How can we use chemical reactions to design a solution to a problem?
This unit builds from the prior bath bombs unit about chemical reactions, while incorporating science ideas about energy. This unit provides students a design challenge by incorporating science and engineering ideas. Overall, students examine how prepackaged food called Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) work and how they help within an emergency.
With a flameless heater, MREs help provide a warm meal for when cooking isn’t possible. As useful as they are, students will notice that MREs are expensive and can be difficult to use. Within the unit students investigate and test out different flameless heaters. They then brainstorm different criteria and constraints to redesign a homemade heater.
Similar to engineering principles, students will go through cycles of developing, testing, and refining their own designs. Through the process students will give each other feedback, brainstorm new considerations, and determine potential impacts for stakeholders.