Sea Level Rise Lesson Series

Transcription

1 Sea Level Rise Lesson Series

2 Educators, Thank you for your interest in educating students about sea level rise. Sea level rise is an important and timely issue for your students, as they are growing up in a world that has an uncertain future. Florida is a unique state, as it is a peninsula with 1,200 miles of coastline [1], a land area of 21,116 km 2 under 4 meters in elevation [2], and a population of 6,979,817 people living in these low-lying areas [2]. More people in Florida will be affected by sea level rise than any other state in the United States. In contrast, Louisiana and California combined have less than half as many people living in low-lying areas and likely to be affected by sea level rise over the next century [2].Thus, it is critically important to educate Floridians on this topic. Sea level rise is predicted to impact Floridians even within the next years, affecting you, your students, and future generations. Unfortunately, at this point not much can be done to prevent the sea level from rising for the next 100 years or more [3], but there are solutions to mitigate the effects of sea level rise. Educating students and making people aware of the risks are the first steps in the right direction. I will briefly discuss the risks involved in this letter, but as you will see, they are described in detail throughout this package. The first problem we will encounter will be declining home values and increased insurance rates for coastal homes as more and more people become aware of the risks involved with buying homes on the coastline. Then we will notice an increase in beach erosion, high tides, and storms surges. These will become major problems for beach flora and fauna because many will be unable to relocate due to a lack of available habitat on Florida s highly developed coastlines. Another major problem associated with high tides and storm surges are infrastructure and property damage. A key part of this problem is dealing with saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers and wells. Once the sea level has risen enough to permanently inundate coastal lands, people will need to relocate and this could potentially lead to dense human populations in central and northern Florida. This means more development, habitat fragmentation, and a decline in Florida s rich, unique, and spectacular biodiversity. These are some of the serious issues we are facing, but there is hope! State and local officials are aware of these issues and plans are being developed to mitigate some of the effects of future sea level rise and scientists and policy makers are collaborating to find solutions for preserving biodiversity in Florida. While making this educational package and learning about these issues I have spoken to many peers, friends, and family members to get their take on the subject. I found that most people have heard about sea level rise, but they were shocked to hear that it would be affecting us in the near future. Your students are future voters, scientists, policy makers, and concerned citizens, which is why it is important they become aware of how and when sea level rise will affect them and future generations. This package includes a lesson plan series with four sections and ten lesson plans. Each section has a PowerPoint presentation for you to use and there is a video for students to watch that summarizes everything the students have learned throughout the entire series. We decided to use the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards to guide what material is included in the lesson plans and PowerPoint 1

3 presentations. This will allow you to use these lesson plans while still teaching important benchmarks for your students. The four segments of the lesson series are: Segment I: What is Science and How Does The Scientific Process Work? Segment II: What is Climate Change and What Are Scientists Doing to Gather Information About Climate Change? Segment III: Sea Level Rise in Florida. Segment IV: Policy Making and Action: How Can You Make a Change? You can utilize each segment as you wish based your students prior knowledge, and the amount of time you have to devote to the subject. The whole package can be presented in about 4-10 classroom periods depending on how many lessons you plan to use and how in-depth you plan on teaching your students about the subject. Each segment starts by describing the related benchmarks, objectives, and activities that will be covered. The first page of each activity outlines the objectives, materials, instructions, and other important information. Following that will be discussion questions that will be used after the activity is complete. If the lesson has a student worksheet, it will be on the subsequent pages. The discussion questions are not designed to elicit a correct answer from the student; instead they should be used to prompt critical thinking skills, discussion within groups, and to create a dialogue between you and the students. Please use the discussion questions as a guide to keep you and your students focused on the important points in each lesson. More questions may come up during the discussion and feel free to add questions that you think are important. Our hope is that these discussion questions will get students to think independently about these issues and to come up with insightful answers and solutions. We hope you enjoy teaching your students about sea level rise using this lesson plans series and that your students not only learn about the issue of sea level rise, but also become enthused about making a difference in their communities and the world through environmental stewardship and political activism. We also hope that your students learn about the scientific process, become better thinkers, and independent learners. Thank you for choosing to use this lesson plan series in your classroom and I wish for you to have a wonderful experience with it. If you have any questions or recommendations for improving these materials, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Leah Reidenbach, Joshua Reece, and Reed Noss LEAHBRIANNE@KNIGHTS.UCF.EDU; JOSH830@GMAIL.COM; REED.NOSS@UCF.EDU 2

