Tilt and TemperatureTilt and Temperature

Brande’ ArthurBrande’ Arthur

Earth ScienceEarth Science

Gretna High SchoolGretna High School

GoalGoal

Students should realize that the Students should realize that the surface area heats up more quickly surface area heats up more quickly when light hits it from a more when light hits it from a more direct angle. They should also direct angle. They should also realize that this causes the warmer realize that this causes the warmer temperatures of summertemperatures of summer

SOL addressedSOL addressed

E.S. 13E.S. 13 The student will investigate and The student will investigate and

understand that energy transfer understand that energy transfer between the sun, Earth, & the between the sun, Earth, & the Earth’s atmosphere drives weather Earth’s atmosphere drives weather & climate on Earth& climate on Earth

Objectives:Objectives:

Students will understand the Earth’s Students will understand the Earth’s surface is much more efficiently surface is much more efficiently heated by the sun than is the heated by the sun than is the atmosphereatmosphere

Students will understand the amount Students will understand the amount of energy reaching any given point on of energy reaching any given point on the Earth’s surface is controlled by the Earth’s surface is controlled by the angle of sunlight striking the the angle of sunlight striking the surface and varies with the seasonssurface and varies with the seasons

Objectives con’t:Objectives con’t:

Students will understand that Students will understand that areas near the equator receive areas near the equator receive more of the sun’s energy per unit more of the sun’s energy per unit area than areas nearer the polesarea than areas nearer the poles

MaterialsMaterialsBlack constructionpaper

Tape

Logger Pro withthermometer probe

Light source

Watch or clock

Procedure:Procedure:

1. Form a 1. Form a hypothesis based hypothesis based on the information on the information learned in class on learned in class on if the angle at if the angle at which light strikes which light strikes an area on Earth is an area on Earth is related to the related to the changing of changing of seasonsseasons

2. Fold black 2. Fold black construction construction paper in half - paper in half - lengthwise and lengthwise and tape short edges tape short edges together to form together to form an envelopean envelope

Procedure con’t:Procedure con’t:

3. Place 3. Place temperature temperature probe in envelopeprobe in envelope

4. Shine light at a 4. Shine light at a 0 degree angle to 0 degree angle to envelopeenvelope

5. Record temps 5. Record temps using Logger pro using Logger pro for 15 minutesfor 15 minutes

6. Change angle to 6. Change angle to 45 degrees and 45 degrees and repeat step 5repeat step 5

7. Change angle to 7. Change angle to 90 degrees and 90 degrees and repeat step 5repeat step 5

8. Change angle to 8. Change angle to 45 degrees again 45 degrees again and repeat step 5and repeat step 5

Assessment:Assessment:

Graph outcome: Graph outcome: The temperature The temperature changes of the changes of the earth represent earth represent the changing of the changing of the seasonsthe seasons

Assessment con’tAssessment con’t

The graph shows the The graph shows the areas near the areas near the equator represented equator represented with 0 degree angle with 0 degree angle receives more of the receives more of the sun’s energy per unit sun’s energy per unit area than areas area than areas nearer the poles nearer the poles represented with 90 represented with 90 degree angledegree angle

AssessmentAssessment

Students should be able to write a Students should be able to write a conclusion explaining the purpose of the conclusion explaining the purpose of the lab. They should be able to explain what lab. They should be able to explain what variable was used and why. They should variable was used and why. They should be able to prove or disprove his hypothesis be able to prove or disprove his hypothesis using the data collected. The student using the data collected. The student should be able to explain the relationship should be able to explain the relationship of the angles of light with the angles of the of the angles of light with the angles of the Earth and the effects that this has on our Earth and the effects that this has on our weather and climateweather and climate