Melting Icebergs

Inquiry Procedures

1. Exhibit Curiosity
a. In what ways do humans contribute to global warming?
I think our biggest contribution to global warming would be our use of automobiles and other activities that release harmful greenhouse gases into the air. Deforestation is another factor that impacts global warming.
b. How long do we have until the polar ice caps melt completely?
I do not know how we would begin to estimate such a time. According to an MSNBC report, the ice caps melted at a rate twice as fast as it had in years past by 2003 (Rank Lev, 2009). There are too many factors to consider to attempt to estimate a date when the polar ice caps may be gone.
c. Write two other questions about global warming.
-What human activity has had the greatest impact on the Earth’s
temperatures?
-Are there any types of wildlife being affected by melting of the polar ice
caps?
2. Define questions, from current or background knowledge.
a. What will happen when the ice melts? Write your prediction in your science journal.
As the ice melts, the water level will stay the same.
3. Propose a possible explanation
a. As the ice melts, does the water overflow? Explain.
No, I do not think it will overflow because water expands as it freezes into ice. Therefore when it melts, it will condense and take up less space.
4. Plan and conduct a simple investigation
a. Lump ice cubes together by placing several ice cubes in a bowl and freeze overnight.
b. Place the ice cubes into a glass or bowl.
c. Add enough water to fill the glass to the top. Add as much water as you can until the glass will not hold any more without overflowing.
d. Observe the glass, water, and ice.
e. Notice that there is ice sticking up above the glass.
f. Now that you have formed a hypothesis, watch to see what happens. Be sure that the glass is not bumped or disturbed.
5. Gather and record evidence from observation
a. Document observations in science journal.
I allowed the ice cubes to freeze together in a bowl overnight. The next morning, I added water to the bowl just to the edge. I left the bowl on the kitchen countertop away from the window and I observed the bowl every 20 minutes to see if the water levels changed. No noticeable changes were seen in the level of the water and it did not overflow in the bowl as the ice completely melted.
6. Respond to question based on evidence
a. What happens when the ice melts?
The bowl I used was clear with a slight blue tint. I was able to see that as the lump of ice cubes floated in the bowl, some of their mass was under water, displacing the water in the bowl. Since we filled up the bowl after the ice was in place, we accounted for that displacement when the ice melted. The ice was no longer taking up that space so the ‘new’ water could occupy it without changing the level of the water line in the bowl. As for the ice above the water line, we know water expands as it freezes. As it melted, the amount that was above the water line had a minimal effect on the level of water in the bowl.
7. Consider other explanations
a. Conduct research and complete a Venn diagram that compares various points of view on global warming issues.
FOR
-According to the EPA, temperatures in the Arctic are rising faster than they are in other parts of the world (2007). It is thought that this is due to the reflective nature of the polar ice caps. They are able to send a lot of heat away from the Earth’s surface. When melted, the water is very dark and this allows more heat to be absorbed, compounding the effects of the increase in temperature.
-It is estimated that almost half of a polar ice cap has melted since the late 1970’s, according to NASA images of the area (EPA, 2007).
-According to the EPA, sea levels have been rising, as much as six inches, in the last one hundred years (2007).
-National Geographic reports that average temperatures have risen 1.4°F since the late 1800’s (2007).
-The number of glaciers and snow covered mountains are decreasing (“Global Warming Fast Facts, 2007).
AGAINST
-According to data gathered from the American Policy Roundtable, recorded temperatures in the troposphere have not shown a change in the last twenty years (2007).
-Future trends are based on computer models and predictions and are not always reliable.
-Many people are expressing their disbelief in global warming lately due to the number of blizzards and widespread snow we have seen in the past couple of years.
BOTH
-Both sides seem to agree that there will be some change in worldwide weather (hurricanes, floods, etc.) but each side claims different reasons (Stossel, 2007).
-The Earth is warming….but each side disagrees on how much and why.



8. Communicate Explanation
a. Describe the impact of global warming. Take a position on global warming and support this viewpoint with reasons, facts, and examples gathered during lesson activities.
Global warming is such a hot topic and I am always hearing opinions about it. I have to say that I agree there have been changes on Earth that appear to be related to warming temperatures. Images of polar ice caps, information about sea levels, and temperature changes over the years are all talked about in various resources. It is obvious that we have been emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere due to the lifestyles we choose to have. Whether we are the direct (and only) cause of global changes on Earth is still up for debate.
Some scientists, though not the majority, agree that global warming is caused by natural changes on the Earth. I find that most feel that our increased use of fossil fuels has added to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. I still cannot decide which side of the fence I am on personally. If I listen to either argument, I see major points that can be made.

