Shelly looks on as her students try to figure out how to build a thermos that will keep a cup of hot chocolate warm. The students put the finishing touches on the thermos and most are ready to begin the experiment. First, they have to figure out how much liquid is going to fit in there without it spilling over. Some students try measuring a certain amount and then pour it in, trying to adjust the amount. Others fill the thermos and then pour it into the measuring cup and record the amount. They jot down the number of mL in their notebooks. A thermometer is placed in the ridiculous looking containers (one, I might add, actually encased in a football helmet). The temperature is jotted down on a t-chart and the lid is sealed. Every 10 minutes they must record the time and jot down the temperature. Eventually, students begin the task of graphing the results and they realize that the temperature tapers off to room temperature and stops dropping. "Cool!" they exclaim, which I find funny in a temperature sort of way. They don't even complain that they have to drink 'cool' hot chocolate, as Bob's group scoops up the helmet thermos and clomps off to French class.
~authored by: Sandra Cater~
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