Materials for investigations in:

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow
A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for A New World View investigations

1.1. Create Your Own Ecosystem

  • pH indicator kit
  • ammonia test kit
  • thermometer
  • a timer for controlling the period of light
  • graph paper
  • two clear containers that will hold water (0.5 gallon to 2 gallons)
  • a source of pond water or dechlorinated tap water
  • aquarium-ready gravel or sand
  • light source (You can use incandescent or fluorescent light.)
  • measuring cups and metric scales (accurate to .01 gram)
  • small pipette or medicine dropper
  • Living organisms (make your selection):
    • aquatic plants such as elodea or anacharis
    • several small snails or other aquatic plant eaters such as daphnia
    • scavengers such as tubifex worms or planaria
    • pond water microorganisms

2.1. Tree Impact Study
Materials for a team of 4 students

  • 2 clipboards
  • 2 sheets each of graph paper, lined paper, and white paper
  • pencils and several fine tip markers
  • 1 meter stick
  • 10 meters of sturdy string for measuring and flagging areas
  • 1 pack of 3″ x 5″ index cards
  • 1 roll of clear tape
  • 4-6 ziplock-type plastic bags
  • 2 clear plastic or glass vials or seasoning bottles with lids
  • 1 outdoor thermometer
  • access to field guides to trees, birds, and other local animals
  • materials for “Tree Creations” activity on page 31 

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A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Climate Change Investigations

2.1. Two Prisms

  • Two Prisms

2.2. Infrared energy and your TV?

  • TV and Remote Control

2.3. Why do some molecules absorb infrared energy?

  • Strips of springy plastic, thin flexible rods, or long stiff springs to represent flexible molecular bonds. (Wooden materials such as Tinker toys or toothpicks are not flexible enough, so don’t use them.)
  • Styrofoam balls, rubber balls, or nuts and bolts to represent the atoms.
  • Clock or watch with a second hand.

2.4. Getting a Piano to sing to you

  • Piano

5.2. Sampling Carbon Dioxide?
for each team of 3-4 students:

  • 5 clear vials
  • Graduated cylinder (100 ml)
  • Cup of water
  • Bottle of Bromthymol Blue (BTB) solution
  • Bottle of ammonia solution
  • Eye dropper
  • Straw
  • Narrow-necked bottle (such as a wine bottle)
  • 4 balloons of different colors with twist ties
  • Teaspoon of baking soda
  • 100 ml of vinegar
  • 3 sheets of blank paper
  • Piece of string, about 1/2 meter in length
  • Twist-ties

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A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Losing Biodiversity

1.1. Biodiversity assessment

  • clip board, pencil, and paper for recording observations
  • camera for documenting the site
  • hand lens
  • zipper lock plastic bags for collecting non-living samples
  • pack of 3×5 cards for drawing or describing each species
  • field guides to plants and animals of your area (optional)
  • microscopes (optional)

3.1. Simulate natural selection with “beetles”

  • large piece of colorful patterned wrapping paper
  • large bag of M&M candy


4.1. Hybrid cross coin toss

  • Two coins


5.1. Comparing Soils

  • 3-4 samples of soil, (2 cups each)
  • 3-4 labeled plastic bags
  • 3-4 clear plastic vials with lids (1″ in diameter, 3″ high)
  • 3-4 small flower pots
  • 1 package of bean or pea seeds
  • 1 large spoon or garden trowel
  • 1 magnifying lens
  • 1-2 trays
  • 1 measuring cup
  • 1 small-point permanent marker
  • 1 ruler
  • paper towels
  • water

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Ecosystem Change Investigations

1.1. Make a model ecosystem

  • 1 large clear container with lid
  • 1 large spoon for adding materials
  • light source such as a grow lamp
  • non-living materials
  • small plants and animals
  • measuring equipment: scales, measuring cup, ruler, thermometer, graph paper, camera (optional)

4.1. Mapping future wetlands

  • several pieces of clear acetate
  • fine tip pens for writing on acetate
  • topographic map and street map of a low-lying coastal area

5.1. Decomposition in a bag

  • 12 zipper-locking plastic bags, or clear plastic soda bottles with lids
  • thumbtack for making small holes in the bags or bottles
  • heating pad
  • several thermometers
  • measuring cup and water
  • 6 half-gallon milk cartons cut in half lengthwise to make trays
  • several large paper grocery bags
  • variety of organic items from each category below to put into the decomposition bags
  • 1-2 cups of rich garden or forest soil to provide a variety of decomposers and scavengers (bacteria, fungi, earthworms, isopods)
  • Moist Items: carrot, apple, lettuce, natural bread, cooked pasta, grass clippings
  • Dry items: uncooked beans, uncooked pasta, popped popcorn, unpopped popcorn, matzo cracker, dead leaves

