OpenSciEd 7.6, Lesson 9: Examine Ice Core Data
Task
Use this Data Task during OpenSciEd Unit 7.6, Lesson 9. This Data Task is just a small part of the larger lesson. It is designed to support the Version 2 of StoryMap investigation during Lesson 9: Examine Ice Core Data, Part 5. The goal of this Data Task is for students to use evidence from ice core data to determine whether current atmospheric CO₂ levels fit within the patterns Earth has experienced in the past or represent something unusual. This Data Task is not a standalone lesson. Use it in tandem with the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition to guide overall instruction and collaborative sensemaking. How it Fits into the Storyline Students will use the Tuva Tools to dynamically explore atmospheric CO₂ data collected from ice cores spanning approximately 800,000 years. They will create graphs, identify patterns in the data, and gather evidence to help answer the lesson question. Students explored the connection between rising temperatures and increasing CO₂ levels and investigated whether gases can become trapped in ice. After discovering that air bubbles in ice can preserve samples of ancient air, they are now ready to analyze ice core data to determine whether today's CO₂ levels are part of Earth's normal cycles. When you are ready for students to analyze the ice core data, have them open the Data Task on their computers. As students work through the Data Task, encourage them to discuss their observations with partners and compare evidence from their graphs. Following the Data Task, students can use their saved graphs during the class discussion as they build consensus about whether current CO₂ levels are part of Earth's normal cycles. Tips: This dataset contains atmospheric CO₂ measurements collected from ice core samples over long periods of Earth's history. Students will use the data to investigate patterns of stability and change in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Because students are looking for patterns over time, the following graph types and Tuva features are especially useful: Scatter Plot Drag :ta["Years Before Present"] onto the x-axis. Drag :ta["CO₂ Concentration"] onto the y-axis. Line Graph Select :ti[line-graph] from the toolbar to use a line graph to identify long-term trends and cycles in atmospheric CO₂. Zooming and Filtering Encourage students to zoom into different time periods. Compare recent CO₂ values to earlier periods in Earth's history. Ask students whether the recent increase appears similar to or different from previous fluctuations. Annotations Use the annotation tools in the :ti[ti-annotate] dropdown to highlight important patterns, peaks, and changes in the data. Encourage students to annotate evidence that supports their claims about whether current CO₂ levels are part of a natural cycle.
In the first part of the lesson, you investigated whether gases can become trapped in ice. You learned how scientists use ice core samples to study Earth's atmosphere from long ago. Scientists analyze air bubbles trapped in ancient ice. The bubbles help them determine how much carbon dioxide was in the atmosphere at different points in Earth's history Today, you will explore carbon dioxide data collected from ice cores dating back 800,000 years. You will look for patterns in how carbon dioxide levels changed over time. Finally, you'll consider whether those changes followed the natural patterns or not.
Topics and standards: Earth Science, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-5, MS-ESS3-4, MS-ETS1-2, Grade 7, MS-ESS3-1, OpenSciEd, 3.3.6-8.O, 3.3.6-8.K, 3.3.6-8.M, 3.3.6-8.N