OpenSciEd 6.3, Lesson 4: Sunlight & Temperature Investigation (Vernier Powered, Guided)
Task
Use this resource with OpenSciEd Unit 6.3, Lesson 4. Tuva has digitized the data tables from the Sunlight and Temperature Investigation handout, and student groups collect the temperature data with a Vernier Go Direct Temperature Probe. Each group will need a Go Direct Temperature Probe, a light meter, and a computer running Chrome or Edge, the two browsers that can connect to the probe. The probe connects over Bluetooth, so the computer goes outside with the group. The probe reports temperature in degrees Celsius, so the class data table in this Investigation is in degrees Celsius. The Colorado Springs sample data in Step 11 is in degrees Fahrenheit, exactly as it is in the OpenSciEd original, and Step 11 tells students to compare the patterns across the two data sets and not the values. Readings collected with the probe are held in the browser and are lost if the page is reloaded. Collection happens outdoors, so plan for each group to collect their readings, read their trial means, and enter them in the data table in one sitting, without reloading or closing the page. The graphs students save in Steps 9 and 10 are stored with their work. This is not a standlone lesson. Use it in tandem with the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition. Where This Data Task Fits in the Storyline In the previous lesson, students generated questions about what data could help determine whether recent floods, droughts, and high temperatures are part of normal variation or evidence of long-term climate change. During this investigation, students figure out what causes the air above different ground surfaces to be warmer than the air higher in the atmosphere. Equipment and Collection Settings Each group needs 1 Go Direct Temperature Probe and 1 light meter. Groups run one named trial per measurement: Collect for 10 seconds at a 1 second Interval, which gives a short series of readings to average. Allow 30 to 60 seconds at each position for the probe to adjust to the air before a trial is started, and remind groups that the metal part of the probe must not touch the ground and must not be held in the hand, or it will read the temperature of the ground or of the student instead of the air. When to Use Tuva Day 1 Parts 1-4 will be completed outside of Tuva. When preparing the copies for the day, you will only need to copy pages 1–4 of the Sunlight and Temperature Investigation handout. The portions used on Day 2, pages 5–6, will be done digitally. Day 2 Complete Part 5, Navigation, outside of Tuva. (Use page 14 of the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition for guidance.) Open this Tuva Investigation for Part 6, Conduct the Temperature and Sunlight Investigation. Steps 1 to 8 take groups through the materials, connecting the probe, setting up a trial, measuring the light and the temperature at each surface, finding the mean of each trial, and recording their results in their data table. In Part 7, have groups share data from one of the surfaces they studied. Students enter their peers' data into their data table in Step 9, graph the class data in Steps 9 and 10, and look for patterns in secondhand data from Colorado Springs in Step 11. What Happens Next Finish Part 7 with a whole-group discussion. Encourage students to refer to their data tables and graphs. (Use pages 17–18 of the Teacher Guide to facilitate.) Parts 8–11 should occur off of Tuva. Note for Teachers: Alternate Activity The Temperature and Sunlight Investigation works best on a day when it is sunny or partly sunny and temperatures are above freezing. Data collection on very cold days or dark, cloudy days will give skewed results. If you are unable to go outside for this lesson, have students work with the reference data sets Sunny Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs and Cloudy Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs. Alternatively, if this unit falls during winter or another time of year that makes data collection difficult, consider having a group of students collect data earlier in the school year so your class can work with local data; or, keep data collected the previous year to use again if needed.
In the previous lesson, we analyzed temperature profile data for different altitudes of the atmosphere at a variety of locations during different times of the year. We developed a consensus model for representing the motion of the molecules that make up air at different temperatures. It seems like we all agree the air is warmer near the ground, but we need to understand why. In this investigation, we will be answering: Why is the air near the ground warmer than the air higher up? Click Next to get started!
Topics and standards: Earth Science, MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS2-6, MS-ESS2-4, MS-PS1-4, OpenSciEd, 3-ESS2-2, 3.2.6-8.B, 3.3.6-8.H, 3.3.6-8.I, 3.3.6-8.J