Currently in our Science unit we are focussing on the season of Winter. Today we were very engaged in an experiment to help us determine if snow could in fact keep something warm.
Under the guidance of our student teacher, we prepared for the experiment. We would use two cereal boxes, each with a thermometer inside, to see if snow can act as a blanket. We labelled them Box A and Box B.
Box A would be placed under a pile of snow. Here is our diagram:
Box B would be placed on top of the snow. Here is our diagram:
We each made a prediction about which box would be warmer at the end of the day. Then Ms. Gallinger bravely trudged out into the snowy courtyard to put Box A and Box B in place while the students looked on from the window.
Here are the boxes. Can you see the pile on the left? Box A is buried underneath and Box B is beside.
Then we left the boxes and went about our day. We wrote clues, complete with capital letters and periods, for a top secret writing project (watch for more on the blog!). We worked on ball control, rolling accuracy, and effort during our phys ed class. Many students devoured the tacos served by our dedicated hot lunch volunteers. We practiced the adding strategy counting on from the bigger number by creating problems about dinosaurs. We even found time to rehearse our spectacular Christmas Concert piece! What a busy day!
Finally, it was time to check the boxes!
Ms. Gallinger checked the thermometers that were inside the boxes all day, and then displayed their temperatures on big thermometers so we all could see.
Box A, buried under snow, had a temperature of -4C. Box B, which sat on top of the snow, had a temperature of -15C. This means that Box A, the one buried under the snow, was actually warmer inside! Wow!
Ms. Gallinger explained that snow can act as a blanket, trapping heat underneath. Tomorrow we will explore how animals use snow to keep warm in the winter!
Great job, Ms. Gallinger!