4 Segment I: What Is Science and How Does The Scientific Process Work? Related Benchmarks: SC.912.N.3.1 Explain that a scientific theory is the culmination of many scientific investigations drawing together all the current evidence concerning a substantial range of phenomena; thus, a scientific theory represents the most powerful explanation scientists have to offer. SC.912.N.1.6 Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the content being studied. SC.912.N.2.5 Describe instances in which scientists' varied backgrounds, talents, interests, and goals influence the inferences and thus the explanations that they make about observations of natural phenomena and describe that competing interpretations (explanations) of scientists are a strength of science as they are a source of new, testable ideas that have the potential to add new evidence to support one or another of the explanations. Objectives: Explain the scientific process as one that involves in-depth research and a peer review process. Differentiate between fact, a scientific theory, and the general use of the word theory. Explain that theories use evidence and logic to explain phenomena. Show how scientists can use data from many sources to make inferences about a natural system. Explain that scientific theories may be altered as new observations and inferences are made. Activities: Scientific Theory... 4 Thinking Like a Scientist...5 3

5 Scientific Theory Goals: Students will be able to make the distinction between a theory in the general sense of the word, a fact, and a scientific theory. Students will be able to debate whether something is a theory, a fact, or a scientific theory. Students will know what the definition of a theory is in scientific terms. Materials: Internet access Word processing program or Pen/pencil and paper Student Instructions: Work in small groups of 3-4 students each. Use the internet to find out information about one theory, one fact, and one scientific theory. Briefly explain what each one is about, and then write two sentences that explain why it falls into the category of a theory, a fact, or a scientific theory. Discussion Questions and Possible Answers: Q: What are the criteria that qualify something as a scientific theory? A: The United States National Academy of Sciences defines a theory as, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses. Scientific theories are backed by many observations and experiments that confirm their reliability. The accuracy of a scientific theory changes over time as more evidence is collected. Scientific theories are tested with the scientific method; this is a rigorous, standard way of evaluating hypotheses. Q: In your own words, explain the difference between a scientific theory and a theory used in the general sense. A: When a person says that they have a theory it means that they think they know the reason a phenomenon occurs, but they usually do not have any evidence for it. A scientific theory uses evidence from many sources to verify its reliability. Q: Come up with two synonyms for the words theory, fact, and scientific theory. A: Theory: idea, hypothesis; Fact: truth, reality; Scientific theory: empirical, realistic, backed up with evidence. Q: Do you think scientific theories are to be regarded as just a theory? Why or why not? A: No, scientific theories are supported by rigorous testing, evidence, and/or facts. Or, yes, since a scientific theory can change it may not be reliable. 4

6 Thinking Like a Scientist Goals: This activity will get students mentally prepared for the upcoming series of lessons. Students will think like scientists by participating in a group or classroom discussion on climate change and sea level rise. Students will use their prior knowledge to suggest ways to quantitatively measure if climate change and sea level rise are occurring. Students will offer suggestions, as if they were scientists, regarding what the best thing to do about climate change is if it is occurring. Students will become engaged in the discussion and realize how scientists communicate ideas with others to share knowledge and solve problems. Teacher Instructions: For classrooms with a lot of students it is best to put the students into groups with about 4-6 students each. For smaller classrooms a whole class discussion may be more productive. In the larger classroom, each group can discuss among themselves, and then share their ideas with the rest of the class. Discussion Questions and Possible Answers: Q: Write down three things you know about climate change (per person) and discuss your sources for this information. Some sources include television, news, websites, newspapers, radio, books, parents, family, and friends. (Teacher Instructions: Have the students turn these in, tally up the ideas to see which ones are the most popular and save the information until the end of the four segments. Ask the same question again at the end and compare the new answers with the old ones to see if your students have changed the way they think about climate change and sea level rise.) A: Answers will vary Q: Do you think these sources are reliable for this kind of information? Why or why not? A: While these sources are not the most reliable, because they are not peer reviewed, they can still be useful for learning. The media is not a reliable source of information because there can be bias in the reports when media outlets conform to the interests of advertisers or the audience. Also, the media has a tendency to select the most dramatic stories. When using websites such as Wikipedia, don t just take everything at face value, if the article is well written it should be linked to other sources where more information can be found. When a friend or family member talks to you about scientific information, ask them what their source is, then do the research yourself. Q: What is the best source for scientific information? A: The most reliable sources of scientific information can be found in peer reviewed articles written by scientists. These articles are not always easily accessible to the general public; therefore most people rely on the media, internet, and word of mouth for scientific information. 5

