Pre Lab Survey (Front and Back!)

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. The feedback you provide will help science educators improve the lab and determine its effectiveness. This survey is anonymous and will NOT influence your grades. It is OK to guess the correct answer.

Section 1: Information about You

1. Gender: Female Male

2. Are you a… Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior  Other: ______

3. Please indicate which topics (either as a course or as a topic within a course) you have taken in the past three years (select all that apply):

 Algebra/Geometry/Calculus
 Atmospheric science
 Chemistry /  Climate science
 Environmental Science
 Geology /  Microsoft Excel
 Oceanography
 Physics

4. Please rate how confident you are, at this point, that you could explain the following specific topics:

Not at all confident / Somewhat confident / Extremely confident
Difference between climate and weather / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
The relationship between the earth’s rotation and seasonal variations in temperature / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
The relationship between greenhouse gases and temperature changes on the earth’s surface / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Natural factors that influence climate / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
What causes ice ages / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Earth systems and cycles (for example the global carbon cycle and water cycle) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Feedbacks in the climate system / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Please tell us how much you know about the following topics (Circle one EACH)

Do you know . . . . ? / Definitely Not / Only
Sort of / I have a pretty good idea / Yes, Definitely
a. … how scientists use ice cores to study Earth’s past climate / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
b. … how the earth’s orbital parameters influence the long-term climate / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
c. …how water isotopes record the hydrological cycle, particularly over the ice sheets / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
d. …what aspect of the Earth’s orbital parameters causes the seasons / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
e. … what role CO2 plays in amplifying or moderating earth’s temperature / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

How do climate scientists use ice cores to estimate the amount of temperature change Earth has experienced between cold and warm periods? Circle one.
Measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the bubbles of ice cores
Measuring the isotopes of water molecules in the ice
Measuring the amount of dust concentrations in the ice cores
Have you ever heard of or experienced the “atmospheric lapse” rate. In other words, what happens to the air temperature as you go higher up in the atmosphere? Circle one.
Temperature increases as altitude increases
Altitude increases as temperature decreases
Temperature decreases as altitude increases
Temperature and altitude changes are unrelated
What is the primary cause for the glacial and interglacial variations in Earth’s temperature
Natural changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases
Changes in the amount of ice cover on the Earth
Slight changes in the Earth’s orbital configuration
What is the relationship between greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane) and temperature over thousands of years? Circle one.
As CO2 increases, temperature increases
As CO2 increases, temperature decreases
CO2 and temperature are not linked
Identify a feedback (component of the climate system that amplifies or reduces the amount of change) that wouldfurther increase Earth’s temperature during a warm interglacial period. Circle one.
The addition of CO2from warming oceans
More ice covering the Earth’s surface
Increased amount of aerosols (air particles) in the atmosphere from droughts
Greater amount of radiation from the Sun

Post Lab Survey (Front and Back!)

Please fill out this survey to help improve the lab. This survey is anonymous and will NOT influence your grades. It is OK to guess the correct answer. The information you provide will help science educators understand if this lab is effective.

Section 2: From Isotopes to Temperature & Influences of Orbital Parameters Lab

Please tell us how much you know about the following topics (Circle one EACH)

How do climate scientists use ice cores to estimate the amount of temperature change Earth has experienced between cold and warm periods? Circle one.
Measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the bubbles of ice cores
Measuring the isotopes of water molecules in the ice
Measuring the amount of dust concentrations in the ice cores

Have you ever heard of or experienced the “atmospheric lapse” rate. In other words, what happens to the air temperature as you go higher up in the atmosphere? Circle one.
Temperature increases as altitude increases
Altitude increases as temperature decreases
Temperature decreases as altitude increases
Temperature and altitude changes are unrelated

What is the primary cause for the glacial and interglacial variations in Earth’s temperature
Natural changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases
Changes in the amount of ice cover on the Earth
Slight changes in the Earth’s orbital configuration

What is the relationship between greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane) and temperature over thousands of years? Circle one.
As CO2 increases, temperature increases
As CO2 increases, temperature decreases
CO2 and temperature are not linked
Identify a feedback (component of the climate system that amplifies or reduces the amount of change) that would further increase Earth’s temperature during a warm interglacial period. Circle one.
The addition of CO2 from warming oceans
More ice covering the Earth’s surface
Increased amount of aerosols (air particles) in the atmosphere from droughts
Greater amount of radiation from the Sun

What, if anything, was the most important thing that you learned from this lab?

What, if anything, do you think could have been improved about the lab?

Are there any concepts that are still unclear to you after completing the lab?

Additional comments?

Thanks for filling out this survey!

If you have any questions about this survey of feedback, please contact Spruce Schoenemann, , 360-471-8835.

UWHS Climate Science: [Title]