Try This at Home: Amazing Adaptations
Illustrated Concepts
An insulator is a material that does not allow heat energy to move through it. Animals that live in Antarctica, like penguins, seals, and whales, are adapted to survive in extremely cold temperatures.
What You Need
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Ice
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2 plastic zip-top baggies
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Vegetable shortening
What To Do
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Make sure you have an adult with you to supervise this experiment.
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Fill one baggie with ice.
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Hold one of your hands out flat with the palm up. Place the ice-filled baggie on top of your hand. What do you feel? Take the ice-filled baggie off your hand before it hurts.
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Put the empty baggie between your hand and the ice-filled baggie. What you do feel now?
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Fill the empty baggie with air by sealing the zipper almost the whole way, and then blowing into the hole to inflate it before you completely seal it. Place the air-filled baggie in your hand and put the ice-filled baggie on top of it. What do you feel now?
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Open the air-filled baggie and spread some shortening in it. Seal the baggie, place it in your hand, and put the ice-filled baggie on top of it. What do you feel now?
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Clean up.
What's Happening
Antarctic animals have adapted ways to insulate themselves against cold temperatures. Penguins have an adaptation called “down,” which is fluffy feathers that trap air. Antarctic mammals, like seals and whales, have an adaptation called “blubber,” which is a thick layer of a special type of fat. The air-filled baggie was like down and the shortening-filled baggie was like blubber – they both acted as insulation to keep the heat of your hand away from the ice.
Fun Fact
70% of Earth’s freshwater and 90% of its ice is found in Antarctica.