A. Standard 8-1:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of technological design and scientific
inquiry, including process skills, mathematical thinking, controlled investigative design
and analysis, and problem solving.
B. Performance objectives
8-1.3 Construct explanations and conclusions from interpretations of data obtained
during a controlled scientific investigation.
8-1.7 Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.
C. Materials:
Heat lamps, ring stand, thermometer, stopwatch, plastic tub filled with sand, and
vegetation.
D. Hook
Show class pictures of sea turtles ask if they know what they are, where
they live, do they spend all their time in the ocean? No, where do they gothe beach. Show them pictures of a sea turtle nest in the open beach and
one in the vegetation, let them notice the difference and suggest why the
differences may occur. After getting temperature as a suggested reason
explain that with a lab experiment we can actually test that idea. Proceed
to lab stations and do experiment!
OUR QUESTION: Whether the temperature of nests
differs depending on whether
the nest is laid in open sand or in the vegetation.
E. Procedure
*DO NOT TURN LIGHT ON UNTIL YOUR SET-UP HAS BEEN
CHECKED. (This ensures the lab is set up correctly before the lamps are turned on)
Experiment
1. Take your bucket of sand and place the end with the predrilled whole closest to the ring stand.
2. Clamp your heat lamp onto the right stand with the light being 12 inches above the sand
surface. Hint(resting the light on the clamp will give a sturdy light)
3. Simulate a vegetative covered nest.
4. Place thermometer through pre-drilled whole in the side of the bucket, making sure to keep the
thermometer level and covered with sand.
5. Turn your light on and record temperature every 10 seconds.
Then create an open sand nest and do the same.
*Make sure to let the light cool off in-between open and vegetative tests. Try to keep all factors the
same besides the ones you are testing (vegetation vs. open sand).
BE CAREFUL WITH THE LIGHTS, THEY ARE VERY HOT!
Open sand nest
Time Intervals
(seconds)
Vegetatio over nest
Temperature( °C)
Time Intervals
(seconds)
0
0
10
10
20
20
30
30
40
40
50
50
60
60
70
70
80
80
90
90
Temperature (°C)
Final temperature – Initial temperature = Temperature change
Temperature change ______________
Temperature change_____________
Using grid paper, create a graph for the collected data.
Questions
1. Did the vegetation over the sand change the temperature of the thermometer buried in the
sand? If so what was the difference?
2. Why would they be different?
3. Can you think of how people use the same technique at the beach?
4. If there was a situation in which the sand was half covered with vegetation and half open, based
off the graphs you created what would you expect the change in temperature to be?
5. Based off what we talked about of sea turtles in the beginning, why do you think sea turtles put
their nests in/under vegetation or in the open sand?