Examining the Effects of Heat on Snow

It has been snowing for two days!  The kids have been so excited to finally have snow on the ground.  And, it is that great, heavy snow that is perfect for making huge snowballs!

One of our outcomes in science is to observe the effects of heat energy on snow.  We had a discussion in the classroom about where we find heat.  They came up with answers like:  by the heater, in the sun, by the fireplace, in the oven, on the stove, etc.  So, we went outside and gathered small containers of snow.  We came back in and put the containers in different places to see what happened to them.  Even though I'm pretty sure that all the students know what happens to snow when it melts, they were all amazed to see that when we removed the put of snow from the stove that it was water! and we could pour it down the drain!

We came back to the classroom, and the students represented their learning through drawings and/or words.

The Snow melted in the microwave.