- Year 2019
- NSF Award #1439776
- Registration Current Noyce Scholar
- First Name Katlyn
- Last Name Green
- Discipline Chemistry
- Institution University of South Florida
Abstract
The purpose of this lesson was to create a comprehensive look at climate change and the role albedo has in the changing of Earth’s climate. The lesson uses both physical and computational models in order to help students with complex phenomena and allow them to participate in the practices of science. The lesson starts with a short introduction where two activities are used to discuss the term albedo and its effect on regulating Earth’s temperature. This is followed by a hands-on modeling activity that allows students to relate the albedo effect to the various biomes, or regions of climatic difference, across the world by using popcorn kernels and biome maps. Students investigate how the quantity of absorbed radiation differs among biomes and the larger implications this has if Polar Regions change. Based on students’ observations from the physical model, students predict how changing ice cover will affect global temperature change by using an online computational model based on real climate data. The lesson contains formative assessments before, during, and after the lesson to check for prior understanding, address misconceptions, and allow the instructor to adapt the lesson and promote climate change knowledge and scientific literacy.
