Measure and record the temperature of the water inside each mitt every 2 minutes for at least 12 minutes. The less the temperature drops, the better the insulative property of the team's survival suit. Have teams compare their results to determine which suits were the best insulators against the cold and why. Then test students' basic understanding by asking them to hypothesize why camels have thick fur on their backs, even though they live in a hot climate. Ask students to come up with similar counter-intuitive examples of insulation.
Animals fluff their fur or feathers to allow in air.
Polar bears and Arctic foxes, in fact, have hollow hairs for buoyancy, better insulation, and absorbing the sun's energy. For fish swimming the sub-zero waters circling the North and South Poles, not freezing one's tail off literally is one of life's major challenges. So fish in these oceans have evolved antifreeze proteins that circulate in their blood and keep them from freezing solid. Short informative descriptions of each major species. Vivid descriptions of landscape and wildlife.