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San Jose CA. 95113
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Greenhouse in a Bag
Post-Lab Activity: Green by Design
This activity is meant to extend your students’ knowledge of the topics covered in our Green by Design lab. Through
this activity, your students will deepen their understanding of Greenhouse gases by simulating the Greenhouse
Effect.
Grade Levels: 3-8; this activity is meant for students to work in groups of 4-5 but can also be done as a
demonstration
Estimated Time: 45-60 minutes
Student Outcomes:
1. Students will be able to use a model to demonstrate the heating effects of carbon dioxide trapped in the
atmosphere (aka the Greenhouse Effect).
2. Students will be able to graph the temperature change in their model over time.
Next Generation Science Standards
Physical Sciences Grade 4: 4-PS3-2; Grades 6-8: MS-PS3-3
Earth Sciences Grade 4: 4-ESS3-1; Grades 6-8: MS-ESS3-5
California State Science Standards
Physical Sciences
Grade 3: 3.1.a, c; Grade 6: 6.3.a, b; 6.4.b;
Investigation and Experimentation
Grade 3: 3.5.c-e; Grade 4: 4.6.a, c, e; Grade 5: 5.6.b, c, f-h;
Grade 6: 6.7.a-e; Grade 7: 7.7.a, c-e; Grade 8: 8.9.a, e
Common Core ELA Standards
Grades 4-5: Writing W.7; W.8
Grade 4: Speaking and Listening 4.SL.1b-d
Grade 5: Speaking and Listening 5.SL.1b-d
Grades 6-8: Writing W.7; Speaking and
Listening SL.1b-e
Vocabulary:
Familiarity with these terms and concepts will enhance students’ experience in the activity
• Absorption: the taking up and storing of energy, such as light, which can then be transformed into a different
form such as heat.
• Greenhouse Effect: The phenomenon in which the earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the
presence of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane in the atmosphere that allow
incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth's surface.
• Solar Energy: The radiant energy of the sun that can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or
electricity.
• Solar Radiation: Solar energy transmitted as light waves, in the form of particles.
• Solar Reflection: the change in direction of a light or sound wave as a result of the wave hitting a medium within
its path (i.e. light reflecting off of a mirror).
Materials (one set of materials per team of 4-5 students):
• 2 1-gallon Ziploc bags
• 2 small cups (Dixie cups) filled halfway with water
• 3 thermometers (high temperature range needed)
• 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets
• Sun lamp if it is not sunny out on day of activity
• Stopwatch
Background Information:
Begin with a discussion about the how the sun and Earth’s atmosphere usually keep the planet warm and how
Greenhouse Effect changes it.
o
• Without our atmosphere, Earth would be very cold and unable to support life (less than 0 C).
Greenhouse in a Bag
Post-Lab Activity: Green by Design
201 S. Market St.
San Jose CA. 95113
1-408-294-8324
thetech.org
• Earth’s atmosphere is important to retaining some heat from the sun.
o Solar energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere to heat Earth’s surface.
§ Some energy is absorbed by the atmosphere
§ Some energy is reflected back out into space by clouds and other gases in the atmosphere
§ Some solar energy is reflected by Earth’s surface
• Without greenhouse gases, solar energy reflected from Earth’s surface is able to escape our atmosphere and
return to space.
• With the presence of greenhouse gases, most of the solar energy reflected by Earth’s surface is unable to
escape our atmosphere. The solar energy is reflected back to Earth’s surface again, trapping the heat energy in
our atmosphere.
o Why is this bad? Where do the greenhouse gases come from? How much of a temperature difference do you think
greenhouse gases make?
Procedure:
1. Teams will simulate the greenhouse effect and measure the temperature changes in 3 different atmospheric
scenarios (regular, greenhouse, and no atmosphere).
2. Pick a spot outside that will be in full sunlight for at least 45 minutes. If it is not sunny the day you do your
activity, try using a sun lamp or halogen lamp indoors (do not leave lamps unattended).
3. Have teams place their three thermometers on the ground about 5 inches apart from each other.
4. Let thermometers come to temperature, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, record the temperature of each
thermometer.
5. Place the cup with water in it into one of the Ziplock bags (do not spill the water into the bag). Place the
thermometer in the bag next to the cup. Have one team member drop the Alka-Seltzer tablets into the water.
As soon as the Alka-Seltzer has been added, seal the bag.
6. Place one cup with water into the second Ziplock bag and place the thermometer in the bag next to the cup.
Seal the bag.
7. The third thermometer will remain uncovered.
• The bag with the water and Alka-Seltzer represents the Greenhouse Effect in our atmosphere
• The bag with the water and thermometer represents our atmosphere without greenhouse gases
• The thermometer with no covering represents Earth with no atmosphere.
8. Have students predict which setup will warm up the fastest and slowest. Why?
9. For the first 10 minutes, student teams should check their stations every 2 minutes and record their
temperatures.
10. For the next 30 minutes, students should check their stations every 5 minutes. After the 30 minutes, they
should have enough data to make a conclusion.
11. When all data is collected, teams will graph the temperature changes over time, comparing the three scenarios.
Which was the warmest? Which was the coldest? Was the temperature change linear (constant)? What was the
temperature like for the thermometer that had no atmosphere? Which environment would be the best to live
in?
Extended Learning
• For an added visual, add an ice cube to each “environment” to see which ice cube melts first and fastest. This
will also be a good demonstration of polar ice cap melting.
201 S. Market St.
San Jose CA. 95113
1-408-294-8324
thetech.org
Greenhouse in a Bottle
Post-Lab Activity: Green by Design
Student Data Sheet
Temperature Recordings (F°)
Elapsed Time
0 (starting temp)
2 minutes
4 minutes
6 minutes
8 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
30 minutes
35 minutes
40 minutes
Greenhouse Effect
(bag with Alka-Seltzer)
Atmosphere with no
Greenhouse Gas
Earth with no atmosphere