How Do You Choose the Best Ice Keeper?

How Do You Choose the Best Ice Keeper? Have you ever wondered how long you could keep an ice cube from melting? Your challenge in this investigation is to find a way to keep 2 ice cubes from melting for as long as possible. You will decide with your partner what materials ( ice keepers ) to test. Then you will choose 2 different materials from the ones on the table and set up your experiment. Wrap your cubes quickly and then predict on your recording sheet how long you think it will take for each ice cube to melt. We will use a timer and check them every 10 minutes. Each time we check the cubes, record 1 or 2 words that describe the ice cubes or the ice keepers. When your tests are done, I will ask you: Did the ice keeper work well? Why or why not? Which material would you choose next time? Why would this be a better choice? 1 of 15

Suggested Grade Span K 2 Task Have you ever wondered how long you could keep an ice cube from melting? Your challenge in this investigation is to find a way to keep 2 ice cubes from melting for as long as possible. You will decide with your partner what materials ( ice keepers ) to test. Then you will choose 2 different materials from the ones on the table and set up your experiment. Wrap your cubes quickly and then predict on your recording sheet how long you think it will take for each ice cube to melt. We will use a timer and check them every 10 minutes. Each time we check the cubes, record 1 or 2 words that describe the ice cubes or the ice keepers. When your tests are done, I will ask you: Did the ice keeper work well? Why or why not? Which material would you choose next time? Why would this be a better choice? Big Ideas and Unifying Concepts Change and constancy Cause and effect Design Physical Science Concept Properties of matter Design Technology Concept Design constraints and advantages Mathematical Concepts Comparison of attributes or effects Data collection, organization and analysis Graphs, tables and representations Measurement Time Required for the Task Ninety minutes to two hours (setting up and checking at 10-minute intervals). 2 of 15

Context Winter is the perfect time to investigate the properties of matter through ice, snow, water and gas activities. Prior to this task, my first graders had been collecting different-sized containers of snow to observe and measure the amount of melted water. They had also investigated whether an ice cube keeps longer in a cup of cold or warm juice during the school day. These activities led to the children wondering how long they could keep a cube of ice from melting. What the Task Accomplishes This investigation task is engaging for young children and at the same time a challenge for recording scientific observations. It allows children to use prior knowledge about something familiar, like an ice cube, and to problem solve by using a variety of everyday materials to try to keep an ice cube from melting. The task provides experiences with changing an object from a solid to liquid state, while building skills in predicting, observing, comparing time, using tools, communicating with their partners, and recording in a systematic maner. It is also a great opportunity to introduce the term, variables the materials being tested as ice keepers. The ice cube and time intervals are kept constant and the ice keeper materials are each tested in the same way, making them the variables. This makes the tests fair tests. How the Student Will Investigate A class chart, prepared ahead, is used to keep track of 10-minute intervals. The chart lists each material tested and shows when each cube finally melts. An ice cube without an ice keeper can be listed at the top of the class chart to demonstrate how each variable compares to the unwrapped ice cube, the control ice cube. Give each set of partners two ice cubes. The challenge is to find a way to keep the ice cubes as long as possible. The children will choose two different materials to test from a variety displayed. The partners will need a few minutes to discuss their strategies before the ice cubes are passed out. Pass out the two ice cubes in plastic cups for each cooperative group, and instruct the students to cover up their cubes quickly with the two materials that they want to test. Ask each child to predict how long (in minutes and/or hours) s/he thinks it will take for the ice cube to melt. Set a class timer for every 10 minutes, or provide each set of partners with sand timers. As the cubes are checked at regular 10-minute intervals, have the children record one or two words that describe the ice cubes or the materials ( ice keepers ) that are used. Have each child keep a recording sheet of observations made during the investigation. Interdisciplinary Links and Extensions Science This activity could be followed up by selecting a material and wrapping one cube tightly and another loosely to see if that will make a difference in how fast the ice melts. There are many 3 of 15

comparisons that children can do with ice and water while using many of their five senses. They can compare a cup of water to a cup of ice in terms of how they look, pour, feel, sound and taste. Students can make their own flavored popsicles in different shaped containers to compare how fast they freeze. Children could do an investigation to discover what conditions make their ice cube melt the fastest and try some of these activities with their families for homework. Social Studies Have cooperative groups study the life that exists and the adaptations that are needed for survival in Antarctica and in the Arctic. Perhaps compare and contrast this to desert life in relation to the need, lack of abundance, and value of water. Make graphs showing average precipitation in each of these places in the world. Language Arts Read stories such as Geraldine s Big Snow, Sadie s Snowball, Stone Fox, and Mr. Popper s Penguins, which would lend themselves to writing stories about snowstorms the children have experienced, making snowmen with friends, or ways to keep unusual pets. Use Robert Frost s "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" to introduce writing winter poetry. Movement/Music Guided imagery and music can be used for children to explore moving like snowflakes or depicting changes from rain to snow to sleet. Experiment with movement how an individual snowflake might move to begin to form and crystallize, to float lightly, to blow in a blizzard and to become part of a snowbank. Mathematics/Technology Investigate Snowflake Bently s research photographing snowflakes. Cut snowflakes. Use Venn diagrams to sort qualities of ice, snow and water. Practice graphing rainfall to compare amounts in different locations or to compare seasons. Chart snowfall accumulation for two weeks or a month. Use the Internet to find where there is the most snowfall each year. Investigate amounts of snowfall on roofs in the neighborhood. What types of angles or roof materials hold more or less snow? Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions Some questions that children could be engaged with during this activity might be: Did the material you chose work well? Why or why not? Which material would you choose next time? Can you use your data to show why would this be a better choice? Why do you think the ice keeper works? How is winter clothing like the ice keeper? How is insulation in your home or in a thermos like the ice keeper? How does water pour compared to ice? sound compared to ice? feel compared to ice? Is the color of water different from the color of ice? (Water is the same color all over, ice has color in the middle.) 4 of 15

