The greenhouse effect is one of the things that makes earth a comfortable place to live. The greenhouse effect keeps earths climate comfortable. Relate greenhouse gas concentrations to temperature communicate their findings orally using appropriate climate change and earth science vocabulary. Students learn that greenhouse gases are heattrapping gases. Students observe teacherled demonstrations, and build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect, the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming for engineers, themselves and the earth. The greenhouse effect a greenhouse is a building made of glass that allows sunlight to enter but traps heat inside, so the building stays warm even when its cold outside. The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in earths atmosphere trap the suns heat. In this activity, students move chips representing sunlight, heat, and infrared radiation around a series of boards representing earth and its atmosphere. It happens because of higher concentration of carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane and other gases.
In this way, they act like the insulating glass walls of a greenhouse. They construct their own miniature greenhouses and explore how their designs take advantage of heat transfer processes to create controlled environments. Ask students to discuss and summarize what they read. The greenhouse effect on natural systems, student edition. Rationale this unit helps students understand the basics of the greenhouse effect and the relationship between greenhouse gas concentrations and global temperatures. The earths energy balance, students will color in a diagram, answer opinion. The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planets atmosphere warms the planets surface to a temperature above what it would be without.
Understanding the greenhouse effect chicago botanic garden. Form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, and viewing diagrams. Students believed that air pollution causes global warming and climate change. Students will use graphical tools to understand blackbody radiation, identify different spectrum ranges, learn about the interaction of atmospheric gases with. Sunlight heats up earths surface, and subsequently, the energy is reflected back to. They will build a small greenhouse and investigate temperatures. Most of the materials needed for this activity can be found in the pdf available at the. Of those gases, known as greenhouse gases, water vapor has the largest effect. Greenhouse effect, a warming of earths surface and troposphere the lowest layer of the atmosphere caused by the presence of water vapor, carbon dioxide. California education and the environment initiative.
In an associated literacy activity, students learn how a bill becomes law and they research global warming legislation. At the end of this activity, we hypothesize that the enhanced greenhouse effect environment will be 4c warmer than the greenhouse effect environment at the end of a 20 minute observation. Students will learn how greenhouse gases temporarily trap heat within earths atmosphere, warming our planet via the greenhouse effect. Students will recognize the consequences of the natural greenhouse effect. Students will be introduced to the concept of greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect, despite all the controversy that surrounds the term, is actually one of the most wellestablished theories in atmospheric science.
The activity will close with a discussion of natural vs. Because carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas, students will be introduced to the carbon cycle and its inte gral relationship to global climate change. The suns light and heat gets into the vehicle and is trapped inside, like the plastic bag around the jar. This process makes earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. During this activity, students will create cause and effect comic strips.
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that is millions of years old. Learn the basics greenhouse effect greg litteneverglades national park. Review with the students what they learned during the activity 1. When the sun pours out, intense amounts of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including ultraviolet and infrared. Students record definitions onto their student worksheets and refer to them for part 2. Greenhouse effect is the process of heating of the surface of earth till the troposphere. What could happen if this greenhouse effect changed the earths climate. Can help clarify the common confusion and misconception about the greenhouse effect as. Students should know that the greenhouse effect is the idea that gases in our atmosphere act like a greenhouse or a blanket, keeping in. Different gasses like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the earth. Learn the basics greenhouse effect produced by greg litten everglades national park.
Direct students to deepen their understanding of the greenhouse effect through a video and a reading show a short introduction video from pbs, global warming. Primary school, secondary school, greenhouse effect, misconceptions. A greenhouse is a house made of glass that can be used to grow plants. The students will observe the greenhouse effect using 2liter plastic bottles, soil, and water. This study was conducted at two maine middleschools with 6 seventhgrade students and 11 eighthgrade students in eight classes.
Without it, surface temperatures would be cooler by about 33 degrees celsius. They will measure temperature changes as well as the effects of soil. The greenhouse effect argumentative essay example for. Students should be able to describe the greenhouse effect in terms of the interaction of short and long wavelength radiation with matter. Surname1 students name professor course date climate change the greenhouse effect has made life possible in the world today. Adding more greenhouse gas there will change the balance. The greenhouse effect will in fact operate even if the absorption of radiation were totally saturated in the lower atmosphere.
