Activity 5: Greenhouse in a Beaker Demonstration &Background This demonstration activity models the conditions that occur in a greenhouse, or in our atmosphere according to the greenhouse effect. Students will record data as your demonstration progresses.
Objective Students will be able to explain that the greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm. Students will be able to identify the parts of a model and relate them to real life. Students will be able to describe that too much carbon dioxide speeds up the greenhouse effect.
Time 1 class period
Materials 2 600 mL Beakers 1 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask 1 Rubber stopper with hole 1 Vinyl tubing, 3/16” diameter 1 Clip light 1 Ruler 2 Digital thermometers
1 Small piece of masking tape 4 Alka-Seltzer® tablets Safety glasses Water (room temperature) 1000-1100 Lumen bulb, equivalent to 75 watt incandescent Document camera or similar (optional) Greenhouse in a Beaker Data Worksheets, pg. 80-81
2Preparation Make copies of the data worksheets for students. Gather materials for the activity and be sure an outlet is available for the lamp. Cut the tubing length as appropriate for your set-up and materials. Usually, 1 ft to 18” lengths will be adequate, but it can vary based on the type of tubing used. Set up a camera, if available, to project the demonstration for all in the classroom to see.
Procedure INTRODUCTION 1. Review the student informational text sections on weather, climate, the greenhouse effect, and global climate change. 2. Explain that you are going to do a demonstration that will model or help to show how the greenhouse effect works. If necessary, remind students that models are ways to visualize something that might be hard to see. Models aren’t perfect examples of what is happening. Sometimes models do things on a smaller scale, or with some different materials, and can’t always show things exactly as they are happening. 3. Set up the materials and pass out the data worksheets to the class. Give students instructions to complete the data table as your demonstration progresses. Give them time to summarize their data and answer the questions under each table. 4. Explain that you will do the demonstration twice, once to show daytime with light, and once to show night time or with no light.
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