insulation experiment ks1

Hands-on Activity Insulation Materials Investigation

Grade Level: 11 (9-12)

(can be split into two 45-minute sessions)

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 2

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Physics, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Heat up your K-12 students’ interest and sensemaking abilities in the phenomena of heat transfer with the resources featured here by grade band!

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Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, activity extensions, additional multimedia support, user comments & tips.

Engineers, architects and contractors take insulation into account in the design and construction of any building. Engineers create materials that prevent the transfer of heat by conduction, convection and radiation in order to keep cool things cool or warm things warm. We don't want the cold air sneaking into our homes in the winter, and we don't want it escaping in the summer! These materials are installed in homes and other buildings to help lower the energy costs of heating and cooling. Engineers also design thermal insulation for countless other products and purposes, including pipe insulation (so water does not freeze in the pipes or heated water does not lose heat), handling food and beverages, space travel, and even your clothing!

After this activity, students should be able to:

Describe the purpose of insulation materials as they relate to heat transfer.
Describe the basic attributes that are common to insulation materials.
Describe how engineers make decisions about insulation materials.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

NGSS Performance Expectation
HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics). (Grades 9 - 12) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!


This activity focuses on the following aspects of NGSS:
Science & Engineering Practices	Disciplinary Core Ideas	Crosscutting Concepts
Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback!	Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between systems. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Uncontrolled systems always evolve toward more stable states—that is, toward more uniform energy distribution (e.g., water flows downhill, objects hotter than their surrounding environment cool down). Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms—for example, to thermal energy in the surrounding environment. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback!	When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined and their inputs and outputs analyzed and described using models. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback!

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

State Standards

Texas - science.

Each pair of students needs:

small glass laboratory beakers (1 or 5 or more, depending on the chosen set-up)
stopwatch or a similar timing device
low-temperature hot plate
Insulation Materials Investigation Worksheet
blank paper and pencils

To share with the entire class:

assortment of materials to test as possible insulation materials, such as tissues, newspaper, cotton balls, Styrofoam, aluminum foil, cloth, shaving cream, petroleum jelly, snack foods (such as cheese curls), etc.

A basic understanding of temperature and heat is required. Students should know that heat is a form of energy that flows from hot to cold objects. Students must also understand the three methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and thermal radiation.

How many of you have ever crawled around your attic (or a crawl space) before? Can you describe some things that you saw there? (Wait for responses, expect students to mention insulation.)

What does the insulation do? (Listen to student responses.) How does the insulation keep the house cool (or warm)? (Listen to student ideas.) Have you seen insulation used in other places, for other purposes?

It may surprise you to find out that a lot of science and engineering go into designing insulation—it's much more than just pink fiberglass fluff strewn about. One of the main things that engineers focus on is making sure that buildings are correctly insulated. Reducing energy consumption is always a hot topic. Using insulation is a great way to reduce energy expenditures; without it, we would quickly find ourselves in an energy crisis across the U.S. In fact, sometimes that still happens when prolonged heat waves or severe frigid weather overwhelms the electric grid with energy demands for air conditioning or heating, especially in large cities!

So, what makes a good insulator? That's where the physics of heat transfer comes in. Today, we will talk about the three types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and thermal radiation, and see how they relate to our insulating materials experiment.

Let's first talk about the science that relates to heat transfer, so we can understand why insulating materials are so important in the first place. In short, when heat is applied to an object, one of two things occurs: either the temperature of the object rises or it goes through a phase transition. For today's activity, we will focus primarily on the heat added to change the phase for H 2 0 from solid (ice) to liquid (water).

A thermal insulator is a material that conducts heat poorly. Can you think of a good example? (Listen to student ideas.) Well, Styrofoam is a good example. You can comfortably hold a hot cup of coffee or a piece of metal surrounded by just a centimeter of Styrofoam. Heat flows very slowly through it so that the temperature of your hand does not rise very much. Styrofoam gets its insulating ability by trapping spaces of air in bubbles. We use thermal insulators to maintain temperature differences by not allowing much heat to flow. What is the purpose of insulation? Well, heat always flows from a hot body to a cold body, and so the purpose of insulation to slow the flow . That is important for both comfort and survival.

Now, what about the engineering? When engineers design insulation, they are working against heat transfer, trying to stop it as best they can. Insulation is rated in terms of thermal resistance , which is called the R-value of the insulation. The higher the R-value, the higher the resistance to heat flow and the more effective the insulator.

