In this series of 5 lessons, students first build up a background knowledge of thermal energy transfer, distinguishing heat from temperature. They then investigate the insulative properties of various materials. They use this background learning to design a structure (igloo) to keep an ice cube (penguin) from melting. The lesson relates this to a climate change, in that penguins will lose habitat, though climate change learning is tangential here. The emphasis is on an engineering design process, where the class discusses results of students’ tests of their designs, and groups have an opportunity to redesign their solution.
The lessons provide a lot of details about common student misconceptions regarding heat and temperature and ideas for moving their conceptual understanding forward.
The materials can also be found at http://www.auburn.edu/~cgs0013/engineering.htm.