some areas, such as Greenland, appear to be cooling. Springtimes arrived earlier and were warmer, and warmer autumns lasted longer, the study found. Most importantly, temperatures increased on average by 1.22 degrees Celsius per decade over sea ice during Arctic summer. The summer warming and lengthened melt season appears to be affecting the volume and extent of permanent sea ice. (www.nasa.gov)
The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than scientists had expected and will shrink 40 percent by 2050 in most regions, with grim consequences for polar bears, walruses and other marine animals, according to government researchers. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR2007090602499.html)

9. Extended Questions􀀃

a. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?

            There are many things that could happen if the polar ice caps melt:

1.      change of habitats for animals – for instance, there are many animals that call the Southern Ocean their home and if the ice caps melt in Antarctica their habitats could be destroyed  (http://www.eolss.net/ebooks/Sample%20Chapters/C10/E5-05-17.pdf)

2.      change of climates – Warmer winters are bad news for wheat farmers, who need freezing temperatures to grow winter wheat. And in summer, warmer days would rob Kansas soil of 10 percent of its moisture, drying out valuable cropland. (http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/qthinice.asp#)  

3.      ecosystems/food webs being affected – if ice caps melt in the Arctic Ocean and the  fish that live there dies, this can affect the bears that eat the fish  (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR2007090602499.html)

b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?

            I don’t have any questions about this Science Inquiry Experience.

             

           

Ice Berg Lesson

What happens if the polar ice caps melt?  If the polar ice caps melt then many people are at risk of flooding.  It may also lead to a worldwide food crisis.

I don’t have any questions about this Science Inquiry Experience.  It seems like a cool lesson, and it seems like I will be able to use it with my own students.

STEM Lesson Plan Reflection

First, let me say that I had an issue with the format settings of the lesson plan.  I don't know if anyone else had problems, but it was very hard to edit because of the format that was on the document.

The 5 E strategy was helpful, it helped me sort out each step of my lesson.  I thought it was a little repetitive and slow to use.  I plan my lessons differently. I write my objective first and then plan out my activities for the unit.  Then I write note sheets, activity sheets, homework, etc.  I thought the 5 E's made me reflect more on what activities I chose and why I was choosing them.  I will use that in my planning process, but I will not use the lesson plan format.  It is too formal and slow to do that for each lesson.

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