Physicists create all kinds of amazing insulators, but it is the job of engineers to design practical, cost-effective and safe materials that can be put to everyday use into homes or other buildings. What types of insulation materials have you seen? (Listen to student suggestions.) Here are some different types of common insulation materials:

Blankets, in the form of batts or rolls, are made from mineral fibers, fiberglass or rock wool.
Blown-in loose-fill insulation is made from cellulose, fiberglass or rock wool. It is often used to fill in wall cavities or unfinished attic floors.
Foam insulation is typically sprayed using professional equipment. It comes in two forms: open-cell and closed-cell. Open-cell allows water vapor to move through more easily, but has a lower R-value.
Rigid insulation is made from fibrous materials or plastic foams, and manufactured in board-like forms and molded pipe-coverings.
Reflective insulation systems are fabricated from aluminum foils with various backings.
Radiant barriers are installed to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss. Radiant barriers have low emittance and high reflectance.

So—what is the purpose of insulating materials? (Wait for students to answer.) Yes—they are designed to slow down heat transfer. Today, you are going to compare different materials to see which prevents the most heat transfer between an ice cube and a glass beaker!

During this activity, students test the insulation properties of various materials by using ice cubes. The purpose of the experiment is to get students to think about heat transfer and how that relates to the insulation properties of different materials, and why engineers take this into account.

Each set-up includes five (or more) different insulating materials placed in glass beakers. Students time how long it takes a single ice cube to melt in each beaker. You can run the experiment two different ways:

Each group prepares and oversees a set of five beakers and four different insulation materials. Students record the time it takes for ice cubes to melt for each of the materials in its set-up. (One beaker is a control.) Or:
Minimize the time and materials required by using only one set-up of five beakers (or more, depending on class size) and different materials for the entire class, and give each group one beaker from the set-up. Each group measures the time it takes for its ice cube to melt and data is pooled for analysis. (One beaker is a control.)

Regardless of the scenario, students write-up lab reports that include initial hypotheses about which material they expect to make the best insulator, a data table, and conclusions drawn from the data.

Before the Activity

Make sure that you have a method of producing identical ice cubes. Ice trays work as long as each cube is filled to the same depth prior to freezing. Leave the ice cubes in the freezer until you are ready to pass them out.
Gather materials for each group, including an assortment of materials to use as "insulators."
Make copies of the Insulation Materials Investigation Worksheet , one per group.

With the Students

Have students examine each material that you have available. Ask the class to be silent for two minutes while each student writes down a prediction about which material will turn out to be the best insulator. Require they write one-sentence explanations, defending their choices.
Divide the class into groups of two students each.
Give each group five small glass beakers. Have each group choose four different insulating materials they want to test. Direct each group to leave the fifth beaker empty to serve as a control. Ask students to think about what is flawed about using a beaker as a control, and ask them about it when the experiment is over. (See answer at end of Procedure section).
Have students fill the bottom of each beaker with exactly 1 in (2.25 cm) of a test insulating material. Instruct students to pack the insulating material tightly into the beaker, minimizing the presence of air in the insulation (this applies to materials such as newspaper, cotton balls, junk food, etc., which can be compressed). Explain that the presence of air between insulation materials could skew the results because air has insulating properties of its own! Also explain that students must be precise about the volume of insulating materials placed in each beaker so that the trial results can be fairly compared based on the volume of insulating material used.
Have students turn their hot plates on low, and place all five beakers onto the hot plate at the same time. It is important that a group's beakers are placed onto the same hot plate at the same time so that each beaker receives the same amount of heat.
Retrieve the ice cubes from the freezer and give five cubes to each group, instructing them to immediately put one cube into each beaker, and make sure that the cube is resting on top of the material in the bottom of the beaker. Emphasize that groups must keep the temperatures on the hot plates low! Explain that the reason they placed the insulators on the bottom of the beaker was to keep the heat source (hot plate) from reaching the ice cube, in order to assess the effectiveness of the insulating material.
Depending on the amount of class time available, let the ice cubes melt and collect data by either timing or weighing them. Two options.
If you have 30+ minutes of class time, have students time how long it takes for the ice cubes in each set-up to melt. The resulting data collected is the melting times for each material. The material in the beaker with the cube that has the longest melting time is considered the best insulator.
If you are short on time, let the ice cubes melt for at least 20 minutes, then take them out and have the students use triple beam balances to measure the mass of the cubes. If the cubes started close to identical, then the cube with the largest final mass is considered the best insulator.
While groups are waiting for the ice cubes to melt, have them begin discussing the worksheet questions and composing their answers.
Instruct students to check back on their ice cubes regularly to increase data accuracy. If conducting one experiment set-up per class, have students share their data on the board so students can compare them and judge the best insulator.
Have students draw conclusions based on their data and results, and use the worksheet and extra paper to write up lab reports that include their initial hypotheses of the best insulator, data tables with the different times, and their conclusions based on the data. Or, see the alternative and additional concluding activities described in the Assessment section.
Bonus Question: What is flawed about using a beaker as a control? (Answer: The material of the beaker also has slight insulating properties, and a true control would be a set-up that utilized no insulating materials whatsoever. If we wanted to be more scientific about this experiment, we would place the control ice cube directly on a hot plate, and place the other insulating materials directly on the hot plate as well. But, for this activity, we are mindful of the fire-hazard that some of the insulating materials would become if placed directly on hot plates, so we used beakers.)

