Earth's Energy Cycle - Albedo
http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/ESS_lesson4_10.19.05.pdf
http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/ESS_lesson4_10.19.05.pdf
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Activity takes about one class period.
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Topics
Grade Level
Activity can also be used as an engagement activity for high school students.
Climate Literacy
About Teaching Climate Literacy
1a 
1aSunlight reaching the Earth can heat the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Some of that sunlight is reflected back to space by the surface, clouds, or ice. Much of the sunlight that reaches Earth is absorbed and warms the planet.
Other materials addressing 1a
Energy Literacy
Earth's weather and climate is mostly driven by energy from the Sun.
2.3 Earth's climate driven by the Sun.
The effects of changes in Earth's energy system are often not immediately apparent.
2.7 Effects of changes in Earth's energy system .
Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flow through the Earth system.
Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flow .
Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:A) Processes that shape the Earth
Other materials addressing:
A) Processes that shape the Earth.
Other materials addressing:
A) Processes that shape the Earth.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:B) Changes in matter
Other materials addressing:
B) Changes in matter.
Other materials addressing:
B) Changes in matter.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:C) Energy
Other materials addressing:
C) Energy.
Other materials addressing:
C) Energy.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Learn more about the Benchmarks
Light and other electromagnetic waves can warm objects. How much an object's temperature increases depends on how intense the light striking its surface is, how long the light shines on the object, and how much of the light is absorbed.
Notes From Our Reviewers
The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.
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Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
Technical Details
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/Ease of Use
- User must go to different websites for module background and unit background.
Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN
- This is part of a unit that allows learning more about the environmental cycles that influence Earth's climate. This activity is the last of four lessons in a unit on CYCLES. The project overview is located at: http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/ and the guide is located at: http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/ESS.htm
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