Updated: More student reflections were turned in today and I thought several students were able to share wisdom that seems well beyond their 12 years. What do you think?
We were off a lot but still in the right direction. I've learned that making predictions is harder than it seems. I think next time we could pay more attention and spend more time just looking for patterns in our data. That would help make it more accurate.
What we thought was not only confirmed by looking at the graph but in the emails we sent to Mr. ________(I'm replacing our buildings and grounds HVAC manager's name with a blank). We thought it was turned off at 2:50pm. That's what the graph showed and then his email said we were right.
We finally figured out that when the sun went down the building cools off. It took us a couple of days to figure that out and we know it should be simple. But it wasn't. Now it seems simple. I learned you have to stop and think about the common sense of things to get it.
Student reflections are getting better. Here's a sampling of what I read last night in their lab journals.
I should have taken into account that there was more than twice as much cold than warm water. If I had done that, my prediction would have been closer.
My predictions were off. I think this is because we let the water sit in the air which is cooler than than the warm water. Big mistake. Won't do that again.
I learned to make the next prediction by comparing it to the trial I just finished. That made it much easier and I got to be a good predicter.
We had to get better at starting right after we measured. If we took too long measuring the water cooled down and it warmed up to room temperature too fast.
The graph of what we did kept dropping so I knew something was different. Then I figured out that the heat doesn't come on in the weekends. I just need to use common sense sometimes because everyone knows NOW that buildings aren't heated up as much on the weekends.
We looked a points on the graph where the temperature started to steady. That was at 10 hours so we knew it was as cold as it was going to get.
I wasn't that close. I was off 6.8 degrees. If I had changed it according to how the water had cooled or warmed up I could've gotten closer. But I forgot to do that. Next time.
All our trials worked out to help. Our design was very successfull because it warmed a "little" and cold air escaped. But it mostly was a good insulator because we made so many thermoses that were terrible.
I learned that graphs help you find patterns. Patterns help.
I did not know that cold could be that cold. If I got to measure the cold before I started. If I got to measure the cold first and the hot first so I knew each one's temperature, I could have made a better prediction. I have to think about that next time.
I finally figured out, after reading the emails, that since they turn the heat off at night, the building's termpature adjusts to what's outside. That never ever came into my mind. Now I know they're all related at least a little bit.
My prediction was closish. I could do better next time by looking at the graph with all three temperatures and amounts. Big clue.
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