Heating Earth's Surfaces: Albedo

• This lab from NASA provides instructions for students to develop and test a hypothesis on the impact different colors have on light absorption and surface temperature. 
• The document includes lab instructions, tables to record data, a graphing sheet, and analysis questions for students. 

Positives

• The lab begins with thinking questions to get students to consider surface temperatures they may have encountered in their own lives.
• The procedure steps are simple and easy to follow.
• The hypothesis section is scaffolded for students.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teachers would need to review and acquire the materials ahead of time.
• There is a caution that the bulb may be very hot, so it is recommended to review safety ahead of time.

Differentiation

• Teachers can strategically group students and assign roles ahead of time.
• Students can conference with other groups to discuss the analysis questions.
• Teachers can foster a class discussion after the lab to share findings and analyze patterns in the data.
• Other resources related to these topics include this similar lab about albedo and this experiment that connects the albedo effect to climate change.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.