A town in northern Sweden has a hotel made of ice!
Learning Objective: Students will read a thermometer to analyze temperature in degrees Fahrenheit related to a hotel in Sweden made of ice.
Ice Hotel
Only about 800 people live in Jukkasjärvi (YOO-kus-yar-vee), Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle. But thousands visit the frosty village every winter. Their destination? A hotel with rooms constructed almost entirely of snow and ice!
About 800 people live in Jukkasjärvi (YOO-kus-yar-vee), Sweden. This town is located north of the Arctic Circle. But thousands of people visit Jukkasjärvi every winter. Their destination? A hotel built from snow and ice!
Cavan Images/Alamy Stock Photo (Lobby); JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images (Chandelier)
From left to right: check in at an ice desk; ice chandeliers hang from the ceiling
The Icehotel was founded in 1989. Dozens of artists, designers, and ice sculptors come together to build it every year. Before they begin, workers harvest 2,500 two-ton blocks of ice from the frozen Torne River. The team uses the ice to build everything—from the floors, walls, and ceilings to the furniture inside. In the winter of 2022, the Icehotel team created 36 frozen suites.
The Icehotel was founded in 1989. Artists rebuild the hotel every year. It takes dozens of designers and ice sculptors to create the rooms. First, workers cut blocks of ice from the frozen Torne River. The team uses about 2,500 ice blocks to build the hotel. Each block weighs 2 tons! Almost everything in the hotel is made of ice and snow. That includes the floors, walls, and ceilings. Even the furniture inside is mostly carved ice and snow. In the winter of 2022, the Icehotel team created 36 frozen rooms.
Arctic-Images/Getty Images (Bed); Kestutis Musteikis & Vytautas Musteikis/Ice Hotel (Sculpture); Shutterstock.com
From left to right: Sleep on a bed made of ice; check out stunning ice sculptures
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
For their safety, Icehotel guests learn how to dress warmly and prepare their beds with special sleeping bags. They receive a certificate celebrating their stay.
In warmer months, the rooms melt into the river. The hotel’s temporary nature is part of its beauty, says creative director Luca Roncoroni.
“Knowing that you can try out a new idea next year is very freeing,” he says.
Icehotel guests learn how to stay overnight safely. They dress warmly and use special sleeping bags. They take home a certificate celebrating their stay.
The rooms melt into the river during the warmer months. Part of the hotel’s beauty is the fact that it’s temporary, says creative director Luca Roncoroni.
“Knowing that you can try out a new idea next year is very freeing,” he says.
Now You Try It
Answer the questions about temperature below.
Answer the questions about temperature below.
1A. The thermometer below shows the freezing point of water. At or below this temperature, water freezes solid into ice. Above it, ice melts into a liquid. What is water’s freezing point?
1A. The thermometer below shows the freezing point of water. At or below this temperature, water freezes solid into ice. Above it, ice melts into a liquid. What is water’s freezing point?
1B. The thermometer below shows the typical temperature inside the Icehotel. What is this temperature?
1B. The thermometer below shows the typical temperature inside the Icehotel. What is this temperature?
1C. Write an equation to show the difference in °F between the freezing point of water and the temperature of the Icehotel.
1C. Write an equation to show the difference in °F between the freezing point of water and the temperature of the Icehotel.
In March, the average temperature in Jukkasjärvi is 18°F. Mark and fill in this temperature on the thermometer below.
In March, the average temperature in Jukkasjärvi is 18°F. Mark and fill in this temperature on the thermometer below.
3A. In May, the average temperature in Jukkasjärvi is 21°F higher than 18°F. Determine this temperature and mark it on the thermometer below.
3B. Will the Icehotel stay frozen in May? Explain how you know.
3A. In May, the average temperature in Jukkasjärvi is 21°F higher than 18°F. Determine this temperature and mark it on the thermometer below.
3B. Will the Icehotel stay frozen in May? Explain how you know.
1. SPARK ENGAGEMENT.
Play the video “Ice Hotel.” Then, before or after reading the article, spark a discussion based on the following questions.
2. INTRODUCE THE MATH CONCEPT AND VOCABULARY
3. WORK THROUGH THE “WHAT TO DO” BOX.
4. REINFORCE WITH MATH PRACTICE.
Have students complete questions 1 through 3 on page 7.
