Ready for action?
Resources
Tangible Resources
Materials to test insulating and conductive properties, stopwatches, thermometers, ice cubes, beakers, kettle, butter, beads, paper towels.
Human Resources
Parents to support students to find materials at home to bring in.
Preparation
Prepare stations for testing materials.
Goals, messages & concepts
Specific goals
- To investigate which materials conduct heat.
- To work as a team
Specific messages
- Materials that allow heat to pass through them easily are called thermal conductors.
- Thermal insulators do not conduct hot or cold well.
Main terms
- material properties
- thermal
- temperature
- conductor
- insulator
Practices & skills
STEM practices
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Planning and carrying out investigations
Soft skills
- Dealing with uncertainty
- Learning failure is a part of learning
- Teamwork and collaboration
Management skills
- Planning
- Use of resources
Course of activity
step 1
In the first part of this Learning Unit, students will think about the interior of the outdoor classroom, remembering that it is not a closed building but a shelter to allow them to be outside in all weathers. They will discuss how they want to feel when they’re using the outdoor classroom.
step 2
Students will then go outside to experience the weather in a mindful way, thinking about how they feel when it is too hot, too cold or wet. They will find out what the prevailing wind direction is and look for existing shelter on the school site such as trees or the side of a building.
step 3
They will learn about the theory of insulators and conductors of heat, considering how this might apply to shelter. They will discuss this in the context of a shelter and materials that are used outside – have they ever sat on a metal bench in winter? How did it feel? Have they ever burnt their bare feet on tarmac on a hot day?
step 4
In the second part of this Learning Unit, students will be asked to bring in items from home that they think will insulate/conduct heat.
step 5
They will test the materials by placing ice on the material and seeing how long it takes for the ice to melt (see Resources for video). The more thermally conductive materials will melt the ice as they 'steal' the cold from the ice – discuss whether this would make a good material choice for the outdoor classroom (structure or something within such as seating).
step 6
They may also test the materials using heat. Place a pea-sized amount of butter on one end of the material, and stick a bead in the butter. Place the other end of the material in a beaker half-filled with boiled water and time how long it takes for the butter to melt and the bead to fall off. The more thermally conductive materials will melt the butter faster as they 'steal' the head from the water.
step 7
Doing both experiments demonstrates that thermal conductors will transfer both hot and cold. Discuss how both insulators and conductors could be useful in the creation of the outdoor classroom. Discuss:
- Where would you use insulation?
- Where would you use a thermal conductor? What time of year?
- Which materials could warm up and store heat, and are environmentally friendly?