7 Q: If you were a scientist in charge of determining if climate change and sea level rise are happening, how would you do it? Describe at least two ways to quantitatively measure the climate and/or sea level. How is climate measured today? How can you measure what past climate conditions were? How can you determine where the sea level might have been hundreds or thousands of years ago? (Hint: Is there anything underground that could help determine where the sea level may have been?) A: Answers will vary. Ice cores, fossil pollen, tree rings, written records by humans, and sediment cores in oceans and lakes. Fossils. A terrestrial fossil 100 miles offshore can indicate that the sea level used to be much lower than it is now. A scientist could determine the age of the fossil to determine the sea level at that time. If a marine organism is found on land, this could indicate the sea level must have been much higher when that organism was alive. Q: How do you think climate change affects humans? A: Climate change/global warming will affect humans because it may make some areas unsuitable for living, meaning people may need to migrate to new areas to survive. It could make the climate in areas that are currently developed for agriculture, unsuitable for growing crops, increase the rate of heat related health emergencies, increase severe weather in some areas of the world, and decrease biodiversity. Q: How do you think climate change affects the environment? A: Climate change can dramatically alter the environment when it occurs at unnaturally high rates. Some species of animals and plants require thousands of years to naturally adapt to environmental changes. Species have been adapting to a changing environment for millions of years, many species have gone extinct and many new species have evolved. Currently, species are going extinct at a faster rate than at any time over the last 65 million years. This could increase if the climate continues its warming trend. Q: If climate change were happening, what would be the best thing to do? Would it be best to A) mitigate the effects by taking action to prevent further change or reverse the change or B) to simply let it happen and adapt to the new changes? A: Answers will vary. Q: Within your group, come up with three issues that would be difficult with mitigation (preventing climate change) and three issues that would be difficult with adaptation (dealing with climate change). A: In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, action would need to take place. It would very difficult to get people to change their lifestyles and it would also be difficult politically since people have strong, diverged opinions on this subject matter. Adaptation would probably be possible for humans, but it is uncertain what kind of future we would be adapting to. The future, in a world 6

8 where global warming is in full swing, will certainly be much different than it is today in regards to the climate, the economy, the population, and the environment. Q: Do you think politics plays a role in how to determine if climate change is happening, on how to mitigate or adapt to climate change, or both? Explain your reasoning. A: There is a great deal of political turmoil surrounding the idea of climate change and global warming. Politics plays a role in climate change because in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, policies need to be made. This involves communities and politicians that agree on what needs to be done. The environment has effects on the economy as well, which greatly influences political decisions. However, politics should play no role in determining if climate change and sea level rise are happening, because these are questions of fact for science to determine. Q: How is the economy related to the environment? A: The economy is dependent on the environment for many natural resources. We use the environment for agriculture, mining, forestry, and our water supply. Humans also depend on plants and animals for things such as medicine, clothing, shelter, tools, and fuel. All of the things on this list can be bought and sold and are a vital part of the economy. The tourism industry is also reliant on the environment. Many people enjoy nature and will travel to different parts of the world and spend money to see everything nature has to offer. Also, humans spend a lot of money on protecting the environment. Things such as waste management, water quality control, and pollution management provide jobs to people. Investing in clean energy would also provide many new jobs, which would help the economy. Q: How do scientists share information with other scientists? The general public? A: Scientists share information with other scientists by writing about their research and publishing it, by going to conferences and meetings to discuss issues or innovations related to their research, and by simply talking to one another. Scientists share information to the general public by going on television shows or news programs, by writing books, making speeches, and by implementing outreach programs. Q: What is the best way for scientists to communicate to the general public information pertaining to climate change and sea level rise and why is communication between scientists and the public important in general? A: One way for scientists to communicate information to the general public about climate change and sea level rise is to communicate in an everyday language. Sea level rise is a somewhat unique scientific topic in that a large portion of the population of humans will be directly impacted. Scientists need to develop outreach and educational materials to inform the public about the facts of climate change and sea level rise and about the risks that are associated with it. Communication between scientists and the general public is important because it helps keep people informed about what is going on in the scientific community. 7

9 Segment II- What Is Climate Change And What Are Scientists Doing To Gather Information About Climate Change? Related Benchmarks: SC.912.L Discuss the large-scale environmental impacts resulting from human activity, including waste spills, oil spills, runoff, greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, and surface and groundwater pollution. SC.912.E.7.4 Summarize the conditions that contribute to the climate of a geographic area, including the relationships to lakes and oceans. SC.912.E.7.5 Predict future weather conditions based on present observations and conceptual models and recognize limitations and uncertainties of such predictions. SC.912.E.7.7 Identify, analyze, and relate the internal (Earth system) and external (astronomical) conditions that contribute to global climate change. Objectives: Explain how scientists use data from ice, trees, and mud to make inferences about what the climate was like thousands of years ago. Explain the difference between climate and weather. Interpret graphs related to climate change and explain their implications. Describe the greenhouse effect, both man-made and natural. Clearly define climate change and global warming. Activities How Do Scientists Use Ice Cores to Determine Past Weather Conditions?... 9 Climate Investigation

