The Greenhouse Effect Experiment

Provided by: NJ Agriculture in the Classroom |Published on: June 16, 2024

Activity - Classroom

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Synopsis

This experiment uses sunlight, jars, and thermometers to demonstrate the greenhouse effect.
Using the jar to represent the atmosphere, students will learn how our atmosphere traps heat and discuss how more greenhouse gases will trap more heat.

Subjects: Science

Authors: NJ Agriculture in the Classroom

Region: Global, New Jersey

Languages: English

Positives

This experiment is very simple and most teachers should have the materials already.
The hands-on activity will help students understand the somewhat abstract concept of the greenhouse effect.

Prerequisites

The suggested book, Understanding Climate Change, Facing a Warming World, by Melissa McDaniel, is not required for the experiment, but you could have students watch this basic video before or after the experiment.
Teachers will need jars with lids and thermometers for the experiment.
Students should know how to read a thermometer.

Differentiation & Implementation

To make language arts connections, students can write poetry using either the blanket or greenhouse analogy.
After this experiment, students can learn about the ways humans contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Students can also learn about the negative implications of climate change, such as extreme weather.
Students can collect the temperature data at every 20-minute interval and create a graph to display the temperature over time.
Students can also connect this to discussions about solar energy or the electromagnetic spectrum.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.