This week in 5th grade science, we learned about conductors and insulators. Students were asked the investigative question, “What materials will slow the transfer of energy better than others?” Along with this, their goal for this project was as follows: Create the best insulator for a plastic water bottle that will keep the water in it the coldest for the longest amount of time.

Students worked with their groups using their science text book, as well as online resources to research what materials are the best insulators. They then created a plan and sketch of what they were going to build. Finally, today, we started the building process where students made their sketches and ideas come to life.

Next week, students will continue to build. Once everyone is done we will test our insulators by measuring the initial temperature of the cold water and then checking our thermometer every 5 minutes to see if our temperature is getting warmer or staying the same. After our first test, students will go back to their design and make improvements to make their insulators even better!