Washington Street School sixth graders experimented with temperature during their lesson in the STEAM Lab on Oct. 24.
Paired in groups, the students were tasked with testing the temperature of two blocks with thermometers and describing how each block felt to the touch. Then, the students observed how long it took for an ice cube to melt on each block. As a class, they logged their observations.
At the conclusion of the lesson, the blocks were revealed to be made of foam and aluminum, respectively. This affected the rate at which the ice cube melted on its surface due to each material’s thermal conductivity. The lessontaught the students that when they touch something, they feel the rate at which heat is conducted, either towards or away from them.
