Classroom Climate Change Activity: sea ice albedo experiment

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Are you looking for a hands-on activity to teach climate change? In this lab, students will create a model of sea ice and ocean water albedo using aluminum foil and two tubs of water. Students will track the temperature in a covered and un-covered tub on a sunny day. Students will learn about albedo and the impacts of positive feedback loops in climate change.

Important: I’ve made the directions for this albedo lab activity available for free here in this post. If you would like printable directions and worksheets for this activity, you can purchase them in my Albedo Lab mini-study. These materials are also included within my complete Antarctica Unit and Polar Bundle.

Materials

Each lab group will need the following materials:

Two clear-bottomed shallow plastic tubs of equal size
Cold liquid water
A large piece of dark blue or black paper or cloth
Aluminum foil
2 thermometers
Printed student handouts and worksheets

Tips for Success

Complete this lab on a sunny, warm day close to mid-day when the sun is overhead. This lab may not work on cold or overcast days, or in the early morning or afternoon when the sun is at a lower angle in the sky.
Students should record the water temperature in the two tubs at a 5-minute interval. If the water is warming slowly, you can instruct students to switch to a 10-minute interval.
Once students see a clear trend or pattern, you may instruct them to stop taking measurements.

Activity Structure and Emphasizing Key Concepts

Before starting the lab, ask your students if they would feel cooler wearing a black or white shirt on a sunny day. Or, ask them if they would be more comfortable standing barefoot on blacktop or grass on a hot day.
During the lab, introduce the term “albedo” to your students – the amount of solar radiation reflected by a surface. Relate this to the black vs white shirt example and the blacktop vs grass example.
After completing the lab procedure, ask your students what they think happens to ocean water at the poles when it is no longer covered in sea ice. Discuss how positive feedback loops work.

Step-by-Step Procedure

Head out to a sunny area, pass out the materials, then help your students work through the following steps:

Fill the two clear plastic tubs with equal amounts of cold liquid water.
Check the starting temperature of the water in both tubs. Record the temperatures on the worksheet. The starting temperature should be the same in both tubs.
Fully cover one tub in aluminum foil. This tub represents ocean water covered in a layer of reflective sea ice. The other tub represents uncovered ocean water.
Lay your dark fabric on the ground or table outside in direct sunlight. The dark fabric represents the dark color of ocean water.
Position your tubs on top of the dark fabric in direct sunlight.
Wait 5 minutes.
Check the temperature in both tubs, by inserting the thermometer into the water at the center of the container. Poke a small hole through the foil to insert the thermometer when you check the temperature in the foil-covered tub. Record the temperatures on your worksheet.
Continue to check and record the temperatures every 5 minutes.
Which tub is warming faster? Discuss why.

Discussion Questions

After working through the lab procedure, have your students discuss the following questions in small groups or as a whole class.

Which tub became warmer faster? Explain why.
Which would get warm faster, ocean water covered in reflective sea ice or exposed ocean water? Explain why.
What is albedo? *in your own words
What is a positive feedback loop? *in your own words
In your own words, describe a positive feedback loop involving melting sea ice and climate change.

Worksheets and Printable Directions

There’s no need to put together worksheets and handouts for this lab – I’ve already created them for you! You can purchase them in my Albedo Lab Mini Study. These materials are also found within my complete Antarctica Unit and Polar Bundle.