Heat transfer experiment:
I chose a variety of household materials, some of which I was sure would make good insulators and others that I was surprised by. Thinking back, the aluminum foil would not have made a good insulator, as it is a good conductor of heat; allowing heat to move through it, not containing the heat. The fleece blankets made the best insulators, which made the most sense, as that is what we use as our bedding to keep us warm at night.
In order to set up a similar experiment for students, I would tell them that they are clothing designers and they have clients in Alaska and in the Bahamas. The different clients have different needs, although the same information could be learned from one experiment. The Alaskan clients need to know what materials make the best insulators, whereas the Bahaman clients need to know which materials will dissipate the heat the quickest.
I enjoyed the transfer of heat experiment. I know that if I put it in a real-world context of clothing designers, the students would enjoy learning the concepts of thermal transfer or dissipation. Anytime a science concept can be applied to a real-life experience, students tend to make more connections with the science concepts.
