Selenia in Homeward Bound

Learn about thermal insulators and changing state in this colourful comic aimed at Key Stage Two. Written to promote enquiry skills in a context, it focuses on planning and carrying out a fair test to investigate which materials are the best insulators.

In this episode Selenia travels back to England on an iceberg but needs to find something to stop it melting so she can return home. She uses seaweed to insulate the iceberg and slow down the melting but wonders if there could be a better material to use as an insulator.

Included are a detailed set of teachers' notes which provide a link from the comic to the investigation and a plan for running the activity. They also include an explanation of thermal insulation and heat transfer, curriculum links, extension opportunities, equipment list, and a planning sheet.

This resource, provided by the University of the West of England is part of a collection of science comics which aim to engage children with science and reading.