Lesson 17 Materials

Per Class

• 10 - 16 oz single wall plastic cups

• 10 plastic lids

• aluminum foil

• plastic wrap

• sheets of foam and/or felt

• plastic straws

• cotton balls

• paper towels

• cardboard wrap

• paper cups

• paint and paint brushes

• rubberbands

• tape

• glue and/or hot glue

• Ice cold water (6℃) (400mL/group)

• chart paper or whiteboard

• markers

Per Group

• 1 16 oz single-wall plastic cup

• Cup design 1

• Cup design 2

• 1 thermometer

• 1 ruler

• 1 lamp with a 100-watt bulb

• 1 500-mL beaker

• Bright light and temperature test

• Environmental Impact Test

• Price check test

• Diameter test

Per Student

• science notebook

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

Prepare 

• Prepare a class data chart for students to share the test results from their best-performing cup from either round 1 or round 2 tests. Title the chart, Cold Cup Challenge: Class Test Results.

• Day 1: Cup Design Round 2 Build

  • Group size: 2-3

  • Setup: Arrange cup design materials in a central location accessible to all students. These materials should include: 10 16-oz single-wall plastic cups, 10 plastic lids, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, sheets of foam and/or felt, plastic straws, cotton balls, paper towels, cardboard wrap, paper cups, paint and paint brushes, rubber bands, tape, glue, and/or hot glue. Students may add materials they bring from home.

  • Safety: If hot glue is used, warn students not to touch the tip of the glue gun and to be careful when they handle it. They should carefully return the glue gun to the table top when finished. Students need to be careful when handling parts of the cup until the hot glue has cooled.

• Day 2: Cup Design Round 2 Tests

  • Group size: 2-3

  • Setup: Prior to day 2, make ice to chill water. You will need to chill at least 400 mL of water for each group of students, so make the appropriate amount of ice. Prepare design testing bins for each group that includes: 1 500-mL graduated cylinder or beaker, 1 thermometer, 1 timer or stopwatch, 1 12-inch ruler, and 1 lamp with 100-watt bulb.

  • Safety: Warn students not to touch or handle the lamps during the bright light test. Lamp shields become very hot during the investigation, and the light bulbs are also breakable. Lamps should not be removed until they have cooled completely.