Our Lantern

I was given a large wish lantern last year and I thought it would be an interesting way to define the student's interests and goals for the year. The students wrote their 'wishes' on the strips of paper which we then attached to the lantern. It was a hot sticky day when we released the lantern which once lit, soared swiftly upwards carrying our wishes and hopes for the year. We looked at the science around what caused the lantern to lift. We found that the lantern rose upward because the flame heated the air inside the lantern. This hot air was lighter than the cold air surrounding the lantern, so the lantern itself began to rise. It was exciting to watch - as you can hear from the screams of the kids.