Freeze Proof Water Bowls presents students with the challenge of working through the technological design process to address a problem faced by animal guardians (owners) who live in colder areas - animal water sources freezing over in the winter months. Providing constant access to drinkable water is essential for animals’ welfare, giving students a real life context to engage in the technological design process, using science and mathematics concepts to inform their technological outcomes.

Students will develop their understanding of the responsibilities people have with regard to animal guardianship (ownership) and the Five Domains. Students will then work collaboratively, using technological practices and knowledge to design a potential solution to this problem. As they work through this unit towards a potential solution, they will engage with scientific concepts related to heat transfer and the physical properties of different materials. They will also engage with mathematics as they work with measuring and comparing temperatures and graphing their results.