conduction: The transfer of heat through a substance by direct contact of atoms or molecules.

convection: The transfer of heat by circulation of a gas (such as air) or liquid (such as water).

radiation: Heat radiated in the form of rays or waves (such as rays from the sun).

R-value: A measure of the resistance of an insulating or building material to heat flow (its thermal resistance). The higher the R-value, the greater the resistance to heat flow and the more effective the insulator.

thermal insulator: A material that conducts heat poorly.

Worksheets : During the activity, have student teams use the attached Insulation Materials Investigation Worksheet to record their initial hypotheses about which material they expect to make the best insulator, data (ice cube melting times or, alternatively, ice cube masses), and conclusions drawn from the data. After the experiment is over, have them discuss with teammates the questions on the worksheets. Then have one teammate write-up the odd-numbered answers and the other write-up the even-numbered answers. The questions (and answers) are also listed below, as follow-up questions.

Follow-Up Questions : As an alternative to students writing up answers to the worksheet questions, lead a concluding class discussion, asking them to contribute from their results to answer the following questions.

Based on your data, which material turned out to be the best insulator? Why? (Answer: The ice cube with the longest melting time indicates the best insulator. Or, alternatively, the ice cube with the largest final mass.)
Based on your data, which material turned out to be the worst insulator? Why? (Answer: The ice cube with the shortest melting time was the worst insulator. Or, alternatively, the ice cube with the smallest final mass.)
As an engineer, what conclusions might you draw from your data? (Possible answers: Insulators that did a good job of protecting the ice cube from melting would be appropriate for use in cold climates, and could protect people and their homes during cold weather. Conversely, insulators that did a poor job of preventing the ice cube from melting would be suitable for warmer climates.)
How did your results differ from the predictions you made before conducting the experiment?
What were some controls in this experiment? (Possible answers: beaker size, ice cube volume, insulation material volume, hot plate temperature.)
What method of heat transfer caused the ice to melt? (Answer: Conduction)
What heat processes (convection, conduction, radiation) do you think are most prevalent in and around the beaker? (Answer: Conduction is heat transfer that occurs between substances that are in direct contact with each other, such as a beaker on a hot plate. Therefore, conduction is the main method of heat transfer at work in this experiment. However, if we look hard enough, we might find evidence of convection or radiation as well. Radiation is heat transfer by electromagnetic waves traveling through space, so if you feel warmth on your hands as they hover above the hot plate you are experiencing warming through radiation. Convection occurs when gases or liquids begin to move via convective currents due to heat transfer. As the ice is heated, in cases of poor insulation it may have turned entirely to water, in which case, convection may have begun.)
How does this experiment help us determine the best insulator? (Answer: The best insulator is the one that does the best job of protecting the ice cube from heat transfer. Therefore, this experiment reveals the best insulator through data collection on the length of time it takes the ice cubes to melt, or by comparing the masses of the ice cubes at the end of a given amount of time.)
How might you improve upon this experiment? (Possible answer: The beaker has its own insulation properties, and therefore, impacted the data in this experiment. To better test the effectiveness of various materials for insulation, we would need to place the material being tested for insulation properties directly on the heat source. That way, the beaker would not impact the data.)
What else could you test using this experiment? (Possible answer: We could measure the mass of the ice cubes at various time intervals to compare the rate of heat transfer between various insulation materials.)
What are some causes of error from the hot plates? (Answer: The hot plates may not have uniform temperatures; the inside of a hot plate might be warmer than its outer edge. Additionally, each hot plate is different, so data cannot be confidently compared across hot plates.)
In engineering, why is it useful to know the insulation properties of different materials? (Answer: Understanding the insulation properties of different materials helps engineers meet the varying needs of their clients. In some cases [perhaps depending on the clients' location or project constraints or requirements], engineers employ materials with poorer insulation properties, whereas in other cases, engineers are looking to create thermal envelopes with excellent insulation.)
List at least three attributes that insulating materials have in common. (Possible answer: Insulating materials 1] conduct heat poorly, 2] have high R-values, and 3] slow the flow of heat transfer.)

