Structural and Thermal Engineering “Penguins”

An OSU Improving Teacher Quality: Sustainability Engineering Lesson

Revised By Owasso 8th Grade Center

Problem-Based Learning Scenario

Your team’s challenge is to design the most efficient house to extend the lives of penguins. These houses would be built at the north and south poles to help penguins survive the warmer temperatures caused by global warming. Ultimately, you will have to argue for the efficiency of your Penguin Palace using data acquired through your design and experimentation.Here are your tasks:1) You will be given a kit of material samples and a price list.2) You will be given $250 to purchase the materials your group decides would be most efficient to build your Penguin Palace.3) You will build a palace that has the best insulating properties.4) You will place your palace with your four-penguin family in the Global Warming Simulation Unit.5) You will measure the mass of water collected over time, the mass that is not melted, and temperature; record and graph your results on your data sheet; and determine rate of melting.

Roles Guidelines:Each member of a team brings critical expertise to this process. Each of you must serve as your team’s expert, gathering and sharing information to make your best case for your penguin palace. Descriptions below are basic guidelines, but you may think of additional things you can contribute to your team.

Mathematician—It is important that your Penguin Palace is affordable. You will be given a cost sheet for all materials, and be in charge of calculating the costs of the palace. You will use your expertise to interpret and explain data calculations and graphs.

Scientist—As a scientist, you will need to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of data collection, recording, and reporting. You will use your expertise to explain to the team conduction, convection and radiation. You will help your team select appropriate materials to build your penguin palace.

Language/Communication Specialist—Communication of your team’s work is going to be very important. Your task is to take the information acquired through the data collection process and create a new page on your wiki for Mr. Gore to view. The page must contain: a 100-word persuasive paragraph regarding your design process, a picture or diagram of the design, the math and science data collected, and a cartoon illustrating your understanding of global warming.

Media/Technology Specialist—Your job will be to create a cartoon illustrating your understanding of global warming. Use the free tools at http://toondoo.com. The cartoon will be posted to the wiki page under direction of the Language/Communication Specialist.

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Social Scientist—You will need to contextualize the environment of the Penguin Palace. Using sources such as Google Earth, create a scenario that will explain the conditions the penguins will be facing. Determine the weather conditions--wind, temperature, precipitation etc.

Content Background Information Required: Students should have basic understanding of the dependence of organisms and the environment within an ecosystem; conducting investigations; and the basic nature of matter. See Appendix A for specific science background content.

Student Objectives: As a team students will determine which materials are best to insulate the penguin family of

four from global warming. As a team, students will use available materials to design a structure that will keep their

"penguin family" from melting. Students will use budgeting skills to purchase the necessary materials to build their structure. Students will test their structure to measure the effectiveness of the insulation design. Students will create a cartoon using http://toondoo.com that will help

their group communicate issues learned about penguins. Students will collect and communicate data in a group presentation.

Materials: This is a listing of all the materials to be used during the activity outlined in the lesson plan. All quantities are given by the number of items required per group. The teachers should determine in advance the number of groups the class will be divided into, and purchase the required quantities as well as any spare material that may be needed.

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Appendix AScience Background: There are three main types of heat transfer, convection, conduction, radiation.

Convection is the transfer of heat by the actual movement of the warmed matter. Heat leaves the coffee cup as the currents of steam and air rise. Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by movement of currents. (It can also happen is some solids, like sand.) The heat moves with the fluid. Consider this: convection is responsible for making macaroni rise and fall in a pot of heated water. The warmer portions of the water are less dense and therefore, they rise. Meanwhile, the cooler portions of the water fall because they are denser.

