Inquiry on Sea Level Rise Name: ______
HR: ______DATE:______
Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:
1. design an experiment showing sea level rise with sea ice and land ice.
2. write a conclusion that states what happens to sea level with land and ice melt.
Alignment to Kansas Science Standards:
Science as Inquiry: 3-4: 1.1.1, 1.1.2,1.1.3, 1.1.4; 5-7: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.3.1,2.1.1
Physical Science: 3-4: 2.1.1, 2.1.4, 2.2.2
Science and Personal/Social Perspectives: 5-7: 6.3.2
History and Nature of Science: 3-4: 7.1.1
Background Information
There are two kinds of ice in the Polar Regions, sea ice and land ice. Sea ice forms from ocean water and is about 1 meter thick after a cold winter. Some of the sea ice melts each summer. Land ice forms on land from precipitation that falls and accumulates on the ground. Layers of snow build up, causing pressure on the snow crystals beneath and the air is pushed out. Eventually the snow is compacted from the weight above into layers of ice. This ice becomes a glacier that acts like a river, flowing downhill. Once the glaciers meet the ocean, they break off and become floating icebergs. This activity helps students understand which ice is causing the sea level to rise.
Other Web Sites and Documents:
http:.cresis.ku.edu/research/data/sea_level_rise/index.html -- An interactive sea level rise map of the world
http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/slr.cfm -- Basic information on past, present, and projected future sea level rises by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
Materials :
Provide following materials:
Per 2 students:
2 ice cubes
2 clear cups
2 popsicle sticks
Warm water
1 piece of clay or playdough
1 paper towel
1 marker
1 pencil
Procedure/Learning Activity:
1. Show pictures of sea ice and land (glacier) ice.
2. Mark one cup “land ice” and the other “sea ice”.
3. Design an experiment that shows what happens to sea level when the glaciers on land melt and when floating sea ice melt. Note: You may use the sticks on top of the cup for land ice or they may use clay as a taller land form and place it on the top of it. They might use the pencil to mark the sea level in the clay itself or use the marker to designate sea level.
LAND ICE:
SEA ICE:
4. Before doing the experiment, write a prediction of what will happen in each cup.
5. Set up the experiment and do it.
6. What happened? Record your observations.
7. Write a conclusion that states what happens to sea level with land and sea ice melt.
8. Report your results to class.
Discussion
• How did you design your experiment?
• Was there a difference in your sea level between the 2 cups?
• Which should scientists be more concerned with, land ice or sea ice?
EXIT TICKET
Sea level rise is caused by…… (write your answer here)
Distribution of Earth’s Total Water
3% Fresh Water
77% Polar Ice
Fresh 3% Lakes, Rivers, etc Sheets & Glaciers
Soil Moisture, Vapor 1%
Ground Water 22% Greenland Ice Sheet 5%
Mt Glaciers
1%
Saline Polar Ice Sheets
97% and Glaciers Antarctic Ice Sheet
77% 91%
How much of the earth’s water is fresh? ______
How much of fresh water is frozen in ice? ______
Where is most of the frozen water? ______
Assessment
· Students describe their design and read their conclusion to class.
· Students fill out “exit ticket” that completes this phrase: “Sea level rise is caused
by …”
Rubric:
Component / 5- Distinguished / 3- Satisfactory / 1- UnsatisfactorySea level rise / Model differentiates between sea ice and land ice and is correct / Land ice model shows ice melt on land / Sea ice is only concept demonstrated