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Lesson Plan: Discovering Albedo
Subject: Earth and Space / Soils
Classtime: 60 minutes
Grade Level: 4-6

Materials/Technology:

  • plastic one-gallon milk jugs; cut to 18 cm high(four per group)
  • thermometers or thermocouple and CBL (Calculator Based Lab) unit
  • rulers
  • soil mixture (all students need to use the same type of soil)
  • various types of covering to be put on the soil samples (white paper, black paper, newspaper, packing peanuts, use your imagination)
  • access to strong natural sunlight or heat lamps or 100-watt bulbs
  • a timing device

Safety, Handling, Disposal:

Remind students to be careful around heat lamps. When lab work is done, soil can be returned to container.

Learner Outcomes

Students should be able to:

  • Read a thermometer accurately.
  • Collect and record data.
  • Generate a graph based on data.
  • Understand what independent and dependent variables are.
  • Determine which covering affected soil temperature the most.
  • Analyze data and make conclusions concerning how soil coverings affect soil temperature.

Problem/Purpose:

Analyze the relationship between soil covering and its effect on soil temperature.

Background:

Albedo (the reflection of the sun's ray off an object) is one of the variables that affect soil temperature. It affects not only the object but the air above it. Here we will only look at the effect on the object (the soil). Use the same type of soil to reduce the effect of other variables such as soil texture and moisture.

Hypothesis:

Students generate a hypothesis that relates to the lab. Students predict which covering will have the greatest effect on soil temperature. Example: Soil that is covered with crumpled black paper will heat up faster.

Procedure:

Advanced Teacher Prep:

Material for lab should be readily accessible.

Have copies of data table ready to hand out if instructor chooses to use it.

Student procedure:

  1. Place 15 cm of soil into each of the four plastic milk jugs.
  2. Chose a different covering (you will need four different ones) to put on each sample of soil; cover each soil sample with a covering.
  3. Mark thermometer 2.5 cm from the bottom of its bulb. Make sure the mark does not cover any part of the scale.
  4. Place the four soil samples and their covering in an area where they will receive the same amount of light. Record the initial temperature of the soil at a depth of 2.5 cm. Remove the thermometer after each reading.
  5. Record the temperature at a depth of 2.5 cm at five-minute intervals, try not to disturb the covering. Use the data table below or design your own as your teacher instructs.

Data Table

Soil covering Temperature (Celsius)

0 min. 5 min. 10 min. 15 min. 20 min. 25 min. 30 min.

1.____________

2.____________

3.____________

4.____________

Results/Analysis:

Use the gathered temperature data to generate a line graph with all four coverings plotted; put time on the horizontal axis (independent variable) and temperature on the vertical axis (dependent variable). This shows the relationship between covering type and temperature. You will have one graph with four lines on it. Students should use different colors or symbols for each type of covering.

Students will answer the following questions:

1. Which covering caused the greatest temperature change over time?

2. Which covering caused the smallest temperature change over time?

3. List the coverings in order, from smallest change to greatest change.

4. What is the relationship between type of covering and temperature change?

5. Why is time the independent variable?

Conclusions:

Students summarize the results of their lab in one concise paragraph.

Was the student's hypothesis supported or refuted? Use the data to support your answer.

Assessments:

Possible assessment questions:

  • Explain what a dependent variable is.
  • Why was it important to use the same type of soil in each container?
  • Did smooth covering affect the temperature more than rough/crumpled covering?
  • Why did we take the temperature at a depth of 2.5 cm?
  • If you owned a greenhouse and had plants that needed warm soil to start in, what type of covering would you use to increase your growing season?
  • Using your lab data, explain what color of car you would buy if you wanted the inside of the car to stay cool on a hot summer day?

Integration: Math (graphing, comparisons).

Reflections:
Share your thoughts on this lesson with the NTEN team.

Please send an e-mail to Patti Harrison.

Extensions:

Have students contact greenhouses in the area for recommendations on soil cover. Have students test recommended material and see if any of their material worked better. Have students write a short essay on why their own material would be a better or worse choice.Have the students predict what effect different types of ground cover (shrubs, grass, trees, etc.) have on soil temperature. Have them test their predictions.Have students try and explain why polar bears are white.

References/Resources: N/A

Credits
Contributing Teacher: Don Samuelson
NTEN Course: N/A
Instructor: N/A
Developing Team:
T.L. Buck Buchanan, Patti Harrison, Don Samuelson, John Usher, Don Wilson
HTML Programmers: Tyson N. Trebesch, Ryan Huddleston, Andy Tomascak, Ching-Kwong Chia

Copyright © 1998 - 2002, National Teachers Enhancement Network
Comments: pattih@montana.edu

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