Conduction is the transfer of energy through matter from particle to particle. It is the transfer and distribution of heat energy from atom to atom within a substance. For example, a spoon in a cup of hot soup becomes warmer because the heat from the soup is conducted along the spoon. Conduction is most effective in solids-but it can happen in fluids. Have you ever noticed that metals tend to feel cold? Believe it or not, they are not colder! They only feel colder because they conduct heat away from your hand. You perceive the heat that is leaving your hand as cold.Conduction is mainly seen with solid objects, but it can happen when any materials come into contact. When you put your hand in a container of warm water, you hand it heated by conduction from the water. Some materials are better conductors of heat than others. For example, metals are good conductors of heat, while a material like wood isn't. Metal heated on one end will soon be hot on the other end too, while that is not true with a piece of wood. Good conductors of electricity are often good conductors of heat. Since the atoms are closer together, solids conduct heat better than liquids or gasses. This means that two solid materials in contact would transfer heat from one to the other better than a solid in contact with a gas or a gas with a liquid.

Radiation: Electromagnetic waves that directly transport ENERGY through space. Sunlight is a form of radiation that is radiated through space to our planet without the aid of fluids or solids. The energy travels through nothingness! Just think of it! The sun transfers heat through 93 million miles of space. Because there are no solids (like a huge spoon) touching the sun and our planet, conduction is not responsible for bringing heat to Earth. Since there are no fluids (like air and water) in space, convection is not responsible for transferring the heat. Thus, radiation brings heat to our planet.

Thermal InsultationThermal insulation is the method of preventing heat from escaping a container or from entering the container. In other words, thermal insulation can keep an enclosed area such as a building warm, or it can keep the inside of a container cold. Heat is transferred by from one material to another by conduction, convection and/or radiation. Insulators are used to minimize that transfer of heat energy. In home insulation, the R-value is an indication of how well a material insulates.Where thermal insulation is usedIf you have an object or area that is at a certain temperature, you may want to prevent that material from becoming the same temperature as neighboring materials. This is usually done by employing a thermal insulation barrier.For example:

* If the air outside is cold, you may want to protect your skin by wearing clothes that keep the cold out and the body warmth in. * If your house has cool air inside during the summer, you may want to prevent the temperature from becoming the same as the hot air outside by having the house well insulated.

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* If you have a hot drink, you may want to prevent it from becoming room temperature by putting it in a thermos bottle.

In any location where there are materials of two drastically different temperatures, you may want to provide an insulating barrier to prevent one from becoming the same temperature as the other. In such situations, the effort is to minimize the transfer of heat from one area to another.How insulation worksInsulation is a barrier that minimizes the transfer of heat energy from one material to another by reducing the conduction, convection and/or radiation effects.Insulating materialsMost insulation is used to prevent the conduction of heat. In some cases radiation is a factor. A good insulator is obviously a poor conductor.Less dense materials are better insulators. The denser the material, the closer its atoms are together. That means the transfer of energy of one atom to the next is more effective. Thus, gases insulate better than liquids, which in turn insulate better than solids.An interesting fact is that poor conductors of electricity are also poor heat conductors. Wood is a much better insulator than copper. The reason is that metals that conduct electricity allow free electrons to roam through the material. This enhances the transfer of energy from one area to another in the metal. Without this ability, the material--like wood--does not conduct heat well.Insulation from conductionConduction occurs when materials--especially solids--are in direct contact with each other. High kinetic energy atoms and molecules bump into their neighbors, increasing the neighbor's energy. This increase in energy can flow through materials and from one material to another.Solid to solidTo slow down the transfer of heat by conduction from one solid to another, materials that are poor conductors are placed in between the solids. Examples include:

* Fiberglass is not a good conductor nor is air. That is why bundles of loosely packed fiberglass strands are often used as insulation between the outer and inner walls of a house. * Heat cannot travel though a vacuum. That is why a thermos bottle has an evacuated lining. Heat cannot be transferred from one layer to the other through the thermos bottle vacuum.

