We put on clothing to stay warm, so is dressing up Frosty going to keep him cool or hasten his demise? The next time there’s a snow day, use the opportunity to do some great science investigations. Ask students to find out whether or not their snowmen will last longer with or without clothing.
Children will be encouraged to develop their investigative skills: ‘planning’; ‘obtaining and presenting evidence’; and ‘considering evidence and evaluating’.
They will also learn about changes of state and thermal insulation. The investigation aim will be to determine whether a snowman will remain frozen longer if it is insulated.
You can do this investigation in full scale or with miniatures, and if it doesn’t turn out to be a white Christmas, you can model the conditions using ice cubes and bring the fun indoors any time.
