How Hot is Too Hot?

Designed by: Colette Dryden    School: Satchel Ford Elementary

Grade Level: Fifth    Subject: Science

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S.C. Science Standards: Life Science II.B.4.a Identify and investigate the abiotic factors in an ecosystem such as quantity of light, air, and water, range of temperature, salinity, water pressure, and soil composition.

Overview: Students will work in groups to investigate temperature effects on organisms. The groups will choose their organism, and use the scientific method to plan and conduct experiments on the rate of hatching (brine shrimp, chicken eggs), or the rate of developing into an adult (mealworm, butterfly). Each group will plan and conduct the experiment, then post the results in a graph and share with the class. 

Focus/Essential Element: How does temperature affect organisms in their environment?

Time Frame: Three 1-hour class periods initially, with time every day after to monitor progress of the organisms and to record data. Three 1 hour class periods after the investigations to set up graphs and presentation to the class.

Resources/Materials: 

• Brine shrimp eggs or Sea Monkeys (found at aquarium stores or toy stores)

• Chicken eggs (zoos or farms)

• Mealworms (found at any pet store)

• Caterpillars (order from a science catalog such as Delta or Insect Lore)

• Heat source (bright lamps)

• Cooling source (refrigerator)

• Containers for organisms (plastic pet houses for everything except chicken eggs...can also use baby food jars for caterpillars and mealworms)

• Incubator for chicken eggs

• Home with light for chicks

• Oatmeal for mealworms

• Caterpillar food (comes with ordered caterpillars...if you collect them you will have to provide food)

• Thermometers

• Overhead

• Copies of attached recording sheet for each student

• An overhead of recording sheet

• Microscope (Magiscopes work well)
  

* If some of these animals are not available where you live, you may modify this lesson as needed. The point is not necessarily the assortment of organisms. The point is that the students develop an understanding of how temperature affects organisms in their lives.

Assessment: The teacher will assess the students' knowledge based on the recording sheet and graph each group created. Each student should keep a recording sheet with the results while only one graph per group is needed. Use the following rubric to help.

How Hot is Too Hot?
Recording Sheet

SCIENTIST_______________________________________________

Team Members___________________________________________

1. Question:

2. Hypothesis: What do you think is going to happen? 

3. Procedure: How are you going to find out?

4. Materials List:

5. Record your data:












6. Results: What did you find out? 

7.Conclusion? 


Instructional Activities: 
Ask students when is it too hot for them? 

What do they do to cool off when it does get too hot? 

Do all animals think it is too hot at around the same temperature? 

Discuss the variances they know about. Tell students they are going to work in groups to find out how hot is too hot for an organism. Tell them their group can choose from brine shrimp, mealworms, caterpillars, or chicken eggs. The groups will have differing organisms, if possible. Each group will need 3 containers of the same animals. If more than one group wants the same organism you can put the names of the organism in a hat and have each group draw an animal. Put the students into 4 groups (The number of groups will depend on how many organisms you have). You can let the students choose or have them say the numbers 1-4 and place all the ones into 1 group, all the twos into another group, etc.

Next, give each student a recording sheet. Put yours on the overhead. Tell them to put their name where it says 'Scientist' and their group members' names on the other lines. Go over each section of the recording sheet. Tell them they will receive 3 groups of the organisms. They should measure the organisms first. They will place 1 group in the refrigerator, one in the bright light, and 1 on a counter in the room. Remind them they will need to take and record temperatures daily. Your students should be familiar with the scientific method already. Have them discuss each step as a group prior to them putting anything on paper. Check with each group that they have listed the procedures they plan on using to find out the effects of temperature on their organism. The teacher needs to monitor the planning of the experiments to ensure that each group is on the right track.

Once the planning has been completed, allow the students to gather the supplies. Each group will need the organisms, 3 different places for the organisms to reside, food, and thermometers. A microscope will be handy for the brine shrimp group. Each group will have to have 3 groups of the same animal. They should place one group of the organisms in the refrigerator (remind them to take the temperature of the refrigerator daily), one group should be at room temperature (again, they should record this temperature daily), and the last group of animals should be placed under a bright lamp (record the temperature). The groups should have time daily to record the temperatures of the 3 locations and record any changes in their organisms. The mealworm and caterpillar groups need to measure a sampling of their organisms in each group. The group with the brine shrimp can use the microscope to easily see what is happening to their organisms.

After the animals have hatched or grown, allow students time to graph their results and share with the class. The class should discuss all the conclusions. Are any of the results similar? Different? Post the graphs on the school web page and/or in the hall.

REMINDER: Whenever using live animals in the classroom, have ways to dispose of them after they are needed. Never release animals into your habitat that are not from there. You can keep the butterflies in a Butterfly Garden until their life cycle is over. Mealworms will become darkling beetles and are easy to keep in the classroom in a container of oatmeal. They are a good source of food for reptiles and hedgehogs. The brine shrimp will die. The chickens will need someplace to go after hatching. Before you get any chicken eggs, make sure you have a place for these animals.