FEATHER JACKETS
INTRODUCTION This activity is
appropriate for younger elementary children. Used in conjunction
with "BLUBBER", children can experience a couple
of different ways in which animals are able to keep warm under very cold
conditions.
PURPOSE Through this experiment
children can gain an understanding of how air, trapped in feathers, provides
insulation to keep birds warm even during very cold winter conditions.
MATERIALS Some "down" feathers,
if available
PREPARATION FOR THE ACTIVITY Fold the piece of
bubble wrap in half the long way. Fold the sides once, and secure firmly
with staples or duct tape, forming a "mitten" large enough for a childís
hand to fit into it.
PROCEDURE 1. Discuss with the children how they keep warm on a cold day. Then discuss how animals keep warm, eventually bring ythe discussion to birds. At this point, show them the down feathers you may have retrieved (possibly from a comforter or a jacket), and point out how the feather is soft and fluffy. These down feathers are able to trap a lot of air and keep the birds warm. Ask the children if they would like to do an activity that will help them to find out if air can actually keep you warm. 2. Place your container of ice water on a low desk, so that a child can easily reach into it. The bucket should only be about 2/3 full to allow for displacement of water from the childís hands. 3. Ask a child to put the "air bag" on one hand. Because it is very difficult to seal bubble wrap against all leaks, put a plastic bread bag over the bubble wrap and also place a plastic bread bag over the childís other hand. 4. Now the
child should place both hands into the ice water. When one of his/her
hands gets cold, he/she should remove it from the water. Caution:
Some children try to leave their hands in the water for an especially long
time. They may respond better to "Is one hand colder than the other?" rather
than "Take your hand out of the water when it gets cold." Do
not let them keep the unprotected hand in the ice water for longer than
30 seconds.
EXPLANATION Air is a very poor
conductor of heat. Double-paned windows work on the basis of this
principle and use the air space between the two windowpanes as an insulator.
Feathers, especially down feathers, trap a lot of air because of their
intricate, fluffy shape. It is the air that keeps the birds from
feeling the extreme cold temperatures. Birds are warm-blooded and their
body temperature needs to be maintained at around 40°C 1.
Some excellent web sites with interesting information about birds and feathers
are listed below - see REFERENCES.
REFERENCES 2. www.kaytee.com
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