Gas to solidTo slow down the heat transfer between air and a solid, a poor conductor of heat is placed in between.A good example of this is placing a layer of clothing between you and the cold outside air in the winter. If the cold air was in contact with your skin, it would lower the skin's temperature. The clothing slows down that heat loss. Also, the clothing prevents body heat from leaving and being lost to the cold air.Liquid to solidLikewise, when you swim in water, cold water can lower your body temperature through conduction. That is why some swimmers wear rubber wet suits to insulate them from the cold water.Insulation from convectionconvection is transfer of heat when a fluid is in motion. Since air and water do not readily conduct heat, they often transfer heat (or cold) through their motion. A fan-driven furnace is an example of this.Insulation from heat transfer by convection is usually done by either preventing the motion of the fluid or protecting from the convection. Wearing protective clothing on a cold, windy day will inhibit the loss of heat due to convection.Insulation from radiation

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Hot and even warm objects radiate infra-red electromagnetic waves, which can heat up objects at a distance, as well as lose energy themselves. Insulation against heat transfer by radiation is usually done by using reflective materials.A thermos bottle not only has an evacuated lining to prevent heat transfer by conduction, but it also is made of shiny material to prevent radiation heat transfer. Radiation from warm food inside the thermos bottle is reflected back to itself. Radiation from warm outside material is reflected to prevent heating cold liquids inside the bottle.R-valueThe R-value of a material is its resistance to heat flow and is an indication of its ability to insulate. It is used as a standard way of telling how good a material will insulate.The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.DefinitionThe R-value is the reciprocal of the amount of heat energy per area of material per degree difference between the outside and inside. Its units of measurement for R-value are:

(square feet x hour x degree F)/BTU in the English system and(square meters x degrees C)/watts in the metric system

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Appendix B

Save the Penguins Project Cost Sheet

Material Price $ Quantity Cost $

Bake Fresh paper baking cups 30

Bake Fresh foil baking cups 30

100% cotton balls, 10 per bundle 2

Forster mini craft sticks, 10 per bundle 20

Art Street construction paper pad, 9"x12" 4

Creative Hands foam sheets, 9” x 12” 40

White felt fabric, polyester, 3"x 3” wide 40

Pink felt fabric, polyester, 3"x 3” wide 40

Blue felt fabric, polyester, 3"x 3” wide 40

Green felt fabric, polyester, 3"x 3” wide 40

Duck bubble wrap, 3" x 12” 10

Great Value heavy duty aluminum foil, 37.5 sq. feet 4

PB Medical Supplies mylar foil 3” x 3” 5

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Appendix C

Save the Penguins Ledger ($250.00 Maximum)

Product/Material Price x Quantity Cost Balance

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Appendix D: Pre- and Post Test

Heat Transfer Evaluation

This questionnaire is about your understandings of heat transfer. For each question, circle the answer that is closest to your understanding. Be sure to read all the choices before selecting one.

1. Amy picks up a can of soda off of the countertop. The countertop underneath the can feels colder than the rest of the counter. Which explanation do you think is the best?

a. The cold has been transferred from the soda to the counter.b. There is no heat energy left in the counter beneath the can.c. Some heat has been transferred from the counter to the soda.d. The heat beneath the can moves away into other parts of the countertop.

2. After cooking an egg in boiling water, Mel cools the egg by putting it into a bowl of cold water. Which of the following explains the egg’s cooling process?

a. Temperature is transferred from the egg to the water.b. Cold moves from the water into the egg.c. Energy is transferred from the water to the egg. d. Energy is transferred from the egg to the water.

3. Why do we wear sweaters in cold weather?a. To keep cold out.b. To generate heat.c. To reduce heat loss.d. All of the above.

4. Amy wraps her dolls in blankets but can’t understand why they don’t warm up. Why don’t they warm up?

a. The blankets she uses are probably poor insulators.b. The blankets she uses are probably poor conductors.c. The dolls are made of materials which don’t hold heat well.d. None of the above.

5. As water in a freezer turns into ice, a. the water absorbs energy from the air in the freezer.b. the water absorbs the coldness from the air in the freezer.c. the freezer air absorbs heat from the water.d. the water neither absorbs nor releases energy

6. On a warm sunny day, you will feel cooler wearing light colored clothes because they a. reflect more radiation.b. prevent sweating.c. are not as heavy as dark clothes.d. let more air in.

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7. If you put a metal spoon and a wooden spoon into a pot of boiling water, one will become too hot to touch. Why?

a. Metals conduct heat better than wood.b. Wood conducts heat better than metals.c. Metals pull in heat because heat is attracted to metals.d. Wood isn’t as strong as metals.

