Warm in the Winter

Our current Science focus is on seasonal changes in Winter, and today we were exploring how some animals survive the cold. 

Do you think it is warmer under the snow or on top?

This generated an enormous amount of really thoughtful discussion and the students were asked to predict where it is warmer. 

The experiment was simple: bury one thermometer in a snowbank, and leave the other sitting on top of the snow. To protect the thermometers, each was encased in a cookie box.  (Honorable mention to the Beliveau family for eating so many cookies).

Off we went to set up the experiment! Students watched from indoors as Mrs. Beliveau buried one box/thermometer and set the other on the snow. 

We headed back to class and were very busy all morning!

After lunch, we hustled back to check on our experiment. 

Mrs. Beliveau checked the box sitting on top of the snow. The thermometer read -22 degrees C. Then Mrs. Beliveau dug out the buried box. The thermometer read -18 degrees C. It was warmer under the snow!

Many animals have a better chance of surviving the cold winter when there is a lot of snow. This snow acts like a blanket. It traps heat from the earth, as well as an animal's body heat when an animal burrows deep. Turns out that winters with little snow are harder for plants and animals to survive!