In class you should have divided up the Final Draft task as instructed on the handout.
Objective
In this lab activity your table group will create an experimental model of the earth/atmosphere/ocean in a glass jar and test a single factor that affects climate. Your group will conduct the experiment, collect data and analyze the data to draw conclusions.
Everyone should have a rough draft in their notebooks. A final draft should be completed in class with all group members contributing mentally to all parts; physically divide up the work as follows: one student will make the final procedures/diagram, one student will make the ruled data table with all observations, one student will make the graph/analysis questions and one will write the conclusion. Each part should be on a separate page to turn in and each page should be titled according to the rubric.
Question:
Your group will be randomly given one of the following questions (you may make your own with teacher approval) about climatic factors.
1. Will air heat up faster over icy plains or newly plowed fields?
2. Which will heat up faster, air over the ocean or air over the land?
3. Does the presence of plants affect the rate which the air above the plants warms?
4. How does the amount of moisture in the soil affect the rate of atmospheric warming?
5. Does the temperature of the ocean affect the temperature of the air above it?
6. Does the color of the Earth’s surface (dark soil vs light soil) affect the rate of atmospheric warming?
7. Does the presence of carbon dioxide, a green house gas, affect atmospheric temperatures?
8. Does the presence of smoke (particulate matter) affect the rate of atmospheric warming?
Analysis:
Make a bar graph that compares both variables include: a descriptive title, put the independent variable on the X axis & the dependent variable on the Y axis, label both axes, include units, space you graph to fill the graph paper.
Analysis Questions:
1. Look at each possible question listed above, write a hypothesis for each and briefly mention the logic behind the choice
Conclusion: Restate your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis supported/refuted? Answer with evidence use quantitative data to support your statements when describing your results. Look at your observations. How might they contribute to error in your data collection? Briefly describe a next step. Why might this type of investigation be important to society?