Greenhouse Effect Investigation

Posted by David Wetzel

Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse effect is the a current science event that discussed widely at all levels of education and beyond. Often students have a basic knowledge of the greenhouse effect; however, many just nod their heads and pretend they know and understand.

I have developed a simply experiment that gives students hands-on, minds-on experience with how the greenhouse effect works.

Greenhouse Experiment

Materials: 2 Thermometers and 1 Large Seal-able Plastic Bag

Procedures:

1. Place one thermometer in the plastic bag and seal the bag.
2. Record the beginning air temperature in the bag.
3. Place the plastic bag in direct sunlight.
4. Place the second thermometer next to the bag.
5. Record the temperature of the second thermometer.
6. Wait 15 minutes and record the temperature on both thermometers.
7. Wait 15 more minutes and record the temperatures again.

Questions for Students:

1. What observations did they make?
2. What was the role of the plastic bag in this experiment?
3. What did the thermometer inside the plastic bag measure?
4. What was the cause of the temperature increase in the plastic bag?
5. What was the effect of the temperature increase in the plastic bag?
6. What could they do to lower the temperature of the air inside the plastic bag?
7. How can they compare the effects of caused by the temperature increase inside the plastic bag, with the greenhouse effect the earth is undergoing now?
8. Other questions will develop as the discussion continues.

Resources

Understanding Scientific Inquiry

Problem Solving and Science Process Skills

Questions to Ask Students in Science Projects

Greenhouse Effect Animation

Writing in Mathematics: Assessing Understanding

Posted by David Wetzel

Writing in Math

Writing in math is an excellent way to determine if students’ understand or do not understand the math they are learning about.

Allowing students to explain how they solved a math problem, how they developed a formula to solve a problem, or how they applied a math concept requires critical thinking.

Students must use the minds as they formulate a logical explanation of how they solved a math problem. Because there is always the lingering idea regarding did a student solve a math problem by rote memorization of facts or does the student truly understand the math concept.

When students write how they solved the problem using sentences or a short story, their true understanding and misconceptions become readily apparent. This is why writing in math is a useful strategy for assessing understanding of math concepts.

Checklist

Using this checklist as overall guidance will help students grasp the fundamentals of how writing in math is different than other subjects.

• Clearly restate the problem.

• State the answer in a complete sentence which stands on its own.

• Clearly state the assumptions which underlie the formulas.

• Provide a paragraph which explains how the problem will be solved.

• Clearly label diagrams, tables, graphs, or other visual representations.

Writing Prompts

Often the best way to assess students’ prior knowledge and experiences with math is to provide a situation in which they must explain a math concept or math situation. The following are a few examples of writing prompts that can be used to stimulate student thinking:

• Tips I would give a friend to solve this problem are____________, ____________, and ____________.

• Where else could you use this type of problem solving?

• What other strategies could you use to solve this problem?

• The most important part of solving a problem is____________.

• You know several ways to____________(solve an equation, add fractions, etc.) Which method is your favorite? Why?

• Write instructions for a (insert grade level here) grader to follow when (adding fractions, finding percentages, calculating averages, etc.)

• Give two examples of situations in which you have used, seen or can find the concept of ____________. OUTSIDE of this classroom.

• Write a definition in your own words of a ____________.

• Compare and contrast the terms ____________.

Resources

Writing in Math

Math Problem Solving Stories and Case Studies