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.