How is the shape different between ice and water? (Liquid does not have a shape, it takes the shape of the container.) Which is easier to pick up snow, water or ice? Why? Can you describe how ice changes as it melts? What do you think you might do to make water freeze faster or slower? Concepts to be Assessed (Unifying concepts/big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Science Exemplars Rubric under the criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content) Physical Science Properties of Matter: Students observe and compare physical properties of matter and use the terms solid and liquid appropriately. Design Technology Constraints and Advantages: Students observe that some materials are better than others, depending on the task and characteristics of the materials. Scientific Method: Students determine the patterns and/or which kinds of change (changes in melting ice) are happening by making a graph or table of measurements (change and constancy). Students observe and explain reactions when variables are controlled (cause and effect). Mathematics: Students understand and apply more than / less than and use numerical data and (time) measurements in describing events, answering questions and providing evidence for scientific explanations. Skills to be Developed (Science process skills to be assessed using the Science Exemplars Rubric under the criteria: Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies, and Scientific Communication Using Data) Scientific Method: Observing, predicting/hypothesizing, collecting and recording data, manipulating tools, drawing conclusions, communicating findings, challenging misconceptions and raising new questions. Other Science Standards and Concepts Addressed Scientific Method: Students describe, predict, investigate and explain phenomena. Students control variables. Scientific Theory: Students look for evidence that explains why things happen and modify explanations when new observations are made. Physical Science Properties of Matter: Students describe and sort objects and materials according to observations of similarities and differences of physical properties. 5 of 15

The Designed World: Students explain that tools extend the ability of people (to make things, to move things, to shape materials) and that manufacturing requires a series of steps and, depending on the task, careful choice of materials (based on their characteristics). Suggested Materials Prepare ice cubes the night before so that each set of partners can have two. When the ice cubes are made in the trays, try to control the water level so the cubes are as equal in size as possible. I bring in a variety of materials to test as ice keepers, such as sand, shavings, grass seed, Styrofoam peanuts, different kinds of cloth (cotton, satin, plastic, fleece), bubble plastic, foil, plastic wrap and road salt. There are many other materials that could be tried. I also make little signs on 3x5 cards so children know what the material is. This also helps them when they write the names of materials on their recording sheets. Having a supply of clear plastic cups or recycled margarine tubs is helpful to hold the ice and materials. Use cooking-timers or sand timers with intervals of 10 minutes, for partners to share. Brainstorm a list of words ahead of time that students might use to describe their cube or ice keeping materials, so it is not a struggle for children who are not as confident writing or retrieving vocabulary. These can be written on a word chart with the heading describing words or scientific descriptions. Although I did not use little clock faces on the recording sheets, that could also be added, and students could combine a lesson on time with this investigation. Possible Solutions In this particular task, I am not looking for accurate predictions about the time it will take for the ice cube to melt. Young children find time complicated to understand, and they require a lot of practice with timed activities in order to be more accurate in their predictions. I am looking for an accurate log of 10-minute intervals with a describing word that varies as each child observes changes in the ice cube or in the material that surrounds the ice cube. I will often question and record children s conclusions at the end of the activity to find out what connections they have made from this task. This task was hard to manage in terms of the amount of time it took keeping track of the ice cube every time the timer went off, while at the same time working on the daily routine of reading, mathematics and snack break. I still found that the children were very engaged in this activity and stopped whatever they were doing to check their ice keeper and cube. This task demanded a lot of responsibility, focus and cooperation in observing and recording. Note: This is not a task to use with first graders in the first half of the year, unless structured as a guided, whole-class activity. It works better during flexible activities, such as silent reading time, snack time or time given for completing other short work tasks, rather than during longer lessons. 6 of 15

Task-Specific Assessment Notes Novice This student s solution is incomplete, but it does show a beginning understanding of the task. The student chose cotton cloth and sand to test for ice keepers. The timed task went from 10 minutes to 90 minutes, but many intervals are not recorded. The choice of words used for observations remains very limited to wetter or smaller. Predictions made are the same for the ice kept in the sand and in the cloth evidence of limited scientific reasoning. Apprentice This student s solution is not complete, but there is some attempt to show scientific observations and recordings in intervals. There are predictions for the shavings and sand, and some variety in describing words, though with a little help recording. There are observations about the condition of the ice cube and the ice-keeper's materials. Conclusions are sketchy but do refer minimally to the data for the shavings. Practitioner This student completes the activity, investigating with fleece cloth and Styrofoam peanuts. The timed estimations are more accurate, because it did take approximately 80 minutes to complete this investigation. The words recorded for the observations demonstrate more variety and precise observations. In an interview, the student's explanations demonstrate more understanding of cause-effect relationships with the ice cube and ice keeper materials. Conclusions are linked to the hypotheses and to the data collected. A new hypothesis is suggested regarding air. Expert This student s solution is complete, and the recordings show a systematic use of observations. Cotton cloth and Styrofoam peanuts were used for testing. The timed predictions are very accurate, with 80-90 minutes used for the investigation. This student makes clear observations about the ice cube and the ice-keeper materials. Conclusions are linked to the hypotheses and to the data collected. Comparisons between the two materials are made. A new hypothesis is suggested regarding air. There is evidence of reasoning and extended thinking (e.g., about fleece clothing and its ability to keep cold out). 7 of 15

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