10 How Do Scientists Use Ice Cores to Determine Past Weather Conditions? Goals: Students will learn how scientists use ice cores to determine what weather and atmospheric conditions existed thousands of years ago. They will do this by making their own ice cores with Play-doh and sand using information from a theoretical scenario. Then they will exchange ice cores and get information using the layers their classmates formed. When the students see that it is possible to gain information using their layers of Play-doh and sand, they will understand the process that scientists use to extrapolate information from ice cores. Materials: Stop watch Clear plastic straws Blue Play-doh = winter Green Play-doh = summer Black sand= Volcanic ash Yellow sand = Carbon dioxide Wax paper Tape Freezer Cost: $ $45.00 per classroom Teacher Instructions: Put the students into small groups and assign each group to one of the two scenarios. Using Play-doh and sand to make ice cores, students will learn how scientists use ice cores to determine what weather and atmospheric conditions existed thousands of years ago. Once the students are done making their ice layers, place them in the freezer overnight. After the ice cores have frozen, have the original groups reform and give each group a random group s ice layers and plastic straws. The students should then try to analyze the ice cores to match them with one of the scenarios. When the students see that it is possible to gain information using their layers of Play-doh and sand, they will understand the basics of the process that scientists use to extrapolate information from ice cores. Discussion Questions and Possible Answers Q: Which layer of ice is the oldest? Which is the newest? A: The layer on the bottom is the oldest and the layer on the top is the newest. Q: How many years were you able to sample from your core? How can you tell? A: Answers will vary. I can count the number of years because I know that the thick blue layer is winter and the thinner green layer is summer and together they can be considered one year. 9

11 Q: During what years did events take place? What do you think the events were? A: Answers will vary. Q: What conditions must a location have in order for ice cores to be useful? A: For ice cores to be useful, they must be taken from a very cold location where the snow never melts such as Antarctica or Greenland. Q: How do you think scientists determine historical temperatures using ice cores? A: Scientists use the thickness of the ice layers to determine temperature. For example, they can determine the difference between winter and summer and they can determine the difference between a warm period and an ice age. Q: What do you notice about the thickness of the layers as time goes on? What does that indicate? A: In scenario I the thickness of the layers stayed approximately the same throughout time. In scenario II the thickness of the ice slowly decreases over time. Q: How do you think scientists determine the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere using ice cores? A: Since snow where ice cores are taken never melts, new snow is continually being layered on top of old snow. Eventually, the pressure from the weight of the snow causes the older snow to become very compact and traps any air between the snowflakes into tiny bubbles. Scientists can analyze the composition of the air bubbles and find out what percentage of their sample consists of CO2. Q: How is the amount of carbon dioxide represented in your model? How is your model different from real ice cores? Use your ice core and make one observation about the amount of carbon dioxide in your ice core sample. A: The amount of carbon dioxide is represented in the model by using yellow sand in between each layer. The amount of sand is directly correlated to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during that time period. My model is different from a real ice core because real ice cores have CO2 trapped in air bubbles throughout the entire sample, while my model has the amount of CO2 represented between each layer. Q: Do you think scientists can use real ice cores to make accurate predictions about weather events hundreds of years ago? Why or why not? A: Yes, scientists can extrapolate a great deal of information from ice cores including, temperature, length of seasons, levels of atmospheric gases, and volcanic activity. Q: Do you think ice cores look the same in different parts of the world? What do you think causes differences or why do you think they are the same? 10

12 A: Ice cores from different parts of the world do look slightly different due to variations in temperature and snow fall in different locations. Although different, ice core data consistently show the same pattern of warming and cooling throughout time. Q: Based on your prior knowledge, the media, and what you have learned in school, which scenario do you think most accurately reflects what a real ice core might look like? A: Scenario II most accurately represents what ice cores from Earth might look like because we are living in a world that is increasing in atmospheric CO2 11

13 How Do Scientists Use Ice Cores to Determine Past Weather Conditions? Student Worksheet Scenario I: Climate Remains Constant Over Time Begin by layering blue (winter) and green (summer) on top of each other on a piece of wax paper. The blue layer should be larger than the green layer because there is more snowfall during the winter. Between each layer, sprinkle a moderate amount of yellow sand to represent carbon dioxide deposition. Randomly put black sand in between two of the layers to represent a volcanic eruption. Continue to do this for about ten to fifteen minutes, and aim to make about 8-12 layers. Keep the Play-doh layers a consistent thickness throughout each cycle. Secure the sides of the wax paper around your ice layers with tape so that the sides of the layers are not visible. Freeze your ice layers overnight. Once the Play-doh is frozen, use clear straws to take ice cores of a random group s ice layers. Match your ice core to the appropriate scenario, and then participate in a classroom discussion about evaluating ice core data. Scenario II: Climate Change Begin by layering blue (winter) and green (summer) on top of each other on a piece of wax paper. The blue layer should be larger than the green layer because there is more snowfall during the winter. Make your ice layers represent a climate where carbon dioxide is increasing and causing an increase in global temperatures. To represent the increase of carbon dioxide in the environment, increase the amount of yellow sand between each layer. To represent an increase in global temperatures, decrease the thickness of your layers as time goes on to represent a decrease in snowfall during warmer periods. Consider the starting size of each of your layers and the initial amount of sand you use between each layer as you will be decreasing and increasing them respectively. Randomly put black sand in between two of the layers to represent a volcanic eruption. Continue making layers for about ten to fifteen minutes. Secure the sides of the wax paper around your ice layers with tape so that the sides of the layers are not visible. Freeze your ice layers overnight. Once the Play-doh is frozen, use clear straws to take ice cores of a random group s ice layers. Match your ice core to the appropriate scenario, and then participate in a classroom discussion about evaluating ice core data. 12