Recommendations : Provided students (or show the class with an overhead projector) the US Recommended Insulation Levels Chart (or print the same chart from this Energy Star website: https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_insulation_table ). Referring to the chart, have students answer the following questions:

Why are different R-levels recommended based on geographic location? Why does the tip of Florida have a recommended R-value of 1, while Michigan is recommended at 5 or 6? (Possible answer: Different levels of insulation are needed based on climate. In colder regions, more insulation is needed to keep homes warm. The website states that, "Insulation levels are specified by R-value. R-value is a measure of insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-value the better the thermal performance of the insulation." Therefore, an R-level of 5 or 6 in Michigan requires better insulation performance than the low R-level in Florida, where air temperatures are warmer.)
As an engineer, based on your answer to the first question as well as the data you gathered, which insulator from your experiment would you recommend for use as insulation for a home in Florida? (Use your imagination—obviously real engineers would not recommend cotton balls or Cheetos as the new popular insulating material for homes!) What about in Michigan? (Good answers are based on the length of time it took the ice cube to melt. For example, a set-up in which the ice cube melted most quickly indicates a poor insulator, and therefore would be more suitable for Florida).
Have students examine the map and chart information to discuss and compare what they know to the information provided. Find locations where they have lived and share whether or not the map verifies the type of insulation they have seen in those regions.

Safety Issues

Even though students should be using low-temperature hot plates, they should take care in allowing any of the insulation test materials to touch the plates.

While fiberglass has been used as home insulation for a long time, newer, more efficient, safer and greener alternatives are now widely available. Have students research these alternative insulation materials that have been designed by engineers. Examples: new types of batting (such as recycled denim), foam, and loose-fill (recycled paper cellulose). Require reports to describe R-factors, cost, durability and environmental impact. Discuss other issues, such as indoor air quality, sealing the thermal envelope, and adding rigidity to a structure.

Two photos: (left) A room with an exterior glass sliding door and an unfinished wall showing fiberglass insulation between the wooden studs. (right) Exterior view of a window of a house, showing a vapor barrier around the window opening, that will be covered by siding and paint.

Show students the 5:39-minute "Mainstream Green: Insulation" video to learn about the many different insulation products now available: http://www.fanboyreport.com/article/category/videos/517150696/

Students learn about the definition of heat as a form of energy and how it exists in everyday life. They learn about the three types of heat transfer—conduction, convection and radiation—as well as the connection between heat and insulation.

Students learn about the nature of thermal energy, temperature and how materials store thermal energy. They discuss the difference between conduction, convection and radiation of thermal energy, and complete activities in which they investigate the difference between temperature, thermal energy and ...

Students are introduced to various types of energy with a focus on thermal energy and types of heat transfer as they are challenged to design a better travel thermos that is cost efficient, aesthetically pleasing and meets the design objective of keeping liquids hot.

preview of 'To Heat or Not to Heat?' Activity

Students learn the scientific concepts of temperature, heat and the transfer of heat through conduction, convection and radiation, which are illustrated by comparison to magical spells found in the Harry Potter books.

preview of 'Heat Transfer: No Magic About It' Lesson

Hewitt, Paul G. Conceptual Physics , 10th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Addison Wesley, 2006. Chapters 15-18: Heat. pp. 289-360.

