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Heating Earth's Surfaces: Albedo

Provided by: NASA |Published on: April 8, 2022

Worksheets

5678

Synopsis

This lab from NASA provides instructions for students to develop and test a hypothesis on the impact different colors have on light absorption and surface temperature.
The document includes lab instructions, tables to record data, a graphing sheet, and analysis questions for students.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics

Authors: NASA

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The lab begins with thinking questions to get students to consider surface temperatures they may have encountered in their own lives.
The procedure steps are simple and easy to follow.
The hypothesis section is scaffolded for students.

Additional Prerequisites

Teachers would need to review and acquire the materials ahead of time.
There is a caution that the bulb may be very hot, so it is recommended to review safety ahead of time.

Differentiation

Teachers can strategically group students and assign roles ahead of time.
Students can conference with other groups to discuss the analysis questions.
Teachers can foster a class discussion after the lab to share findings and analyze patterns in the data.
Other resources related to these topics include this similar lab about albedo and this experiment that connects the albedo effect to climate change.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.