Teaching Tips

• Consider extending the activity by opening a classroom discussion about the impact of sea-level rise on their community. Encourage them to share any personal experiences with family members who may have their homes, businesses, or livelihoods affected by sea-level rise.
• It is recommended for the teacher to set up and run the lab beforehand – to determine how many groups there will be. It is also recommended to heat the water to a lower temperature that is safe for students (not scalding as was shown in the video).

About the Content

• This lesson is about the thermal extension of water and students explore the relationship between temperature and volume changes in a liquid, students are engaged in a lab experiment where they calculate the coefficient of thermal expansion for tap water and apply their experimental results to real-world systems and large bodies of water such as the ocean.
• It includes discussion of the effects of temperature change on the ocean (as it relates to climate change/greenhouse emissions) and the impacts/significance of rising sea levels.
• All sources are cited and this resource does an excellent job of using empirical data from trusted organizations.
• Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

• This lesson is divided into three sections (overview, instructions/materials, background and extension) and includes both a teacher guide and student guide as well as a 9 minute YouTube video on thermal expansion.
• This is a hands-on science lab that could be completed as a whole group or multiple groups depending on the number of lab supplies available. It includes graphs and maps on data on the volume of the earth's oceans, as well as projections for global sea level rise calculated for different levels of greenhouse emissions and sea level trends on Google Earth.
• Students will need some algebra knowledge for this activity.
• This activity is easy for instructors to follow and use as a teaching resource. Educators may extend the activity throughout by prompting discussion questions such as "What are the possible consequences of thermal expansion in seawater and freshwater?"

• This resource engages students in using scientific data.
  See other data-rich activities

Technical Details/Ease of Use

• This resource is complete in scope and easy to use. All materials are listed and tips for adjusting the age-appropriateness of the activity are also included. The only thing this resource could benefit from is a single worksheet with the data table, but this could easily be added by the educator.
• There is no cost for this activity.
• Access to a computer or multiple computers would be helpful. It includes a virtual lab, which could be completed online.