8. On a hot day, the upstairs rooms in a house are usually hotter than the downstairs rooms. Why? a. Cool air is less dense than hot air.b. Warm air rises and cool air sinks.c. The upstairs rooms are closer to the sun.d. Heat rises.

9. You have a can of soda in your lunchbox that you want to keep cold. Which material will work best to keep it cold?

a. Aluminum foil wrapped around the soda because metals transfer heat energy easily.b. A paper towel wrapped around the soda because paper soaks up the moisture.c. Wax paper wrapped around the soda because wax paper traps the moisture.d. Your wool sweater wrapped around the soda because wool traps air.

10. When you hold a metal coat hanger in a camp fire to roast a marshmallow, the coat hanger might get too hot to hold. Why might the coat hanger get too hot?

a. The heat radiates along the coat hanger.b. The heat builds up near the flame until it can’t hold it anymore and then moves along the coat hanger.c. Metal atoms vibrate with more energy when they get hot, and they collide with

atoms near them, which makes the neighboring atoms vibrate too.d. Since metals melt in fire, they react very strongly to fire and get hot easily.

11. An aluminum plate and a plastic plate have been in the freezer all night long. When you remove them the next morning,

a. The plates have the same temperature and the same amount of heat energy.b. The plastic plate has a higher temperature but the same amount of heat as the aluminum plate.c. The plastic plate has less energy and a higher temperature than the aluminum one.d. The aluminum plate has more energy but a lower temperature than the plastic one.

12. When placed in direct sunlight, which object will absorb the most radiation? a. a white sweaterb. a snowballc. some aluminum foild. a black sweater

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Appendix E

Penguin Project Data Sheet

Time Liquid Mass (Water)

Solid Mass (Penguin)

Remaining Penguin( Percent)

Temperature Inside House(Celsius)

0.0min

.50 min

1.0 min

1.5 min

2.0 min

2.5 min

3.0 min

3.5 min

4.0 min

4.5 min

5.0 min

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Penguin Materials List

1. Global Warming Simulator2. Stop Watch3. Thermometer4. Pre-Test5. Post-Test6. Scenerio/Task Handout7. Project Cost Sheet8. Ledger Sheet 9. Data Sheet10. Building Materials11. Role Sheets12. Laptops13. Pencils

Plan of Action

After the science portion the math teachers will talk about the math calculations and take the students to the online Create a Graph. Then the Language Arts teacher will have the students analyze penguin poetry, focusing on alliteration, and creating their own alliterative sentences. Library Media is going to walk them through google and the research process. The Social Studies aspect will include a walk through the history of icehouses and how people kept thing cool before electricity.

Wrap-up

Written reflection and question and answer session.

Extensions

Building Primitive Penguin Houses

Changing the Variable and Using Salt Water Ice Cubes and then tying it into why we use salt to make ice cream. And also we could compare the graphs and draw conclusion from the data.

Cite References

Structural and Thermal Engineering

“Penguins”

An OSU Improving Teacher Quality: Sustainability Engineering Lesson

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Content Standards Math:Standard 1: Algebraic Reasoning - The student will graph and solve linear equations and inequalities in problem-solving situations.

1. Equations

a. Model, write, and solve 2-step linear equations using a variety of methods.

b. Graph and interpret the solution to linear equations on a number line with one variable and on a coordinate plane with two variables.

c. Predict the effect on the graph of a linear equation when the slope changes (e.g., make predictions from graphs, identify the slope in the equation y = mx + b and relate to a graph).

Standard 4: Measurement - The student will use measurement to solve problems in a variety of contexts.

1. Estimate and find the surface area and volume in real world settings (e.g., unwrap a box to explore surface area; use rice, 1-inch cubes, centimeter cubes, cups . . . to estimate the volume of boxes, irregular shaped objects, containers).

2. Apply knowledge of ratio and proportion to solve relationships between similar geometric figures (e.g., build a model of a 3-dimensional object to scale).

3. Formulas

a. Select and apply appropriate formulas for given situations:

i. an equation (e.g., d = rt, i = prt)

ii. measurement problems (e.g., p = 2l + 2w, v = lwh)

Standard 5: Data Analysis and Statistics - The student will use data analysis and statistics to interpret data in a variety of contexts.

