Black Ice - A Slippery Arctic Road

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Black Ice - A Slippery Arctic Road
https://ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1337/2023/09/Black-Ice-Lesson_Jan-2014.pdf

DeeDee Whitaker, Katherine Whang

In this series of activities students investigate the effects of black carbon on snow and ice melt in the Arctic. The lesson begins with an activity that introduces students to the concept of thermal energy and how light and dark surfaces reflect and absorb radiant energy differently. To help quantify the relationship between carbon
and ice melt, the wet lab activity has students create ice samples both with and without black carbon and then compare how they respond to radiant energy while considering implications for the Arctic.

These activities take three 50-minute classroom periods. Additional materials are needed for the lab activities.

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See how this Activity supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 1

MS-PS4.B1: When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light.

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High School

Performance Expectations: 1

HS-ESS2-4: Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 2

HS-ESS2.D1: The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space.

HS-PS4.B2: When light or longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation is absorbed in matter, it is generally converted into thermal energy (heat). Shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) can ionize atoms and cause damage to living cells

Cross Cutting Concepts: 7

Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Energy and Matter, Stability and Change

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Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Energy and Matter, Stability and Change

HS-C1.4: Mathematical representations are needed to identify some patterns

HS-C1.5: Empirical evidence is needed to identify patterns.

HS-C2.1: Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

HS-C4.3: Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.

HS-C5.3: Energy cannot be created or destroyed—only moves between one place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between systems.

HS-C7.1: Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

HS-C7.3: Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system.

Science and Engineering Practices: 6

Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

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HS-P2.6: Develop and/or use a model (including mathematical and computational) to generate data to support explanations, predict phenomena, analyze systems, and/or solve problems.

HS-P3.1: Plan an investigation or test a design individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence as part of building and revising models, supporting explanations for phenomena, or testing solutions to problems. Consider possible confounding variables or effects and evaluate the investigation’s design to ensure variables are controlled.

HS-P4.1: Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.

HS-P5.1: Create and/or revise a computational model or simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system.

HS-P6.2: Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

HS-P8.5: Communicate scientific and/or technical information or ideas (e.g. about phenomena and/or the process of development and the design and performance of a proposed process or system) in multiple formats (i.e., orally, graphically, textually, mathematically).

Grade Level

High School (9-12)
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College Lower (13-14)
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Topics

Albedo
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Anthropogenic Changes
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Climate Data
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Climate Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy affects quality of life

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

The lesson could be very easily altered to allow for a more authentic, student-driven, investigative approach to answering questions about black carbon if some of the background information is left to the end or strategically cut down.
Do the wet labs before you show the videos or have students read as they outline concepts before having a chance to engage with them and come to their own conclusions.

About the Content

Provides a thorough explanation of black carbon and how its chemistry affects Earth system processes, particularly in the Arctic.
Includes data collection by measuring reflected light off white and blackened ice, as well as melted water.
Comments from expert scientist:
Scientific strengths:
Very nice and simple lab that demonstrates how albedo works and how the deposition of black carbon on ice reduces its albedo, resulting in faster melt.
- Nice explanation of where black carbon comes from and how it gets transported to areas with ice and snow.
- I like how there is sort of an "introductory" exercise initially to introduce the concept of albedo, before the real lab of looking at ice with and without BC particles on top.

About the Pedagogy

The lesson is very thorough, includes differentiations for students with special needs and low-technology options. The lesson provides questions for each section and subsequent keys.
A mixture of readings, videos, and hands-on labs.
Good extension activities/questions that go beyond the information stated in the videos.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

The data collections interface and probeware may not be common in all classrooms (Cost is $55); however, the lesson provides alternatives to using the interfaces described in the lesson by measuring melted water and mass loss of ice with and without black carbon.

Entered the Collection: June 2018 Last Reviewed: May 2015