This task is about noticing what happens and explaining your ideas about melting ice.
Task administration:
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.
Equipment
500 mL of water frozen as one block of ice; 500 mL of water frozen as small ice cubes.
Before starting:
You could ask students why the same amount of water was used and where the ice-blocks should be put to help them melt reasonably quickly.
You could also ask how they will decide when the ice is melted (probably when all the ice has gone).
You could also discuss the possibility of timing/ regular observations, so the completion of melting is noticed.
Depending on students' writing skills, you could get students to respond orally. An alternative is to display the task on the whiteboard, with the teacher recording the class descriptions and explanations.
For this practical task students make a prediction about which lot of ice will melt first. Then students record their observations and explain why one lot of ice melted faster than the other.
Curriculum Links:
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss how careful observations provide evidence and inferences.
the ice cubes melted faster/the block of ice melted slower.
c)
An answer which shows an understanding that warm air/temperatures got to more of the (surface area of the) small ice blocks, e.g., the Sun/warmth gets to more of it.
Because the ice cubes were smaller/because the 500 mL block was larger.
