Earth's Energy Cycle - Albedo

Students perform a lab to explore how the color of materials at the Earth's surface affect the amount of warming. Topics covered include developing a hypothesis, collecting data, and making interpretations to explain why dark colored materials become hotter.

Go To:

http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/ESS_lesson4_10.19.05.pdf

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Activity takes about one class period.

Notes From Our Reviewers

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Teaching Tips

About the Science

Providing an observable example of the effect of albedo on temperature is very useful in demonstrating the importance of albedo to students.

Not a lot of background materials for educators.

Comments from our scientists on background materials:

When teaching about the decreasing snow cover - Specify the amount of decrease for land ice or glaciers.

The number that is given for the decrease of the ice cover is a little out of date. For the annual average, the trend from NSIDC numbers is -4.2% per decade over 1979-2009. Of course for albedo, the key time period is summer when the sun is up. For September, at the end of the summer melt season, the trend for 1979-2009 is -11.9% per decade.

About the Pedagogy

Hands-on activity fosters student understanding of how local, regional, and global albedo effects are critical to predicting global climate change.

Has a good section to teach the importance of noting limitations of models.

Engaging introduction for students using a photo of Himalayan glaciers for observation and study.

Good worksheets included for students.

Assessment needs to be improved by educator.

Technical Details

User must go to different websites for module background and unit background.