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Grade(s): 6-7
Introduction: Hypothermia is a condition that exists when the body’s temperature drops below ninety-five degrees. This can be caused by exposure to water or air. The loss of body heat results in loss of dexterity, loss of consciousness, and eventually loss of life. A few minutes in cold water makes it very difficult to swim, even to keep yourself afloat. In addition, a sudden, unexpected entry into cold water may cause a reflexive “gasp” allowing water to enter the lungs. Drowning can be almost instantaneous.
Our bodies can cool down 25 times faster in cold water than in air. The survival time can be as short as 15 minutes. Water temperature, body size, amount of body fat, and movement in the water all play a part in cold water survival. Small people cool faster than large people and children cool faster than adults. This lesson will allow students to examine the effects of hypothermia on the human body and to investigate survival techniques that would avoid this condition.
Learner Objective(s):
- The student will identify the effects on humans when the body temperature drops.
- The student will understand hypothermia and cold water survival techniques.
Florida Sunshine State Standards: Science: SC.A.1.3.3/ SC.B.1.3.5, Math: MA.B.4.3.2
Competency-Based Curriculum: Science: M/J 3 - III-2-A, Math: M/J I - III-2-A
Materials:
Titanic historical data (book, articles, pictures, etc.)
Computers with Internet connections
Worksheet
Poster Board & Markers (suggested)
Three Buckets
@ 150 pennies
Three Small Jars
Ice Water and Ice Cubes
Activity Procedure(s):
- Discuss the tragedy of the Titanic, the ocean liner which sank to the bottom of the ocean in 1912 following its collision with an iceberg. The students will learn about the ship itself, how it sank and about the people aboard. Over 15 hundred passengers died that infamous night. The students will focus on hypothermia, the cause of death for many of the passengers. All of the people who were in the water, as well as many of those in the life boats, suffered from hypothermia. Ask the students if they know what hypothermia is and how cold water can induce it.
- Prepare three buckets of ice water with 30-50 pennies in the bottom of each bucket. Place a small jar in the bottom of each bucket. Allow all students to place their hands in the buckets. While students have their hands in the ice cold water, give them an introduction (2-3 minutes) about the tragic fates of the many passengers aboard the Titanic. Afterward, ask them to pick up the pennies and put them into the jar, without removing their hands out of the bucket. Ask students to observe what is happening to their classmates’ ability to manipulate the pennies, as well as the speed with which they are able to carry out the process.
- Administer Worksheet to all students. This worksheet contains instructions for student research and their project goals. There are four separate activities on the worksheet, so students should be divided into four separate groups: Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow (the worksheets may be color- coded). Encourage students to work together (via computers) to gather information from web sites and allow them to record the information. Students should develop a consensus on the information that they find.
- The following day, students should be prepared to teach the information that they had gathered to the other students. The groups will break up and divide into new groups of four, each group containing a Red member, a Green member, a Blue member, and a Yellow member. Beginning with Red, each group member will teach the other three members of the group. Listening members should take notes on information received. All members will teach their respective lessons.
Student Assessment:
Allow the student to answer critical thinking skills questions assigned by the teacher.
- Compare and contrast their own dreams/goals with those of the passengers.
- Investigate real life threatening situations involving hypothermia.
Student participation is assessed during group activity.
Activity Extension(s):
Many people’s dreams ended in the sinking of the Titanic. Have the students discuss some of those dreams and goals of passengers who lost their lives that dreadful night. Encourage students to write three long-term dreams/goals that they have (Language Arts).
Research via the Internet real life threatening stories where victims were revived after hypothermia and write about them (Technology Integration).
Allow students to create a survival plan for themselves based on the occurrence of one of the following emergency situations (Health/ Physical Education) :
You are in your stalled car with blizzard conditions.
You are boating on a lake and your boat capsizes.
You are ice fishing and you fall through the ice.
Home Learning Lesson:
Upon creating the survival plan (Activity Extension #3), allow the student to answer the following questions:
What would you do prior? What would you carry with you? How would you preserve body heat? How could you avoid this situation?
References/Related Links:
www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.html
www.akcache.com/akcache/hypo1.html
http://www.pbs.org/lostliners
http://www.boatus.com/onlinecourse/documents/safesurvival.html
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/boating/8_5.htm
http://hypothermia.org
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