9. Extended Questions
a. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?
If the polar ice caps melt, the Environmental Protection Agency predicts that it will cause the polar regions to warm more than other areas of the world due to the reflective nature of the ice (2007). The resulting water in the polar regions will be darker and cause more absorption of the sun’s rays. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that we could see as high as a 5°F increase in temperatures around various parts of the Earth in the next one hundred years. If the changes are significant, it could affect migratory animals and possibly many other animals and plants (EPA, 2007). Sea levels are expected to rise due to a warming of the ocean’s waters and due to the melting of ice on land.
The effects of melting polar ice caps will be felt worldwide. Unfortunately, we do not know the extent of the impact because we cannot fully predict when, how, or to what degree the melting will occur. We rely on computer models to make predictions.
b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?
I think this was a great inquiry experience. A simple experiment, like setting out the bowl of ice and water, leads to discussion, fact-finding, and forces the students to see both sides of a highly debated issue. If students used the internet to research information for this experience, they would have to use caution when choosing sites for information. Since this is a very hot topic worldwide, students have to understand a lot of what is out there is speculation and opinion. They need to make sure they are using factual data to support or refute their stance on the topic.
Some things I would ask about this experience would be:
-Would the results be the same if we used a salt water solution?
-Are we truly mimicking the gradual temperature change in the water as our ice melts?
-What if our ice was on top of land, not floating in water? How would this change our results?
-How does water physically change (density, expansion, etc.) when it goes from a solid to liquid?

Question 9- Inquiry Procedures

9. Extended Questions

a. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?

If the polar ice caps melt, the Environmental Protection Agency predicts that it will cause the polar regions to warm more than other areas of the world due to the reflective nature of the ice (2007). The resulting water in the polar regions will be darker and cause more absorption of the sun’s rays. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that we could see as high as a 5°F increase in temperatures around various parts of the Earth in the next one hundred years. If the changes are significant, it could affect migratory animals and possibly many other animals and plants (EPA, 2007). Sea levels are expected to rise due to a warming of the ocean’s waters and due to the melting of ice on land.
The effects of melting polar ice caps will be felt worldwide. Unfortunately, we do not know the extent of the impact because we cannot fully predict when, how, or to what degree the melting will occur. We rely on computer models to make predictions.

b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?

I think this was a great inquiry experience. A simple experiment, like setting out the bowl of ice and water, leads to discussion, fact-finding, and forces the students to see both sides of a highly debated issue. If students used the internet to research information for this experience, they would have to use caution when choosing sites for information. Since this is a very hot topic worldwide, students have to understand a lot of what is out there is speculation and opinion. They need to make sure they are using factual data to support or refute their stance on the topic.
Some things I would ask about this experience would be:
-Would the results be the same if we used a salt water solution?
-Are we truly mimicking the gradual temperature change in the water as our ice melts?
-What if our ice was on top of land, not floating in water? How would this change our results?
-How does water physically change (density, expansion, etc.) when it goes from a solid to liquid?

Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). Climate Change. Washington, DC:
Author. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/index.html.

STEM Strategies Lesson Plan

I enjoyed using the 5 E's lesson plan strategy for my lesson. I have never been one for writing formal lesson plans, so I usually like to try different ones to see which I would use if I had to. With the 5 E's, I had to look at how to engage my students in the lesson, give them something to explore, allow exploration, give students an opportunity for elaboration, and the chance to evaluate what was done.
The activity I chose for my lesson was on the topic of evolution. I wanted to use this activity as a chance to show my students the value of questioning science. Evolution is normally a touchy unit at my school, due to the emphasis put on religion in the community around the high school where I teach. I began the lesson by defining a scientific theory so that students understood where I was coming from as we discussed Darwin's theory of evolution. I did not want to create a debate between religion and science, but allow students the opportunity to ask questions and to take some responsibility for their learning.
The activity was on evidence for evolution. Students were going to use an investigation on comparative embryology as evidence for Darwin's theory of evolution. While this was one of many activities that my students would do on evidence for evolution, this one was found to be somewhat controversial due to the fact that the scientist that came up with the diagrams (Haeckel) was though to have purposefully selected diagrams of embryos at certain stages of development to make the theme of common ancestry more obvious than it actually should have been. In reality, if the embryos are examined closely, the similarities are not that evident.
Engaging my students was not a problem. The particular class that did this lesson was my Honors Biology class, composed of about one-third gifted learners. They love investigations and the chance to do hands-on work. I gave them some introductory information on how various species go through the embryonic stages of development. The exploration portion of the lesson was obvious- the students got to cut and paste embryo diagrams of a calf, pig, human, fish, and chick through three stages of development. Once finished, I wanted to elaborate by asking them to analyze the investigation. I am hoping they will not just question their own choices in the experiment, but the validity of the diagrams and investigation itself.
Upon completion of their questioning, I will show them a video clip of the controvesial comparisons that were made by scientists in the past. They will see other diagrams and pictures of embryonic development that shows that the comparison is not so cut and dried.
Overall, my goal is to inspire my students to question the world around them, a major quality of any scientist. By placing an emphasis on STEM education, we want students to feel passionate about science. By empowering them to question an activity they conducted in school, I am hoping they will continue to question things that are presented to them and someday take their inquiries to work in the field of science.

Second Try!

I'm trying this site for my blog instead as the last one wasn't as user friendly! Hopefully this one will be better!