14 Climate Investigation Goals: Students will learn how evidence is used to answer the question, Is the Earth s climate warming, cooling, or staying the same? Students will become proficient in interpreting graphs related to climate change and understanding how the graphs are related. Materials: Computers for each group PowerPoint presentation with visuals on: Pictures of ice caps Time vs. temperature graphs Carbon dioxide graphs Sea level rise graphs Instructions for the teacher: Save the PowerPoint presentation to each computer the groups will be using. Students will work in groups as climate investigators. Instructions for the students: You and your team are climate investigators who want to find out it if the climate on Earth is warming, cooling, or staying the same. To do this you will need to use data of the past climate and look at graphs for trends. You have satellite imagery of Arctic ice caps from , you were able to obtain data about past the past 1000 years of temperatures using ice cores, you also know how much carbon dioxide was in the atmosphere for the last 1000 years, and you are able to determine how much the sea level has risen in the last 1000 years. Can you tell if the global temperature is warming, cooling, or staying the same using this scientific data? Discussion Questions and Answers: Q: Satellite data from NASA has captured pictures of the Arctic ice cap since What is the overall trend and what do you think causes this trend? A: The ice cap in the Arctic is melting and this is caused by warming temperatures. Q: Do you think this trend will persist? If so, do you think there are any consequences of a melting ice cap? A: Yes, I think this pattern will persist because it shows a trend that does not appear to be reversing. Consequences of melting ice in the Arctic include sea level rise, habitat destruction and polar bear extinction, changing water temperature and density, and changing ocean currents. Q: How would you describe how to interpret the average global land-ocean temperatures from graph to someone who didn t understand how to read it? 13

15 A: The x-axis is for time and the y-axis represents the change in temperature. The black line shows the annual temperature record, which varies a lot from year to year. The red line shows the 5 year average which makes the graph look smoother and shows a trend better. The green lines on the graph show the uncertainty of the data or the variation (known as the deviation in statistics). The data is based on temperature changes from the long term average which is represented by 0 on the y-axis. Q: Three graphs are shown for the levels of carbon dioxide vs. time. What does each graph show? What are the differences between the three graphs? A: The first graph shows how carbon dioxide has varied over the past 4000 years. The second graph zooms in to show the last 1000 years. The third graph zooms in to show the last 25 years. The reason the graph is broken into three parts is to emphasize how much the current pattern of temperature variation deviate from past patterns. Q: Compare the last 1000 years before the blue line to the past 25 years. What is the difference and why do you think this is occurring? A: The last 1000 years did not really experience any change, temperatures stayed about the same. The last 25 years show a sharp and steady increase in the amount of carbon dioxide. Q: What does the graph on global mean sea level tell you? How is this related to global warming? A: The graph indicated that sea levels have been rising since at least the 1870s. The graph also predicts that the sea level will rise more in the future. This is related to global warming because ice melts and contributes to the sea level and water expands when it is heated. Q: What does the transparent shaded area of the graph mean? A: The transparent shaded part of the graph shows variation or uncertainty of the data. For future estimates it shows the range that is predicted. Q: Using your prior knowledge and the information from these graphs and images, can you determine if global temperatures are rising, cooling or staying the same? A: Global temperatures are warming. Q: What are some consequences of warming global temperatures? A: Consequences of global warming include unstable weather patterns, quickly changing climates may lead to local and global extinctions of plants and animals, human and animal migration, sea level rise, increase in heat related illnesses, etc. 14

16 Segment III: Sea Level Rise in Florida Related Benchmarks: SC.912.L.17.4 Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change and succession. SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of the losses of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity, and the introduction of invasive, non-native species. SC.912.L Describe how human population size and resource use relate to environmental quality. SC.912.P.10.4 Describe heat as the energy transferred by convection, conduction, and radiation, and explain the connection of heat to change in temperature or states of matter. SC.912.P.10.5 Relate temperature to the average molecular kinetic energy. SC.912.E.6.4 Analyze how specific geologic processes and features are expressed in Florida and elsewhere. SC.912.E.7.9 Cite evidence that the ocean has had a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon, and water. Objectives: Show maps of what Florida is predicted to look like if the sea level rises 0.5m (~1.5 feet), 1.0m (~3ft), and 3.0m (~10 ft). Explain some of the effects of sea level rise in the context of the human and natural communities. Explain that the sea level is rising because of melting polar ice caps and land ice, the thermal expansion of water and groundwater depletion. Understand how melting ice and thermal expansion work from hands-on activities. Demonstrate how habitat fragmentation, along with sea level rise, could have devastating consequences for Florida s ecosystem. 15

