'I' is for Ice


Ivy lives on Iceland Street.
Her house is made of ice.
She keeps her igloo chilly—
To her it feels so nice.

Then one day a heat wave hits,
And Ivy starts to sweat.
Her house is melting quickly,
Which causes her to fret.

What is Ivy going to do?
She wants to keep things cool,
So her igloo won't end up
Like water in a pool.


Why does one of Ivy's ice cubes melt faster than the others?

The ice cube wrapped in aluminum foil will melt before the one wrapped in paper and cloth. Because of its chemical make-up, aluminum transfers heat better than both paper and cloth, so heat from the room reaches the cube more quickly. Also, paper and cloth have air pockets that trap heat and help keep it away from the cubes. The cubes stay frozen longer.