Year 2 conduct the 'Ice Cube Challenge'

We have been ‘Super Scientists’ this week in Year 2. The children have been carrying out an investigation using ice cubes. The question they were trying to answer was ‘Where is the warmest place in our classroom?’

We started the lesson by discussing how we might find this out and very sensibly thermometers were suggested however this did not quite fit with the theme of our ‘Ice Cube Challenge’. We wrote down our plan and carefully considered how to make the investigation ‘fair’. Through this the children learnt that there should only be one variable and this was to be the location chosen by each table of children. With the investigation planned Mrs Dalby-Smith made equal sized, large ice cubes at home and brought them to school for both classes. Each table group set their ice cube out in a dish and placed it in their chosen location. Observations were made at the same time intervals and recorded on a chart. The children were instantly very excited and keen to see their ice cube melt. However, much to the children’s surprise, it took longer than they expected and some ice cubes lasted through lunch time into the afternoon! Eventually each group found a tray of water with no ice remaining and so discovered where the warmest place was. They were surprised by the results as they were not what they had predicted.