Project: Saving energy
Project steps: choose a topic, set the object and aim of research, plan, carry out, conclude, and follow safety rules. Topic: how can we keep a house warm in winter? Take two identical cardboard boxes (house models). Fix one layer of polythene on the “window” of the first and two layers on the second, and thin and thick curtains inside. Place a plastic cup with the same volume (for example 250 ml) of warm water (about 50–60 °C) in each box. For a fair test only one thing (insulation) may differ; everything else (water volume, starting temperature, place, time) must be the same. After 2 hours measure both water temperatures and see which box kept heat better. Result: the thicker insulation loses heat more slowly, which means a house heated that way needs less energy. Safety: use only warm water, an adult pours any hot water, do not use mercury thermometers and handle scissors carefully.
Carry out the project and fill in a table: box, insulation, starting temperature, temperature after 2 hours, cooling (difference). Then write 3 suggestions: what would you change in a real house to save energy? Safety: an adult pours warm water; place the cup in the box carefully; do not spill water (slipping); tell an adult if a thermometer breaks.