17 Explain why some species are more likely to be affected by sea level rise than others. Show that sea level rise is something that is occurring now, not in a distant intangible future. Activities: Thermal Expansion of Water: Part I and II Melting Ice and Sea Level Rise...21 Using Maps to Model Sea Level Rise Understanding Tide Gauge Data

18 Thermal Expansion of Water: Part I and Part II Goals: The students will be able to determine the relationship between heat and the expansion of water. They will graphically represent how water expands when it is heated and will be able to understand this information on a global scale. The students will use their prior knowledge that global average temperatures have been rising to conclude that one contribution to sea level rise is the thermal expansion of water. Materials: Part I Part II Salt Graduated Cylinder Funnel 500- milliliter conical flask (Erlenmeyer Flask) Electronic scale Saltwater Weight boat Tissue or paper towels Water Hot plate 1 liter bottle to mix salt and water Thermal Glove 500-milliliter conical flask (Erlenmeyer flask) Calulator Two-hole stopper Magnetic stir bar Hollow glass tube (long) Thermometer Parafilm (optional) Paper towels Metric ruler Clear tape Students worksheet for recording data Teacher Instructions: Prepare saltwater that has a similar salinity to that of the average of the Earth s oceans (about 35 ppt). To do this, measure 35 grams (~ 2 tbsp.) of salt on the electronic scale and mix it with 1 liter of water (a typical water bottle is usually 1 liter). Shake the bottle to make sure the salt completely dissolves. Make enough for each group to have 1 liter of salt water. For this activity students should work with small groups, but each student should work on their own worksheet. 17

19 Discussion and Possible Answers: Q: What caused the change in the water level over time? A: Heat caused the water to expand which increase the volume over time. Q: Why do you think water expands when it is heated? A: The molecules of the water absorb the heat which gives them more energy. This energy causes the molecules to move around and vibrate more and ultimately take up more space. Q: What do you think your graph would look like if you continued to heat up the water? A: The water level would increase until the water turning into gas, and then the water level would eventually decrease. Q: Use the following formula to find the coefficient of volume expansion (β) using the data from your experiment. the coefficient of volume expansion = the change in volume initial volume the change in temperature C β = V V 0 T (Formula 1) Q: Now that you know the coefficient of volume expansion of the saltwater from your experiment, use it to find the change in volume* of Earth s ocean if the average temperature of the Earth raises by 2 C. Currently the ocean has an initial volume of V0 = 1.3 x 10 9 km 3. *Rearrangement of formula 1 yields formula 2: the change in volume. V = βv o T (Formula 2) Q: The volume of Lake Okeechobee is approximately 5.2 km 3. How many Lake Okeechobees are equivalent to the change in sea level? A: Divide the change in volume by 5.2 km 3. Answers should range from about 20,000-60,000 Lake Okechobees. Q: Do you think determining sea level rise this way is over-simplified? Why or why not? A: There are many different variables that contribute to the change in sea level due to thermal expansion of water. For instance, the temperature of the ocean varies all over the world and at different depths. The salinity of the water also effects how much water will expand when it is heated. Q: What are other factors that could be involved in sea level rise? A: Other factors that could contribute to sea level rise include melting ice caps and groundwater depletion 18

20 Procedure: Thermal Expansion of Water: Part I Student Worksheet 1. Read and understand the entire procedure before starting. 2. Fill the 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask with saltwater and leave just enough space for the stopper. Save the rest of the saltwater for part II of the experiment. 3. Put a magnetic stirrer in the flask. 4. Place the hollow glass tube and the thermometer in the twohole stopper (use parafilm for a secure fit if necessary) and place the stopper in the flask. Some water might spill from the sides or get into the hollow glass tube. If this occurs, use paper towels to clean up any spilled saltwater. 5. Use clear tape to secure your metric ruler to the hollow tube. (If your metric ruler does not start its measurements at the edge of the ruler make sure to take that into account [see figure 1].) Materials Salt Funnel Electronic scale Weight boat Water 1 liter bottle to mix salt and water 500-milliliter conical flask (Erlenmeyer flask) Two-hole stopper Magnetic stir bar Hollow glass tube (long) Thermometer Parafilm (optional) Paper towels Metric ruler Clear tape 6. Measure the height of the water in the tube; mark that as your first data point. (If there is not water in the tube your first data point will be 0.) Make sure your hollow tube is completely submerged or air bubbles will form inside your hollow tube making it impossible to measure the amount of water inside of it. 7. Place the Erlenmeyer flask on the hot plate. 8. Turn on the magnetic stirrer and the heat. 9. Heat the water slowly; when the thermometer indicates a 1 C rise in temperature record the water level in the hollow glass tube and the temperature. Do this for five data points. 10. Make a graph (hand drawn or using Excel) that represents the data. Temperature ( C) Initial Temperature Water level (mm) Initial Water Level Figure 1: Place the thermometer and the hollow glass tube in the two-hole stopper. Then, attach a metric ruler to the hollow glass tube. 19

