Contributed by: Oregon State Department of Education
Materials
- bowls
- baby food jars
- graduated cylinders
- thermometers
- stopwatch, watch, or clock
Directions
We are trying to reduce our use of fuels. One place to start is
to use less fuel in heating our homes and buildings. We can do that
by using good insulation. What materials should we use? What are
the best insulators?
Your task is to plan, design, and conduct an investigation to answer
a scientific question. The question is "What are the insulating
abilities of newspaper, aluminum foil or other materials?"
1) Under the heading "PROCEDURE" list, in order,
the steps you will use to answer the question. You may include
a diagram to help illustrate your plans for the investigation.
Include any safety procedures you would follow. Make your procedure
detailed enough, so someone else could follow it easily.
- Construct a data table or chart or indicate any other method
you could use to record your observations and results that will
be obtained.
- Perform the investigation by following the steps outlined in
your procedure. Be sure to note any changes to your listed procedures
and tell why.
- Under the heading "RESULTS" record your observations
and measurements. Write statements or paragraphs and/or use tables
and graphs where appropriate.
- Under the heading "CONCLUSIONS," write an interpretation
and analysis of your results. Note any limitations to your investigation.
What additional investigations or questions were suggested as
you did your investigation?
- Under the heading "SCIENTIFIC QUESTION," based on
what you learned in your investigation, write your own question
that can be answered with further scientific inquiry using the
same classroom materials that you had for this investigation.
- Write a report of your experiment, including the sections mentioned
above.
Compare your results with your classmates.
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