Engineering a Hot Pack

Hot Pack
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Intended Grade Level(s):
7-8
Energy Content:
Materials Science,
Thermal Energy (Heat)
Learning Goal(s):

  1. Students will collect data to characterize a chemical reaction

  2. Students will identify the criteria and constraints of an engineering challenge.

  3. Students will design and build a hot pack that meets the criteria of the project.

  4. Students will collect data to support their proposed design. 

Unit:
Chemical Differences in Emergency Energy Sources
Lesson Number:
5
Pedagogy & Practice:
Engineering Design,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
2: Developing and Using Models,
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Relevant NGSS PE:
MS-PS1-2,
MS-PS1-6
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Speaking & Listening,
Math: Graphing & Representation,
Math: Measurement
Estimated Activity Length:
5 hours
Files Associated with this Activity:
PDF icon Lesson5Childers .pdf
PDF icon Engineering a Hot Pack .pdf
PDF icon HotPackRubric.pdf
Description:

Through a series of inquiry activities, students will discover the properties of the chemical reaction of dissolving CaCl2 in water, the effect of stirring, and of adding baking soda and sodium polyacrylate crystals. Once initial data is collected, students will share preliminary data through the collaborative inquiry gallery walk protocol practiced in Lesson 2, test a second iteration of their design, and propose an optimized design to meet specified criteria. 

Other Material(s) Used:
plastic cups, thermometer, timer, calcium chloride, baking soda, sodium polyacrylate crystals (miracle gro water storing crystals)