Lesson Materials

Per Class

• Class Data Sheet

• 20 16-oz single-wall plastic cups with lids

• 4 16-oz single-wall metal cups with lids

• 2 16-oz double-wall plastic cups with lids 

• 10 16-oz paper cups with lids

• 20 plastic straws

• clear plastic wrap

• 3-4 pitchers of iced cold water 

• cooler with ice and a cup

• aluminum foil

• 1 roll of tape

• Driving Question Board

• note cards

• markers

• room spray or scented oil

• Digital copy of data

• Ideas for Investigations Poster

• Whiteboard or chart paper

• markers

Per Group

• 1 timer or stopwatch

• 1-2 thermometers

• 1 500-mL graduated cylinder or beaker/ or 1 cup measuring cup

• 400 mL cold water or 1 cup cold water

• Testing Cup Feature cups

Per Student

• science notebook

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

Prepare 

• Display data from Lesson 1

• Day 1: Testing Cup System Features

  • Group size: 2-3

  • Setup: Based on students’ ideas for investigations, provide various materials that students may want to use to conduct their first investigation in this lesson. Avoid styrofoam, foam, or other insulative materials. Focus on the plastic cups and possibly metal cups.

    • Prepare an area with these materials available to all students: 

      • 20 single-wall plastic cups with lids

      • 4 single-wall metal cups with lids

      • 2 double-wall plastic cups with lids (note: students can stack 2 single-wall cups to make a double-wall cup)

      • 10 paper cups with lids

      • 20 plastic straws

      • clear plastic wrap

      • 3-4 pitchers of iced cold water (~6℃); enough for 400 mL for each group

      • cooler with ice and ice cup

      • aluminum foil

      • 1 roll of tape (to seal holes in lids if desired)

  • Prepare a lab bin with these materials for each small group of students: 1 timer or stopwatch, 1 thermometer, 1 500-mL graduated cylinder or beaker or measuring cup

  • Safety: Warn students to be careful anytime they are using glass thermometers, as any breakage may cause cuts and scrapes.