How Insulation Works. Energy Savers. Last updated February 9, 2011. Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy. Accessed March 1, 2011. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11330

How Insulation Works. Tech-FAQ, TopBits.com. Accessed March 1, 2011. (Includes a photo showing many different types of insulation products: batting, rigid foam, chips, etc.) http://www.tech-faq.com/how-insulation-works.html

Hsu, Tom. Foundations of Physics . First edition. Teaching & Learning Systems, School Specialty, Science, CPO Science. 2009, pp. 521-538.

Insulation. Howstuffworks.com. Accessed March 1, 2011. http://www.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/chemistry-terms/insulation-info.htm

Insulation Fact Sheet. Last updated on January 15, 2008. Building Envelope Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. DOE/CE-0180 2008. Accessed March 1, 2011. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html

Insulation—The Stuff on the Fluff. Last updated April 9, 2010. Building Energy Codes Program, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy. Accessed March 1, 2011.

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

Created through the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering's NSF Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Program, grant no. 1130006. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: August 31, 2019

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Lessons and Activities about Heat and Insulation

In the elementary grades, students begin to explore the concepts of energy and heat. They learn that the sun is the primary source of warmth and that heat can be produced by activity and machines. They also learn that heat can be transferred from one object to another and that some materials can keep objects hot or cold. Students learn to use thermometers to measure temperature, but they should not be expected to understand the difference between heat and temperature. The focus of activity and instruction during these early years should be on making observations and developing informal understandings, not on formal definitions or in-depth explanations.

Elementary students tend to have many misconceptions about heat. While hands-on activity and continued discussion may be used, teachers should know that many of these misconceptions are persistent and even developmentally appropriate. With the proper experiences and informal exploration in elementary school, students will be prepared to tackle these misconceptions in later years.

In this article, we’ve highlighted lessons that help students answer the following questions: How is heat produced and measured? How can we “trap” heat? How do animals and people stay warm in the polar regions? Teachers may wish to combine lessons from each category to produce an effective learning cycle within a real-world context. Within each section, literacy lessons provide suggestions for incorporating reading, writing, and discussion into the science activity.

We’ve aligned each lesson to the appropriate national standards – National Science Education Standards and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)/International Reading Association (IRA) Standards for the English Language Arts . The entire National Science Education Standards document can be read online or downloaded for free from the National Academies Press web site. The content standards are found in Chapter 6 . The NCTE/IRA Standards may be viewed online as well.

These lessons help students develop a basic understanding of heat and how heat is produced. Teachers may wish to further develop a study of heat by exploring how different surfaces and colors reflect and absorb light. For lessons and activities about albedo, please see “ Hands-on Science and Literacy Activities about Solar Energy ” in the October 2008 issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears .

The Warmth of the Sun (Grades K-2) To help students broaden their understanding of the sun, particularly its critical role in warming the land, air, and water around us. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Earth and Space Science content standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

When Things Start Heating Up (Grades 3-5) This lesson is intended to give students a general idea of how heat is produced from human-based activities and mechanical and electrical machines. This lesson can be adapted to include other examples of heat-producing activities, such as those found in the lesson Heating Up . This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Physical Science content standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

Is It Hot in the Light? (Grades 3-5) In this activity, students will make observations that things in direct sunlight are warmer than things that are not in as much sunlight. Also, they may notice that there may be more heat near asphalt, brick, or cement because heat can be stored and radiated from these, also. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Earth and Space Science content standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4 and 5-8.

Integrate literacy into these lessons with the following:

I Wonder: Writing Scientific Explanations With Students (Grades K-2; modify for Grades 3-5) This lesson encourages second-grade students to ask questions about a specific topic, choose a particular question to explore in detail, and research the question using a variety of resources. Students organize their information on a “What we think we know,” “What we have confirmed we know,” and “ New facts we have learned through research” (TCF) chart. They then collaborate to write a scientific explanation. Teachers could easily modify this lesson to focus on heat. This lesson meets the following NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12 .

In these lessons, upper-elementary students investigate the properties of insulators by testing a variety of materials. Teachers may choose to modify these lessons to include other materials or create an inquiry experience for students by allowing them to select materials and plan their own testing procedure.

Teach Engineering: What is the Best Insulator? (Grades 3-5) In this lesson, students will investigate the properties of insulators in attempts to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. This lesson involves qualitative observations of which cups freeze (or melt) first. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Physical Science Content Standards of the National Science Education Standards for Grades K-4.

