Overview of Activity

Students learn about different factors that can affect heat-trapping ability of the greenhouse effect by observing the effect of different factors on the temperature of six model greenhouses.

Grade Level: 6 to 12

Difficulty: Intermediate

Activity Type: In Class
URL:http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_2_13t.htm
http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_2_13s.htm
Amount of Time Required for Activity: Two 45-minute periods

Description
Students prepare six model greenhouses out of two-liter soda bottles. They paint the upper 1/3 of three bottles with white paint. Students fill the bottom of both a painted and an unpainted bottle with either dark soil, white sand, or room temperature water. They then tape a thermometer to each bottle. The bottles are placed under a lamp and temperature observations are made every twenty minutes. Students then graph and compare the results from the six bottles.

This activity is presented by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Relation to the Science Standards
Middle School
Content Standard B - Transfer of Energy
Content Standard D - Structure of the Earth System

High School
Content Standard B - The Interdependence of Organisms
Content Standard D - Energy in the Earth System
Content Standard D - Geochemical Cycles
Content Standard F - Environmental Quality

Related Part of the Exhibit
Greenhouse Effect

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