Lesson Title: Build Your Own Greenhouse

Adapted from: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nstw/teach/nstw98/english/acte/sunglas1.htm

Duration: 2 hours (1 hour per activity)

Grade Level: Lower Elementary

TEKS: K.5(b,c), K.7(a, b, c), 1.2(a,b,c,d,e), 1.3 (a,b,c), 1.4(a,b,c), 2.5, 2.7(a,b,d), 2.9(b), 2.10(a,b)

Lesson Overview: This lesson will allow students to learn about protecting themselves and their things from the harsh Arctic weather by making a small greenhouse and testing its effects on temperature change.

Objective: To make a small greenhouse to test its effect on temperature change.

Materials:

· A plastic bottle

· A nail

· 2 thermometers

Resources:

· http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/index.html

· http://www.kids.infoplease.lycos.com/ipka/A0800624.html

· http://www.eagle.ca/~matink/themes/Environ/ozone.html

Background:

The thermometer outside of the bottle is exposed to circulating air that is constantly changing. The sunlight warms the air, but warm air is replaced by cooler air. The air in the bottle cannot circulate, so it stays in the sunlight and heats up. This is similar to what happens on Earth. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms up the ground. The heat is trapped by greenhouse gasses, which act like a bottle around Earth. If there was no atmosphere, the Earth would be very cold. The warming of the Earth due to heat-trapping gasses is called the “Greenhouse Effect.” Both the atmosphere and the bottle allow light to enter, but they trap the energy when it is converted to heat.

Procedure:

1. Make a hole near the top of the plastic bottle with the nail and insert one thermometer.

2. Place the second thermometer next to the bottle.

3. Make sure that the same amount of sunlight reaches both the thermometers.

4. Record the temperature values from both thermometers after 10 minutes.

5. Take the temperature again after another 10 minutes. You may want to repeat this a few times.

Evaluation:

· Do both thermometers record the same temperature?

· If the answer is no for the previous question, which one is higher?

· Can you explain why the temperature is different inside the bottle than outside?

.