Keeping Warm in the Arctic

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Anthony Sherman
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1 Keeping Warm in the Arctic Age minutes XL Catlin Arctic Live 2018 Running for a fifth year, XL Catlin Arctic Live is the northernmost live education event that connects classrooms globally to members of the UK science expedition team based at the UK Arctic Research Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Curriculum Links Science Compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and compare how some living things are adapted to survive in extreme conditions Give examples of how structure relates to function Working Scientifically Ask relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests Make systematic and careful observations and take accurate measurements using standard units, taking repeat readings when appropriate Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results Lesson overview Surviving in the extreme conditions of the Arctic is very hard and explorers need the right kit to survive. One of the most important properties they are looking for in materials is insulation. In this activity, students will investigate different materials and compare how good they are as insulators. While waiting to measure and record the results, students will be encouraged to think about how Arctic animals keep warm. They can pretend to be an Arctic animal and find out whether a layer of fat is a way of keeping warm by trying on a pair of blubber gloves. Resources This Arctic Live investigation incorporates two activities: Keeping warm in the Arctic To print per student Investigating insulating materials student sheet Per group A thermometer Measuring jug 3 heat resistant cups with lids 6 elastic bands Access to warm water Access to a cool area, e.g. a fridge Sticky labels and a marker 3 different materials e.g. fleece, cotton wool, and bubble wrap (we suggest having lots of options from which students can choose) Safety and Guidance Do not use boiling water. The recommended safe limit is 43 C. Carry any containers with two hands. Check that any fat being used is culturally appropriate and will not trigger any allergies. Check that any gloves being used will not trigger any allergies. Blubber gloves Per class Large container or bucket Lots of ice Timer (optional) Plastic bags or rubber gloves Towels for drying off hands Fat, such as margarine or animal equivalent such as suet, butter or lard If possible, use break safe thermometers. Use thermometers with an antiroll cap. If this is not possible, place the thermometers in a cup when not in use. Do not hold your hand in the ice water for more than one minute. Take your hand out of the water if it starts to feel painful.

Running the activity Key 10 This live investigation engages students in an investigation comparing clothing materials while also providing an opportunity to consider how other organisms survive

Then they ll proceed to speak about the climate in the Arctic and staying warm.

Then they will speak about how they can set-up a fair test to compare materials.

2 Running the activity Key 10 This live investigation engages students in an investigation comparing clothing materials while also providing an opportunity to consider how other organisms survive without clothing. Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop and a member of the expedition team will say a brief welcome, including shout-outs to registered classes. Then they ll proceed to speak about the climate in the Arctic and staying warm. The investigation team will explain briefly that they want their clothing to be insulating and question which materials may be most insulating. Then they will speak about how they can set-up a fair test to compare materials. Information background or further information to guide an activity or explanation Group activity for students to complete in pairs or small groups Watch students watch a demonstration or video Student groups should take a moment to choose 3 materials they want to compare. Student representatives will be invited to share which materials they have chosen and which they think will be the best insulator. Then the investigation team will demonstrate how to set-up the investigation, described below. Each group should set up their investigations as demonstrated. Steps for Keeping Warm in the Arctic (Part 1) 1. Half fill your three cups with warm water (no warmer than 43⁰C). 2. Measure the temperatures and record these for each of the different materials on a separate piece of paper. 3. Quickly and carefully put the lids on your cups and wrap each one in a different material using the elastic bands to keep the material in place. 4. Label your cups with a sticky label.. Place the cups in a cool environment, e.g. a fridge, at the same time. 6. Leave them for about 1-20 minutes (the investigation team will prompt everyone to pull the cups out at the same time).

Running the activity 10 The investigation team will discuss about their clothing in more detail and then talk about adaptations that other organisms have for staying warm.