Insulation Experimentation (Grade 5 and up) In this lesson, students test a variety of insulators and relate their knowledge to energy conservation. Experimental design is involved, but the lesson is written in such a way that allows students to design their own investigation. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Physical Science Content Standards of the National Science Education Standards for Grades 5-8.

Integrate literacy into these lessons by having students plan investigations, record data, link claims to evidence, and draw conclusions in a science notebook.

Science Notebooks: Integrating Investigations This article from the August 2008 issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears provides an overview of science notebooks and how they can be used in the elementary classroom. Using science notebooks meets the following NCTE/IRA Standards : 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12.

KEEPING WARM

In these lessons, students explore how animals and people can stay warm in cold environments. Teachers may choose to tie these lessons to those addressing insulation by testing fur or cloth in the lessons described above.

Animal Coverings (Grade K) Discuss the different kinds of animal coverings and how each covering protects the animal or keeps it warm. This lesson meets the Life Science Content Standard of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

Dressing for the Season (Grade K) For each change of season, students will observe the weather and then dress a cut-out doll appropriately for a field trip outside. This lesson meets the Life Science Content Standard of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

How Animals Prepare for Winter (Grades 1-2) This lesson teaches students that some animals migrate and others hibernate during the winter months. This lesson meets the Life Science Content Standard of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

Polar Bears: Keeping Warm at the Arctic (Grades K-2) Students learn about the polar bear’s body coverings and how the coverings help the bear survive in the Arctic climate. This lesson can be generalized to apply to other marine mammals such as whales and seals. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Life Science Content Standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

Dress Like a Polar Bear (Grades K-2 and 3-5) Students discuss the polar bear’s adaptations to an arctic climate, then apply what they’ve learned as they design a winter outfit for themselves. The activity includes modifications for both grade ranges. This lesson meets the Life Science Content Standard of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4.

Polar Bears and Their Adaptations (Grades 3-5) Students explore how a polar bear’s body adapts to survive in the harsh environment in which the bear lives. This lesson can be generalized to apply to other marine mammals such as whales and seals. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry and Life Science Content Standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4 and 5-8.

Staying Warm in Antarctica (Grades 3-5) Students will explore the three different types of heat transfer and gain a better understanding of how this transfer affects both scientists and animals that inhabit polar regions. This lesson meets the Science as Inquiry, Physical Science, and Life Science Content Standards of the National Science Education Standards for grades K-4 and 5-8.

Integrate literacy into these lessons by pairing them with the following article and lesson:

Creating Question and Answer Books through Guided Research (Grades K-2; modify for Grades 3-5) As students investigate a topic (the sun and its energy), they use nonfiction texts and the Internet to generate questions and gather information. Students use KWL charts and interactive writing to organize their information. Periodic reviews of gathered information become the backdrop to ongoing inquiry, discussion, reporting, and confirming information. The lesson culminates with the publishing of a collaborative question-and-answer book, which reports on information about the chosen topic, with each student contributing one page to the book. This lesson meets the following NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12 .

Life in a Deep Freeze (Grades 3-5) This article from the children’s magazine National Geographic Explorer describes the various adaptations that keep animals warm in the cold Arctic environment.

This article was written by Jessica Fries-Gaither. For more information, see the Contributors page. Email Kimberly Lightle , Principal Investigator, with any questions about the content of this site.

Copyright December 2009 – The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons license .

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Science project, insulation experiment: keep your body warm.

Ever wonder why your mom makes you wear two or three layers of clothing when you want to go outside and build a snowman? These clothes are actually great insulators , which mean they're made from materials that keep your body temperature from dropping. In this insulation experiment, you'll learn which fabrics help keep you warm on an icy winter day.

Some weather conditions, such as rain, wind, and snow cause our bodies to lose heat. If you don't select the right materials to keep your body warm and toasty, you'll start to shiver from the cold. Wearing warm, insulating clothes allows you to stay outside even longer, having snowball fights with your friends, creating snow angels, and building igloos to play in.

Which type of fabric insulates heat the best?

