The Goodness of Whale Blubber or Vaseline, Whatever

I loved this experiment! We are in oceanography, (Apologia Science) all year and this week we are learning about whales and their blubber.

Materials needed: latex gloves, bucket of icy water, vaseline

Each kid put on one pair of latex gloves and then added an extra glove on just one of their hands. This extra glove was filled with vaseline, acting as whale blubber. We discussed how the blubber keeps the whales warm in even the iciest conditions and so we put it to the test.

Which hand was warmer? The unprotected hand or the hand layered in Vaseline? I tried this myself and the difference is amazing-vaseline makes the hand feel warm and snug. So, the next time you are feeling chilled-- rub some Vaseline on yourself. If it works for whales-it can work for us. : )