5th Grade: Hot Diggity Dog

Overview

You will investigate various materials to determine their insulation value. From this investigation, you will design and build a doghouse that will keep your dog cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Instructor Directions

Engineering Design Process

5: Hot Diggity Dog

Driving Question / Scenario	Your goal is to build a doghouse that will keep a dog comfortable throughout all the seasons.
Project Summary	You will investigate various materials to determine their insulation value. From this investigation, you will design and build a doghouse that will keep your dog cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Estimated Time	3 Hours (3 Days)
Materials / Resources	Various building materials such as wood (could use popsicle sticks), styrofoam, plastic, cardboard, tin foil, construction paperGlueMasking tapeGraph paper (optional)
Standards	5.P.3.2: Explain how heating and cooling affect some materials and how this relates to their purpose and practical applications.
Project Outline
Ask	What materials are good insulators and good conductors?Which materials would keep your dog warm in the winter and cool in the summer?
Imagine	Brainstorm different dog house designs and the materials you want to use.
Plan	Draw out your dog house and make a materials list of the items you wish to use with your group. Explain how your dog house will control the temperature based on the materials you use.
Create	Gather materials needed for your dog house. Start building your dog house with your group
Improve	Based on your peers suggestions, what would you change about your dog house? Why? Did you see anything other groups did that would influence a change in your design?
Closure / Student Reflections	Create a short presentation with your group, that explains how the materials you chose will keep your dog cool or warm. While students are presenting, the rest of the class will be writing down suggestions for how the dog house could be improved (students will be using these responses from their peers to assist in their reflection).
Possible Modifications / Extensions	Test the dog houses using outside conditions or heat sources and thermometers to evaluate effectiveness.