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Ozone investigations

2.1. Spectrum of the sun

  • mirror
  • prism or diffraction grating and cardboard slit
  • colored filter gels

3.2. Sunscreens and clothing

  • sunprint paper
  • various sunscreens (different brands and SPFs)
  • swatches of cloth (different types)
  • sheet of clear acetate
  • clear tape
  • glass stirring rod
  • manila folder
  • waterbowl
  • paper towels
  • markers


3.3. Sunglasses and UV protection

  • Ruler with millimeter increments


3.4. The effect of increased UV on plants

  • 4 potted plants of the same variety (pea, bean, clover, alfalfa, cucumber, or soy bean)
  • 1 suntanning lamp or bulb (which is not a “growlight”)
  • 2 growlight lamps or bulbs of the same wattage as the suntanning lamp
  • 1 suntanning lamp or bulb with wattage as low as possible, preferably 30% or less of the wattage of the growlight
  • water
  • graph paper and pencil


11.1. Measuring Lung Capacity

  • 1 gallon clear or translucent, plastic milk jug (or 3 liter soda bottle)
  • cap to plastic jug or bottle
  • 1 plastic or rubber hose (0.5-1 meter long and 0.635 cm in diameter)
  • 1 large dishpan, large bucket, or stoppable sink
  • 1 straw per person
  • measuring cup or graduated cylinder
  • waterproof marker
  • water at room temperature
  • paper
  • pencil or pen

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Energy Use investigations

2.1. Doing work to create electricity

  • magnet wire (24 gauge, 3 meters)
  • wire clippers
  • sand paper
  • iron rods
  • magnets
  • electric meter (can be galvanometer, volt meter or ammeter)


2.2 Using electricity to do work

  • 2 thumb tacks
  • soft wood block (3″ square x 1/2″ deep)
  • 2 paper clips
  • wood dowel (3/4″ x 2″ long)
  • magnet
  • magnet wire (about 50 cm)
  • 6-volt battery
  • 2 connecting wires

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Population Growth investigations

2.2. Human thermostat

  • container of hot water
  • container of cold water
  • container of room temperature water
  • thermometer.
  • graph paper and pencil

2.5. What do you mean? It’s only a drop in the bucket!

  • An empty bucket
  • a number of different sizes of droppers and beakers
  • a water supply

2.7. Grasshopper mark and recapture

  • 2 insect sweep nets
  • Paint or nail polish
  • Paper and pencil
  • 1 large sheet
  • 4 flags or stakes to mark sampling plot
  • 1 large plastic container with lid
  • 1 metric tape measure (Or pace off the area)
  • Field guide to insects

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Life and Climate investigations

1.1. Can you observe the effects of air pressure?

  • an empty aluminum soda can
  • a hot plate
  • a plastic dishpan or other large container
  • a pot holder or pair of tongs
  • a ruler
  • a calculator
  • water
  • safety goggles

3.1. Simulating half-life decay with pennies

  • 100 pennies
  • 1 small box with a lid

7.1. Observing Convection Currents
Each team will need:

  • 4 styrofoam cups
  • 1 clear thin plastic pan about 8 inches in diameter
  • 1 medicine dropper
  • 1 container of food coloring
  • 1 quart of cool water
  • 1 cup of boiling water
  • 1 sheet of blank white paper
  • tea leaves


8.1. Dissolving rocks?

  • Soda Water (H2CO3)
  • Water
  • Limestone (CaCO3) (or calcite or marble)
  • Ring stand
  • 4 clamps or rings
  • 4 containers (beakers; 250-500 ml)

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Materials for Energy Flow investigations

3.1. Observing convection currents and plumes

  • 1 Pyrex» beaker or clear custard cup
  • 1 votive candle
  • 1 bottle of red food coloring
  • 250 ml (1 cup) of water
  • 250 ml (1 cup) of mineral oil
  • 1 ring stand or two short glasses


6.1. Experimenting with equilibrium

  • 2-liter soda bottle (or any clear plastic container)


6.2. Heat Trappers

  • 2 shoe boxes of same color and thickness
  • 2 thermometers (Celsius)
  • 1 roll of tape
  • 1 scissors and/or utility knife
  • 1 clear plastic transparency
  • 1 sheet of plastic sandwich wrap
  • 1 copy of the data sheet and a pencil
  • Odds and ends (dirt, rocks, colored paper, cardboard, foam insulation, etc.)


7.1. Pencil model of sunlight beams

  • three pencils
  • globe 

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

A Changing Cosmos

[Software and images needed for some investigations.]

~~~~~^~~~~~

A New World View -|- Climate Change -|- Losing Biodiversity -|- Ecosystem Change -|- Ozone
Energy Use -|- Population Growth -|- Life and Climate -|- Energy Flow -|- A Changing Cosmos -|- Digital Earth Watch

Digital Earth Watch

[Software and images needed for some investigations. Materials lists yet to be compiled. ]