Awarded: 11/03/2024 by the: Royal Society Grant

During this project the students will investigate aspects of heat flow and retention with the aim of understanding the importance of insulation in our homes. For our experiments, the students will take boxes which they will insulate with various materials. These boxes will contain a heating element that can be used to set their interior to a certain temperature. The boxes will then be moved outdoors, and temperature readings will be taken over time to examine the rate at which heat is lost to the environment. The measurements will be taken at least once a week during term time, and accompanying measurements of ambient temperature and humidity will also be taken and the overall environmental conditions will be recorded. The collected data will be analysed and plotted by the students to create visual representations of their findings.

The STEM partner Dr. Andreas Stergiou will participate in all meetings to explain the motivation behind the question that will be investigated and the equipment that will be used. This will be done in coordination with the headteacher.

Making young children aware of the issue of global warming and our impact on the planet is of paramount importance. Furthermore, showing them, through a process of discovery, that targeted scientific experimentation and inquiry can suggest solutions, will lead to an appreciation of the scientific method and reveal to our students the value of informed decision making. It is our belief that with this project we will create the necessary excitement for our students to seek further education in the sciences, applied and theoretical.

We plan to reuse the equipment every year with our students, with variations and adaptations to address a variety of related questions. We are in close contact with the Japanese school, which is located very close to our school, and we envision repeating the work with their involvement in the future.