Summary
That heat flows from hot to cold is an unavoidable truth of life. People have put a lot of effort into stopping this natural physical behavior, however all they have been able to do is slow the process. Student teams investigate the properties of insulators in their attempts to keep cups of water from freezing, and once frozen, to keep them from melting.

گروه تولیدی ایران ورق
This engineering curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Photo shows a family of six people having a picnic in a park. They are sitting at a picnic table with a cooler and thermos nearby.
Ice coolers work as insulators to keep drinks and food cold so that family picnics can be enjoyed
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Engineering Connection
Temperature regulation is important in many aspects of engineering. Packaging engineers design containers and systems to be able to reliably ship items at specific temperatures. Mechanical engineers make sure that working engines do not overheat, and electrical and computer engineers design electronics so that they do not overheat. Civil engineers specify the most suitable insulating materials for the climates where their structures reside. Temperature regulation applies an understanding of the principles of heat transfer, which is relevant in almost all engineering disciplines.

Learning Objectives
After this activity, students should be able to:

Explain what "insulate" means and its implications in keeping things cold or warm.
Conduct basic experimental processes.
Describe how natural materials differ from human-made materials in terms of insulation.
More Curriculum Like This

What Is Heat?
Middle School Lesson

How Hot Is It?
Elementary Lesson

What's Hot and What's Not?
Middle School Lesson

Heat Transfer: No Magic About It
High School Lesson
Educational Standards
NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science
Common Core State Standards - Math
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology
State Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above
Materials List
Each group needs:

4 3 oz. plastic cups
4 larger clear plastic cups
3 Styrofoam cups
aluminum foil, 8½-in x 11-in piece
20 cotton balls
teaspoon-sized spoon
4 rubber bands
Data Chart, one per student, to be filled in during the experiment
Results Chart, one per student, to be filled in after the experiment
To share with the entire class:

pitcher of warm water
plastic wrap
baking pan
large book or magazine
freezer
Introduction/Motivation
Photo looking into an open plastic cooler filled with ice, beverages, sandwiches, fruits and vegetables.
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When you go to a summer picnic at a beach, in the mountains or at a lake, why do you put your cold drinks and ice in a cooler? What would happen if you put them in a backpack instead? (Listen to student ideas.) Yes, that's right, you would end up with a wet backpack and warm drinks. The cooler helps to keep the drinks cold because it acts as an insulator and slows the transfer of energy from one source to another, meaning it helps keeps the inside of the cooler cold and the heat out.

The opposite of an insulator is a conductor. What do you think a conductor does? (Listen to student ideas.) Yes, that's right, a conductor speeds up the transfer of energy from one source to another. You may have experienced this if you ever removed the lid to a pot cooking on the stove. A metal pot is a conductor and heats up quickly on the stove so that it cooks food or boils water faster. Just be careful before touching a metal pot because you could get burned.

What would happen if you designed a cooler using a material that acts as a conductor? Or a cooking pot with a material that acts as an insulator? (Listen to student ideas.)