Introduction
The Problem:
Many scientists agree that the Earth is warming and that human activities have contributed to this increase in the Earth’s temperature. As the Earth warms, the oceans warm too – causing pack ice to melt. When pack ice melts, penguins lose their habitat. Penguins also lose food sources. They eat small fish or krill, which feed on the algae that is no longer able to grow underneath the pack ice.
Due to the warm temperatures South African Black-footed penguins are vacating their nests to cool off in the water, leaving their eggs at risk to attacks. Researchers in Cape Town, South Africa have created semi-enclosed “huts” for penguins, allowing the penguins to keep cool while protecting their eggs from predation.
Your Task: Design a shelter for your penguin where it can beat the heat without having to leave its eggs unprotected. Your shelter must keep the penguins cool by reducing thermal energy transfer.
Activities:
- Research the plight of Black-footed penguins.
- Research Climate Data
- Brainstorm ideas for layout and materials of a penguin shelter that would prevent thermal energy transfer while fulfilling the needs of the penguins. First- on your own. Then- as a group.
- Create an Engineer’s Proposal – your group’s plan for your shelter.
- Collect the supplies your group needs for construction.
- Test supplies in a scientific manner and assess their effectiveness at preventing thermal energy transfer in the“Cold Stuff Lab”.
- Build your group’s shelter.
- Test your shelter in a simulated “South African” environment.
- Final Assessment