Connecticut Energy Education
This activity takes about two class periods. Additional material required.Discuss this Resource»
Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»
About Teaching Climate Literacy
4.3 Fossil and bio fuels contain energy captured from sunlight.
2.6 Greenhouse gases affect energy flow.
Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines
Other materials addressing:
C) Collecting information.
Other materials addressing:
A) Processes that shape the Earth.
Notes From Our Reviewers
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Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
- Educator should have some background knowledge of basic chemistry.
- The aerosol activity could be done separately if desired.
- Educator should talk about variables and controlled experiments before students begin this activity.
- Educator may want to extend the questions to help students more critically address the objectives.
About the Science
- An inquiry approach to the greenhouse bottle model. The inquiry nature of the lab is good but using this type of experiment to model the greenhouse effect may reinforce misconceptions.
- The second inquiry lab on aerosols also has science concerns. "Aerosols" are spray painted on the side of the bottle that the sun shines through. This might represent aerosols, but they are not aerosols in the bottle with the atmospheric gases and thus is a poor model.
- Comment from expert scientist: It allows students to design their own experiment, and act like scientists themselves. It allows students to think about using models (a soda bottle) to describe a complex system (the atmosphere) and process (the greenhouse effect).
About the Pedagogy
- A good effort at an inquiry-based activity in which students devise their own experiment to test the effect of increased CO2 in the atmosphere. Students read an article first–not a very exciting way to engage them in the activity. Good assessment questions and scaffolding for the student inquiry investigation.
- Activity assumes that students understand the dynamics of a controlled experiment, which is not necessarily true.
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