7 glasses of the same size and shape
Thermometer
Kitchen timer
Notebook and pencil
Before diving into the directions, think about the kinds of clothes you usually wear on a hot day: Are the fabrics heavy or light? What colors keep you cool? What colors make you feel warm? Jot down any notes in your notebook.
Gather together a variety of fabrics. Wool, cotton, denim, lace, fleece, and nylon are all good choices.
Look at the fabrics you'll be testing. Which fabric do you think will best keep the water temperature from dropping? List your guess, which is called a hypothesis , in your notebook.
Place one glass on the table for each fabric that you plan to test. Add an extra glass to be used as your control for the experiment. This glass will get water of the same temperature as the other glasses, but won't be wrapped in a fabric.
Fill each glass with water that reads 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit when a thermometer is inserted in it. Younger children who can't read a manual thermometer should be given a digital thermometer.
Wrap each glass with a different fabric as if you were dressing one of your stuffed animals, leaving the last glass uncovered.
Wait a total of 15 minutes. Kitchen timers are great for kids to use to count down the time.
Using the thermometer, test the temperature in each glass.
Record the results in your notebook. Make sure you can answer the following questions: Did any of the fabrics used around the glasses increase the water temperature? Did any of the fabrics used around the glasses decrease the temperature of the water? Did any of the glasses hold a 98.6 degree Fahrenheit temperature throughout the experiment?

Fabrics like wool and fleece are great insulators and will keep your body warm over an extended period of time. On the reverse side, fabrics like lace and cotton don't hold heat well, and won't keep your body warm very long.

To insulate something means to use a material that allows the least amount of heat to escape. Wool fibers are woven tightly together, and are much thicker than other materials, such as cotton. They don't allow much heat to escape, which means they are great insulators. Fabrics like cotton and lace are breathable fabrics, meaning they allow a great deal of heat to escape. They may be comfortable to wear, but they won't keep you from turning into an icicle on a cold day.

Now that you know which fabrics keep water warm the best, try another insulation experiment to see how different colors are able to absorb heat and keep your water warm. Stick with the same fabric throughout the experiment, like cotton, but use a different color on each glass. You'll want some dark colors and some light. Shine a lamp without it's shade in front of the glasses of water. Wait 15 minutes and then check the temperatures. Did you notice that the darker colored fabrics kept the glasses warmer? This is because dark colors actually absorb more heat than lighter colored fabrics.

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Concept Cartoons: Change of State and Insulation

This concept cartoon explores student's ideas about heat and insulation. A common misconception is that some materials have the property of making things warm. In this case because we have put coats on to keep warm there is a tendency to believe that the coat will also make the snowman warm so that it will melt quickly. In fact the coat acts as an insulator, reducing the movement of energy in either direction.

Millgate House Publishers has donated this Concept Cartoon focusing on change of state and insulation.

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Subject(s)	Science, Physics
Age	7-11, 11-14
Published	2000 - 2009
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Did you like this resource, lists that tag this content, water , posted by rachel jackson, exploration 11-19 , posted by, snow and ice , posted by rachel jackson.

Effective insulation

I can explain how to carry out a fair test to investigate insulators.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

In a fair test, only the independent variable is changed so that no other changes could affect the results.
The variables that are deliberately kept the same are called control variables.
A lid on a beaker prevents transfer of energy by convection currents.
Gas is a very poor thermal conductor.

Common misconception

Heat is a substance that flows through an insulator.

Always refer to it being particle vibrations that are passed on through a material and do not refer to heat moving.

Control experiments - These are done to find a baseline set of results to which others can be compared.

Independent variables - These are factors that are changed during an experiment to see how they affect the dependent variable.

Dependent variables - These are measured during an experiment to see how they have been affected by changes to the independent variable.

Control variables - These are factors that need to be kept constant in an experiment for the test to be fair.

Kettles to boil water, beakers with cardboard lids, larger beakers to hold the smaller ones, thermometers, stopwatches and selection of insulating materials.

Content guidance

Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

the surface of the Sun

boiling point of water

freezing point of water

boiling point of oxygen

typical room temperature

control experiments -

used to find a baseline results to which others can be compared

independent variable -

its values are selected by the experimenter

dependent variable -

it's values are measured to get a set of results

control variables -

kept constant in an experiment for the test to be fair

Additional material

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CP3c - Insulation experiment and worksheet

Subject: Physics

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

22 February 2018

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ColinByrne101

Nice set of resources

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

razeitlin1990

Great worksheet for low ability students. Thanks for sharing.

Good lesson with lots of student lead learning. Thanks

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The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
by Kings of Russia
8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.