Provided by: ClimateScience |Published on: April 27, 2021
Lesson Plans Grades 3-5
Synopsis
In this 45-minute activity, students read about the albedo effect, conduct an experiment to illustrate this concept, and relate the albedo effect to climate change.
The resources can be downloaded and used offline or printed.
The lesson plan includes an answer key, which facilitates implementation.
Additional Prerequisites
This experiment should be carried out on a sunny day.
Teachers will need thermometers for students to use in the experiment.
Teachers should check for understanding of the albedo effect after students read the description on the handout and before moving on to the experiment.
Differentiation
This lesson can be related to life science by having students identify how water and land ecosystems can be altered by this effect.
Cross-curricular connections can be made with math as students will need to calculate averages.
Students can complete the experiment individually or in groups.
If teachers have a limited number of thermometers, students can use one and repeat the process for each color paper.
Other resources that pair well with this lesson include this video that relates the albedo effect to the urban heat island effect and this experiment-based lesson on the difference between ice melting on land and in the oceans.
Scientist Notes
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About the Partner Provider
ClimateScience
ClimateScience inspires young talents to seek careers in fields where they contribute to climate solutions. By providing beautifully illustrated, understandable, science-based educational content for free for everyone, they are building the fundamentals for Climate Education.
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