3 Running the activity 10 The investigation team will discuss about their clothing in more detail and then talk about adaptations that other organisms have for staying warm. The investigation team will introduce a way for students to experience what it might be like to have a layer of blubber for keeping warm. You should have a large container filled with lots of ice and water. Students will take turns feeling what it s like to have their bare hands in the ice water and then comparing what it feels like when they have their hands in blubber gloves. Steps for blubber gloves i. Students should try putting their hand in the ice water bath. If you have a small group, you can have the students time how long they can keep their hands in before the cold becomes unbearable (don t exceed 1 minute). ii. Fill one of the bags or gloves two thirds full with fat. iii. Put one of your hands in another bag or glove then push it into the fat-filled bag or glove. Hey presto! A blubber glove. iv. Roll the ends of the bags or gloves together and seal with tape to stop any fat escaping. v. Put your blubber glove in your freezing cold water and compare to before. If you measured how long you held your hand in the water, then see how long you can hold your hand in the water with your blubber glove. The investigation team will instruct everyone to get their cups out of the cool place so that they can measure the temperature and work out the change in temperature. Groups should follow the rest of the instructions to determine the temperature difference before and after the investigation Steps for Keeping Warm in the Arctic (Part 2) 7. Collect your containers and unwrap them carefully. 8. Measure the temperatures again and record these new temperatures for each of the different materials on your sheet of paper. 9. Work out the difference between the temperatures before and after the investigation. Students should discuss the questions on the student sheet. The cup that lost the least amount of heat had the best insulator around it. A few international student representatives will report their results. Then the investigation team will conclude the investigation with a brief summary of what was learned. The results will depend on the materials used, however, expect fluffy materials to be better insulators as they trap air.

4 Find out more Polar kit and clothing The three key factors for suitable clothing are: moisture management, durability and wind-resistance. The material that makes up the Explorer Team s clothing is a combination of natural and synthetic fabrics. The temperature range the suits can withstand is - C to -0 C. Clothing worn against the skin should be made of synthetic material in order to absorb sweat from the body and dry as soon as possible. Frostbite is most common at the extremities of the human body: toes, fingers and nose. These are the areas which need most protection while working in a cold environment. Three layers of gloves are worn: an outer mitt, a mid-layer glove and a pair of thin base-layer gloves. It is critical to keep feet warm and insulated, as well as making sure there is enough room for the feet to move inside the boots. This is so circulation is not cut off and the risk of frostbite minimized. To protect the neck and head, scientists and explorers wear woolly hats, neck-overs, buffs and facemasks. If the team are not doing a physical activity and therefore not generating much heat of their own, a down jacket is worn. Adaptations Animals have adapted to living in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic in different ways. Some have thick fur, and others have a layer of blubber. The blubber or thick fur is known as an adaptation. For more on adaptation and evolution see the Subject Update on Evolution <bit.ly/de_evolution>.

5 STUDENT SHEET: INVESTIGATING INSULATING MATERIALS Instructions You will be setting up your experiment like the diagram below. Inside the cup Outside the cup Lid Cup Material Warm water 1. Fill your cups with warm water. 2. Measure the temperatures and record them in the table below. 3. Quickly and carefully put the lids on your cups and wrap each one in a different material. 4. Put a sticky label with your names on top.. Place the cups in a cool environment. 6. Leave them for 1 minutes, use the stopwatch to time this. 7. Collect your containers. 8. Unwrap them carefully. 9. Measure the temperatures again and record them in the table below. 10. Work out the difference between the temperatures before and after the experiment. Table Material Temperature ( C) Before After Difference

6 STUDENT SHEET: INVESTIGATING INSULATING MATERIALS Discussion questions 1. Which cup has the biggest difference in temperature? 2. Which cup has the smallest difference in temperature? 3. Which cup lost the least heat? 4. Which material is the best insulator?. How can you tell? 6. Do the results support your prediction? 7. Which material would you choose for your next polar expedition?

Short Term Planning Science Year 4 Term 1 Topic 4C Keeping warm / Session 1

Short Term Planning Science Year 4 Term 1 Topic 4C Keeping warm / Session 1 Topic 4C Keeping warm / Session 1 Children should be aware that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is. They should realise that "touch" is one method of estimating temperature but that