21 Procedure: Thermal Expansion of Water: Part II Student Worksheet 1. Measure approximately 90 ml of saltwater in a graduated cylinder; record the amount of saltwater in the graduated cylinder. 2. Pour the saltwater from the graduated cylinder into the Erlenmeyer flask and place the thermometer in the flask. Record the temperature of the saltwater. Materials Graduated cylinder 500 milliliter conical flask (Erlenmeyer flask) Saltwater Tissue or paper towel Hot plate Thermal glove Calculator 3. Place a crumpled up tissue or paper towel in the top of the Erlenmeyer flask to prevent a lot of evaporation from occurring (see figure 2). 4. Place the Erlenmeyer flask on the hot plate and turn the heat on. 5. Heat the saltwater to about 70 C (record the final temperature), and then use a thermal glove to quickly pour the all of the saltwater back into the graduated cylinder. Quickly record the new water level. 6. Use the formulas provided to find the thermal expansion of saltwater. Figure 2: Place a tissue in the top of the flask to prevent evaporation from occurring. Initial Volume (V0) Initial Temperature (T0) Final Volume (Vf) Final Temperature (Tf) Change in Temperature ( T) Change in Volume ( V) 20

22 Melting Ice and Sea Level Rise Goals: Students will learn about the effects that melting glaciers and ice caps have on sea level rise. Students will learn that melting ice on land significantly contributes to sea level rise while ice that is melting in the ocean does not significantly contribute to sea level rise. They will build an experiment which model melting ice on land and melting ice in water using Play-doh. Students will also learn about the effects that melting ice has on sea level rise that are not as obvious such as how salinity effects ocean currents and how a greater surface area of the ocean exchanges heat more rapidly with the atmosphere. Materials: Two medium sized containers per group Play-doh Ruler Permanent marker Water Ice Discussion and Debate: Q: Did your predictions match your results? Explain why or why not. A: Answers will vary. Q: What is the difference between the global impact of land ice melting and the global impact of sea ice melting? A: Melting land ice has a significantly greater effect on the sea level because it is adding water to the ocean. Melting sea ice does not contribute directly to the sea level because it already displaces the same amount of water equal to the weight of the ice (Archimedes principle). Q: Is melting ice in the Arctic an indicator of climate change? Explain your answer. A: Yes, melting ice indicates that global temperatures are warming. 21

23 Melting Ice and Sea Level Rise Student Worksheet Procedure: 1. Make land masses that are about the same size with Play-doh inside each container (Figure 1). a. Make the land masses as smooth and even as possible, with a slight downward slope. 2. Label one container as Melting land ice and one as Melting sea ice 3. Put approximately equal amounts of water into each container. 4. Put ice in each container. a. In the container labeled Melting land ice put 4-5 pieces of ice on the land. b. In the container labeled Melting sea ice put 4-5 pieces of ice in the water. 5. Measure the water level (in millimeters) in each container after you add the ice and record the levels on the table. 6. Predict what you think will happen to the water levels after the ice melts. 7. Place the containers in a warm, sunny spot. 8. When all the ice has melted (~ 30 minutes), measure the water levels again and record them on the table. Figure 1: The land masses and water level are about the same in each container. Note that the downward slope of the land is similar to that of a coastal area. A) Melting ice on land and B) melting ice in water. Predictions: A B Water level before ice melts Water level after ice melts Melting ice on land Melting ice in water 22

24 Using Maps to Model Sea Level Rise Goals: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is software that is used to process and analyze data, which is then displayed on a map. GIS can be utilized by anyone seeking geographic information and it is often used by scientists and environmentalists to make predictions or observations. Students will simulate GIS by layering 1) the predicted amount of sea level rise using a bathtub model, 2) habitat ranges of species threatened by sea level rise, and 3) data on infrastructure density to make a map that models the effects of sea level rise on humans and the environment. Students will gather data related to sea level rise and draw the information they obtain onto a map of Florida. Then, they will analyze the data they gathered from three different sources to draw conclusions about the effects of sea level rise. Different groups should be assigned to different levels of predicted sea level rise so that they can compare the effects at varying levels. Materials: Map of Florida Transparencies Colored permanent markers Internet access Teacher Instructions: Put the students into medium sized groups with 3-6 people each. Within the larger groups the students should work with a partner. Each group will be assigned to find 1) The predicted level of sea level rise at 3ft, 6ft, or 9ft, 2) habitat ranges of animals threatened by sea level rise, and 3) information on the density of businesses in Florida. Each group should assign two members to each task. Assign different groups to different levels of sea level rise. Pass out six transparencies of the map of Florida to each group along with the colored markers. Discussion Questions and Possible Answers Q: At your group s increment of sea level rise, what was the number of people who were affected? A: Answers will vary; students can find this information on the left hand side of the map tool they used to find out which areas of Florida will be inundated by sea level rise (surging seas). Q: What do you think the people living in these areas will do when their communities become flooded by sea water? A: They will move inland, either to central Florida, other states, or even other countries. Q: What would you do to prepare for sea level rise (personally, as a community, and as a business)? A: Sell your home, stop coastal development, begin to plan for it now by building with innovative designs for withstanding sea level rise (floating homes/ hotels), design roads with better drainage, build important places such as a nuclear power plant on higher ground, etc. 23

