Activities
Energy Transformation Demonstrations –Heat Engine (Stirling)
Students will observe a series of phenomena to better understand the intricacies associated with heat exchange and work. A heavy emphasis will be placed on comparing various models of Stirling engines with regards to their energy pathways and work output. Students will individually identify and record in their science notebooks all forms of energy observed in the initial demonstration. After three to five minutes, students will collaborate in small groups to determine the energy pathway for the whole group demonstration. Students will be given ten minutes to illustrate the energy pathway starting with the chemical potential energy. Each group will present on their initial observations to prepare for the independent work. In groups of four, students will identify the types of energy present within each system (i.e., model of Stirling engine). Each group will construct an energy pathway diagram and identify forms of energy and locations of energy transformation. Individually students will be asked to explain why Stirling engines will never achieve perfect efficiency using supportive evidence from their observations as well as content from their science notebooks. This activity can be scaffolded to accommodate middle and elementary students by simplifying the observed energy transformations.
Lava Lamp Demonstration – Modelling Convection
Students will be tasked to deconstruct the fundamental processes associated with convection by observing the motion within a lava lamp. The small-scale demonstration will serve as an entry activity to allow students to visualize how tropical cyclones exchange heat within their organized system during cyclogenesis. Students will individually analyze the lava lamp and develop an explanation(s) based upon their prior knowledge of thermodynamic principles. As a whole group, we will discuss the process of convection formally and relate it to natural phenomena just as the ocean currents, earth’s mantle, and lastly tropical cyclones. Students will get into groups of four or five to discuss what would happen to the motion of the “lava” if the base temperature was increased and justify their predictions using thermodynamics. Another heat lamp will be added to the base of the lava lamp to determine if motion has increased. As a whole group we will discuss how these same principles could be applied to the formation and intensity of tropical cyclones.
Research Writing – Summative Data Analysis of Climate
The summative project will task students to examine and analyze a curated dataset looking at mean sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic. Students will work in small groups to determine if significant correlations exist between tropical cyclone frequency and intensity with yearly mean sea surface temperatures. Next students will use the projected climate data from the IPCC for the Atlantic and make prediction about the intensity and frequency in the next fifty years. They will use their previous calculations to justify their prediction and discuss the strength of their predictions. Students will be asked to develop a presentation in groups of two or three. They will present their findings to a scientific panel consisting of science teachers and local experts (i.e., EPA, NOAA, University faculty) to judge the strength of their findings and arguments. Students will be given a rubric with several checkpoints over a two-week period. This project will provide an opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the complexities associated with climate change. Tropical cyclones are extremely complex and still not fully understood but students will develop a sufficient understanding to develop predictions of the future with regards to tropical cyclones and the thermodynamic principles that govern cyclogenesis.
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