Download Mini Research Project

Research Project
An exploratory study
Modeling environmental
effects in the classroom
Environmental Themes:
Climate Change/Climate Differences







Global Warming
CO2 increase
Insolation
Water
Acid Rain
Ozone
Geologic differences
How do we measure it?
Global Warming
History of Change in the U.S.
It’s not the same everywhere
Carbon Dioxide
Questions of fairness
Long-term Temperature Change
The Earth was much warmer in the past.
Volcanoes, El Niño
& Global Warming
Non-anthropogenic sources
El Niño index
Precipitation Change
With climate change precipitation patterns change
Acid Rain
The problems occur far away from the source
Ozone
Pollutants are causing changes in trace molecules
Local Geology
Do we put the lands to their best use?
Generating Experimental Ideas
The Four Question Strategy
Cothron, Giese, & Rezba. Students and Research. Kendall/Hunt 1989
1. What materials are readily available for
conducting experiments on (plants)?
Soils, Water, Radish Plants & Seeds, Light, Carbon Dioxide,
Containers, …
2. How do (plants) act?
Plants grow.
The Four Question Strategy
3. How can you change the set of (plant) materials
to affect the action?
Earth
Air
—type
—compaction
—composition
—temperature
Water —method of application
—amount
—acidity
Fire —amount of light
—intensity of light
4. How can you measure or describe the response
of (plants) to the change?
Measure the height, Number that germinate, Count the
number of leaves, Health of plant
5. How does your experiment model the environment?