Insulating our homes and schools (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability) | Science

Starter quiz

Match the property to the definition.

absorbent

⇔

soaks up water ✓

waterproof

⇔

does not soak up water ✓
If you want something to stay warm, which of these types of materials would you wrap it in?

thermal insulator ✓

thermal conductor

electrical insulator

electrical conductor
Which of these materials would you use to make a mat to protect a table from a hot saucepan?

metal

glass

cork ✓
Which of these would improve the thermal insulation properties of a material?

pockets or layers of air ✓

pockets or layers of metal
Which of these statements is true?

Thermal insulators help things cool down.

Thermal insulators help things warm up.

Thermal insulators keep warm things warm. ✓

Thermal insulators keep cold things cold. ✓
In an investigation to see which was the best at keeping warm soup warm, the temperature of soup was measured in three different bowls over 10 mins. Which bowl was the best at keeping the soup warm?

glass bowl

ceramic bowl

plastic bowl ✓

Exit quiz

Match the season to the reason why fuel is used in buildings.

winter

⇔

to warm them up ✓

summer

⇔

to cool them down ✓
In winter, which of these actions is likely to reduce fuel costs?

Increase the temperature we expect of our rooms.

Reduce the temperature we expect of our rooms. ✓

Make no changes to the temperature of our rooms.
How does insulating buildings affect the amount of fuel needed to keep a building at a stable temperature?

It reduces the amount needed. ✓

It does not affect the amount needed.

It increases the amount needed.
How could you investigate heat loss around a school?

collect sound data

collect temperature data ✓

collect moisture data

collect light data
If you analyse temperature data in response to actions linked to thermal insulation, you can find out ...

the effect of thermal insulation on children’s happiness.

the effect of temperature on people's concentration.

the effect of actions intended to reduce heat loss. ✓
How can you tell whether actions to reduce fuel use have had an impact?

Measure fuel costs after the action.

Compare fuel costs before and after the actions. ✓

Measure fuel costs before the action.

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Video

Lesson Details

Key learning points

Insulating buildings reduces the amount of fuel we need to keep them warm in winter and cold in summer.
Other measures can reduce fuel costs, such as reducing the temperature we expect of our rooms.
Temperature data can be collected around the school to reveal heat losses.
Temperature data analysis can result in costed actions for children and adults to take to reduce heat losses.
Fuel cost data comparisons will show whether actions have an impact.

Common misconception

Insulation is used only to keep houses and other buildings warm.

Pupils will learn that insulation is designed to slow down heat exchange between buildings and the outside, keeping buildings warm in cold seasons or climates, or cool in warm seasons or climates.

Keywords

Insulate - If a material insulates electricity or heat it means it does not allow it to pass through it easily.
Fuel - A fuel is something that can be used to generate heat or light.
Temperature - Temperature is a measure of how hot something is.
Compare - We compare things by looking at what is the same and what is different.
Impact - The impact of something is the effect it has.