Seeing (Infra)Red

• This video describes the electromagnetic spectrum and demonstrates how infrared radiation can be absorbed using an infrared camera.
  
• The narrator describes the analogy of the greenhouse effect and how it relates to Earth's atmosphere.
  

Positives

• A thorough verbal explanation and visual demonstration is very effective in explaining this difficult topic. 
• The narrator talks at a pace that is conducive to taking notes or drawing a diagram on the board for students.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the electromagnetic spectrum and terms like visible light, infrared radiation, and wavelength.

Differentiation

• Consider having students draw a diagram of their understanding of the greenhouse effect after watching the video.  Students may need to watch the video multiple times to accomplish this. 
• Have students see the difference between different materials and their ability to absorb infrared radiation by having them hold various items (pencil, paperclip, ball of paper, etc.) for a minute and then compare the infrared radiation from them.
  
• To dive deeper into the science of the greenhouse effect and climate change, high school students may benefit from this interactive online lesson called Heating it Up: The Chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect.
  

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