Distribute a greenhouse effect laboratory guide and an investigation sheet to each student. Do not reveal which atmospheric moleculesgases are greenhouse gases. The sun powers earths climate, radiating energy at very short wavelengths, predominately in the visible or nearvisible e. Students explore the greenhouse effect through computer simulations and then dive deeper learning how the greenhouse effect works via readings and videos online. Without the effect of these naturally occurring gases, the average temperature on earth would be 0. They will measure temperature changes as well as the effects of soil dampness. Describe the greenhouse effect in terms of the interaction of radiation with matter. Students should list the most common heat trapping gases. Instruct students to read the background information section in their greenhouse effect laboratory guide. Can help clarify the common confusion and misconception about the greenhouse effect as a natural, not manmade, phenomenon. Discover the consequences of the greenhouse effect such as thawing, flooding, desertification of fertile areas or food shortages. Understanding the greenhouse effect grades 7 9 description. Instead, the greenhouse effect comes from molecules that are more complex and much less common. Greenhouse effect meaning, causes, consequences and.
The peak of the suns intensity is visible light, and when the energy from the sun hits the atmosphere, it is reflected into the atmosphere. Can be used to introduce the greenhouse effect and earths energy budget to students. Greenhouse effect, a warming of earths surface and troposphere the lowest layer of the atmosphere caused by the presence of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other gases in the air. Greenhouse effect is the process by which radiations from the sun are absorbed by the greenhouse gases and not reflected back into space. Greenhouse effect the collaborative on health and the environment. The greenhouse effect of venus from geometry, we can calculate the average solar flux over the surface of venus. Explain that students will be using a model to learn more about the greenhouse effect. They record and graph measurements, comparing the greenhouse indoor and outdoor temperatures over time.
Since key conceptual relationships in the models are defined in terms of mathematical formula involving. Ask students how they think the greenhouse effect is related to climate change. What is greenhouse effect burning issues free pdf download. I the greenhouse effect on natural systems i student edition 3 in the upper atmosphere that allows heat and light in. Define the terms, greenhouse effect and greenhouse gas a. Follow the video by having students read the greenhouse effect article and asking them to highlight or take notes on key information once they complete the reading, have students answer the. Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect.
Pdf the greenhouse effect is a leading factor in keeping the earth warm because it keeps some of the planets heat that would otherwise. Because gases in the earths atmosphere also let in light but trap heat, many people call this phenomenon the greenhouse effect. The difference between the earths actual average temperature 14c 57. Through a greenhouse effect drama, students will demonstrate their knowledge of the greenhouse effect by. This process makes earth much warmer than it would be. The sun powers earths climate, radiating energy at very short wavelengths, predominately in the. Students should describe the greenhouse effect to be a phenomenon that results in warming of the earth s surface due to heattrapping gasses. Another version of a greenhouse is what happens inside an automobile parked in the sun. Modeling the greenhouse effect, students will do a lab that demonstrates the greenhouse effect, and will discuss the results of the lab. Greenhouse gases let the suns light shine onto the earths surface, but they trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere. The planets temperature is regulated by the thin upper layers where radiation does escape easily into space. When averaged over the course of a year, the amount of incoming solar radiation received from the sun has balanced the amount of outgoing energy emitted from earth. Participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and global warming. The intention of this paper is to cover the title subject in a few pages in a way that is understandable to a high school student and, hence, to swedish parliamentary members.
After viewing greenhouse effect powerpoint slides, students will correctly order 4 of 6 steps in the greenhouse effect and identify 4 of 6 greenhouse gasses. The earths atmosphere helps control the earths temperature. This insulates the surface of the earth and prevents it from freezing. Students learn how models are constructed and work, and learn about layers of earths atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. Students were given a pretest that consisted of a concept map, a freeresponse question, and multiplechoice questions about how the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide. The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere, nitrogen comprising 78% of the dry atmosphere and oxygen comprising. For example, with its dense co2 atmosphere, venus has temperatures near 700 k at its surface. Students conceptions about the greenhouse effect, global. We will be particularly concerned to determine what forms of support are needed to guide students use of their physical intuitions and prior knowledge about heat, temperature, sunlight, reflectivity, feedback, and balance as they bear on the relationships among radiation, atmosphere, clouds, and the electromagnetic spectrum as used in service of understanding the greenhouse effect. Students are also introduced to global issues such as.
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