Students in Grade 3 learned how adaptations allow organisms to survive in certain environments. This activity allowed students to model and explore the way in which fat helps insulate an animal from a cold environment. We used vegetable fat (shortening) to model an animal's layer of fat and a cup of ice water in this experiment. Students spread the vegetable fat over one index finger, put it in the ice water and timed how long they could keep their finger submerged. They repeated the process with their other index finger without the fat. Students found that the fat-covered finger was more comfortable longer than the unprotected one. This experiment confirmed the fact that fat can help animals survive in cold environments.