1. Select and apply appropriate formats (e.g., line plots, bar graphs, stem-and-leaf plots, scatter plots, histograms, circle graphs) to display collected data.

Science:Physical Science Standard 1: Properties and chemical changes in matter- Students will measure matter and identify changes in matter.

Life Science Standard 3: Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms- Students wiill understand that organisms have a great varitey of internal and external structures that enable them to survive in a specific habitat

Earth Science Standard 5: Earth's History- Students will understand that catastrophic events impact life on earth.

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Language Arts:Reading Standard 1: Vocabulary- Students will expand vocabulary

Reading Standard 5: Research and Information: The student will conduct resaerch and organize information.

Oral Language Standard 1: Listening- the studenet will listen for information and pleasure

Oral Language Standard 2: Speaking-the student will express ideas and opinions in group or individual situations.

Social Studies:Standard 2- Discussion and Debate: Students will write on, speak about and dramatize different evaluations of the causes and effects of major events.

Information Literacy: Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

1. The student will be able to organize the information in a manner that meets the need of the assignment or problem.

2. 2. The student will assimilate new information into his/her existing knowledge. 3. 3. The student will know how to use the information to communicate ideas and take

appropriate action.

Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

2. The student will understand information presented in a variety of formats.

Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

1. The student will demonstrate the ability to be a contributing member of a group by locating, using and communicating information to solve a need or problem.

2. The student will respect diversity of thoughts and backgrounds of group members.

Instructional Technology: Standard 4: The student will demonstrate knowledge of technology communication tools.

1. Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Process Standards Math:Process Standard 1: Problem Solving

1. Develop and test strategies to solve practical, everyday problems which may have single or multiple answers.

2. Formulate problems from situations within and outside of mathematics and generalize solutions and strategies to new problem situations.

4. Evaluate results to determine their reasonableness.

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5. Use oral, written, concrete, pictorial, graphical, and/or algebraic methods to model mathematical situations.

Process Standard 2: Communication

1. Discuss, interpret, translate (from one to another) and evaluate mathematical ideas (e.g., oral, written, pictorial, concrete, graphical, algebraic).

2. Reflect on and justify reasoning in mathematical problem solving (e.g., convince, demonstrate, formulate).

3. Select and use appropriate terminology when discussing mathematical concepts and ideas.

Process Standard 4: Connections

1. Apply mathematical strategies to solve problems that arise from other disciplines and the real world.

2. Connect one area or idea of mathematics to another (e.g., relate equivalent number representations to each other, relate experiences with geometric shapes to understanding ratio and proportion).

Process Standard 5: Representation

1. Use a variety of representations to organize and record data (e.g., use concrete, pictorial, and symbolic representations).

2. Use representations to promote the communication of mathematical ideas (e.g., number lines, rectangular coordinate systems, scales to illustrate the balance of equations).

3. Use a variety of representations to model and solve physical, social, and mathematical problems (e.g., geometric objects, pictures, charts, tables, graphs).

Science:Standard 1: Observe and Measure- Students will identify qualitative and/or quantitative changes given conditions before, during and after an event. Students will use appropriate tools and units (SI) to measure temperature, volume, and mass.

Standard 3: Experiment-Students will ask questions, design and conduct an investigation

Standard 4: Interpret and Communicate-Students will interpret and report data using appropriate methods. Students will communicate results of thier investigation.

Standard 5: Inquiry-Students will use systematic observations, make accurate measurements, and identify and control variables. Students will use technology to gather data and analyze results of their investigation. Students will formulate and evaluate explanations by examining and comparing evidence.

Language Arts:Writing Process Standard 2: Modes and Forms of Writing- The student will write for a variety of prposese and audiences.

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Writing Process Standard 3: Grammar/Usage and Mechanics- The student will demonstrate correct use of standard English in speaking and writing.

Social Studies:Standard 1: Process skills in Social Studies- Students will develop and apply cause and effect reasoning and chronological thinking to past, present and potential future situations. Students will locate on a map, major physical features.

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