25 Q: When is sea level rise predicted to occur in the affected areas? How many years away from now is that? A: Answers will range from 2020 to >2100. Students can find this information on the map of Florida using the map tool they used to find out which areas of Florida will be inundated by sea level rise (Surging Seas). Q: How do you think the four species you researched will respond to sea level rise? A: Each animal should be discussed thoroughly. Consider where the species is located vs. the areas that are predicted to be flood. Do they overlap? Is there any chance of the species surviving elsewhere? Do they have the ability to migrate? How does the species interact with humans? Q: What factors do you think affect these species the most other than sea level rise? A: The way most animals deal with environmental change is by adapting, or by migrating. Since change is happening so quickly animals do not have time to adapt. Migration can be a serious issue for animals along the coast. Some of the areas that are predicted to be inundated the most are heavily populated by humans and are concrete jungles. Most species cannot or will not migrate through these areas. They will be stuck between the ocean and the cities. Q: Can you think of a way to protect the species before sea level rise occurs? A: Relocate populations of animals to the mainland in similar habitats, build wildlife crossings that connect coastal areas to protected areas, determine which animals are most greatly affected and find ways to protect them, make new suitable habitats for them to relocate to if none are available. Q: There are many species of animals and plants in Florida that do not live in areas that are predicted to flood. Do you there are any secondary consequences of sea level rise that will affect these species? A: When coastal cities become flooded, there is a strong possibility that people will relocate to central Florida. This means the few areas that are natural now may be converted to agricultural land, suburbs, and more business. This will take valuable habitat away from many species, and make it even more difficult for species to migrate away from the coasts. Q: What are things we can do now to help protect these inland species from the future consequences of sea level rise? A: 1. We can make it illegal to build in certain areas and make them wildlife refuges. Increase protection in areas such as Ocala National Forest and The Everglades. 2. Integrate sustainable practices and green spaces in our new communities in a way that promotes biodiversity and establishes a new standard of living. 3. Create connectivity corridors which are designed to allow animal species to move through what would normally be impassable because of development (e.g., roads, parking lots, pools, homes, condos, hotels, restaurants, etc.). Connectivity corridors are underpasses or overpasses, usually on roads, that mimic the natural habitat of certain animals and allow them to safely cross 24

26 Using Maps to Model Sea Level Rise Student Instructions You will be gathering information and collecting data to investigate how sea level rise will affect humans and the environment by making a geographic model of Florida. Many people in a variety of fields use maps as models using a system called GIS (Geographic Information Systems). GIS is software that is used to process and analyze data, which is then displayed on a map. GIS can be utilized by anyone seeking geographic information and it is often used by scientist and environmentalists to make predictions or observations. Within your group assign members to research the following information. Read the descriptions below for more details. 1) The predicted level of sea level rise (use the amount of sea level rise assigned by your teacher). 2) Habitat ranges of animals threatened by sea level rise (American Crocodile, Key Deer, American Avocet, and the Florida Panther) 3) The density of businesses in Florida. Sea Level Rise: To find out how much sea level rise will affect Florida visit this website: When you go to the main page of this website you will be shown a map of the United States. Click on Florida and use the water level scroll bar on the left hand side of the page to identify what areas of Florida will be affected by different increments of sea level rise. Each group should be assigned a different increment of sea level rise. Move the marker to your assigned level of sea level rise and color in the areas of Florida that are predicted to be inundated by sea level rise. The website will also give you interesting statistics about the effects of sea level rise, write these down to share and discuss with the rest of your group. Infrastructure: To find information about the infrastructure along the coast, go to the web site Click the button that says, Vulnerability in the top left corner. Next, click the tab below that says, Economic, this will show the number of business (establishments) that could potentially be affected by sea level rise. Zoom into the coast to see in more detail. Color in on your map areas with a high and medium number of businesses. Habitat: To find the habitats of species affected by sea level rise go to the website: Once all the group members have completed making their maps reconvene as a group and layer your maps on top of each other. Draw conclusions from your maps and compare your maps with other groups maps. Participate in a class discussion and be prepared to share your interpretations with the rest of the class. 25