Innovative Teaching Award submission - Survival Disaster Kit

In this multi-day thermochemistry design challenge, students investigate how thermal energy is transferred and conserved within a system. Framed around emergency disaster preparedness, teams design and test an insulated container intended to retain heat for as long as possible.

Using heated water as a controlled system, students measure temperature change over time and calculate heat loss using q = mcΔT. After establishing a baseline cooling rate, teams build, test, and redesign insulation prototypes using accessible materials while working within real-world constraints such as cost, size, and weight.

The project culminates in a presentation in which students defend their design and recommend it for a specific real-world application, applying principles of energy transfer, thermochemistry, and engineering design.

Students will engage in the quantitative investigation of energy transfer and conservation within a real-world engineering context.

Specifically, the project addresses the following TEKS:

(6)(A) – Students examine the relationship between matter and energy by applying the law of conservation of energy as thermal energy is transferred from a system to its surroundings.

(6)(B) – Students analyze energy changes and heat transfer by calculating heat loss using q = mcΔT and interpreting temperature–time data.

(6)(C) – Students compare energy transfer processes and explain how insulation reduces heat loss by limiting conduction, convection, and radiation.

This project also supports the Scientific and Engineering Practices standards:

(4)(A) – Students plan and implement investigative procedures through the design, testing, and refinement of an insulated container prototype.
(4)(B) – Students collect precise quantitative data (mass, temperature, time) during controlled trials.
(4)(C) – Students apply mathematical reasoning to analyze heat retention, compare cooling rates, and evaluate design efficiency.
(4)(D) – Students communicate data-driven conclusions through presentations and written scientific reasoning.
(4)(E) – Students engage in critical thinking and iterative problem-solving by redesigning their insulation systems to improve performance.

Check back in for a Full lesson plan and student artifacts!