Monarch Butterflies
Basking: Does Color Matter?
Materials: |
 |
Experiment Setups for Older Students
Investigate!
- Paint the insides of 4 or 5 pie tins with these colors: brown, black, white, yellow, and orange.
- Put the same amount of water of the same temperature in each pie tin. Place the tins outside in the sun or on a sunny windowsill.
- Take the room temperature (or outside temperature) and the temperature of the water in each of the tins. Write this data on the Color and Temperature handout.
- Decide how often and for how long you want to repeat step 3. (For instance, every half hour for two hours.)
Another Setup Option: Gather 4 or more colors of construction paper and the same number of ice cubes. (Cubes should all be the same size.) Place the construction paper in a sunny window or outdoors. Put a piece of ice on each one. Observe which cube melts first and use a watch with a second hand to time them.
Make Sense of Your Investigation
- Look at the data on your handout. What patterns do you notice? What general conclusion could you draw? What questions do you still have?
- How would you use your findings to help explain how the monarch's wings and thorax are adapted to survive in cool temperatures?
Find
Out What Scientists Think >>
