Discuss insulation and natural insulating materials/behaviours (feathers, fur, fat/blubber, huddling, homes, etc.). In pairs students receive a water bottle (representing a chick). Fill with warm water, measure temperature and insulate the bottle (wrap in paper, newspaper, cloth, etc.). Each student pair places their “chick” outside in a chosen spot or “chick home”, and records the temperature of the home/chick’s body (water inside bottle). Wrap-up: best insulating materials. Pre-experiment idea: Get crafty and have the groups to make their water bottles look like chicks (ie: feathers, googly eyes, etc.) before conducting the experiment.
