Submitted by: Sara Keinath

Subject and Grade Level: Science, Grade 6-12

Title: Winter Survival: Insulation to protect the body

Overview: Students perform an experiment to show the cooling ratio of wet and dry socks of different materials

Purpose: To see the effects of material and moisture on the cooling ratio of socks

Objectives (Learner Outcomes): At the end of this exercise students will see how socks of different fabrics act differently in insulating value to protect the body from cold and understand which socks to choose for best insulation in dry and wet conditions

Resources/Materials:

1. several pairs of socks of different material - cotton, wool, polypropylene, fleece, mixed fabrics thermometers
2. water bottles with rubber stoppers with holes in them the same size as the thermometers
3. tub filled with water
4. a funnel is helpful to pour water into bottles

Activity and Procedure:

1. Heat water to about 98 degrees F
2. Put water bottles inside of socks and have stoppers with thermometers ready
3. When water is ready, pour into bottles trying not to spill. Put stoppers and thermometers into bottles immediately
4. Dip one sock per pair into the water tub and get it completely wet
5. Have students take record of the temperature in their pair of socks every minute for the first 10-20 minutes, then every 5 minutes until the temperatures level off
6. Variations: have kids take socks outside, in snowbanks, in sun and shade, etc. Just make sure they do the same thing, unless the socks are all of the same material--then you could compare the different cooling rates of different locations.

Tying it all together: This can be done in conjunction with a winter survival unit. Other topics could include winter first air, frostbite and hypothermia, quinzhee making, how to dress for winter, a winter hike, etc.

Assessment: Students can make graphs to show their results. This is also a good way to teach or reinforce the Scientific Method--students could write a report on the experiment or describe the steps involved. Students could also collect data--range of data, mean, pattern, distribution, etc.

Standards Addressed:

Math: I:1,2 Patterns, Relationships, and Functions, III:1,2,3 Data Analysis and Statistics

Science: I:1 Constructing New Scientific Knowledge, II:1 Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge, V:3 Using Scientific Knowledge in Earth Science: the Atmosphere and Weather