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You're Getting Warmer!
You're Getting Warmer!
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PDQ1 |
Get ready to explore your outdoor world and take CO2 readings!
Overview
Grades:
Time:
Subject:
5-8
5-15 minutes
Environmental Science
Carbon Dioxide surrounds us and is an integral part of our ecosystem. Let’s explore our CO2 readings outside and see what we’re breathing!
Background
On a high mountain top called Mauna Loa in the state of Hawaii there is a solar observatory. In 1958 a scientist by the name of Charles David Keeling began collecting air samples and charting CO2 levels on a daily basis. His remarkable work has become the foundation of modern climate science and the daily and annual charting of CO2 levels in the atmosphere still bear his name as the “Keeling Curve” which you can see in the image to the right.
Climate change and the impact of CO2 levels is a complex topic and because of this, there are many differing opinions about the significance of the CO2 levels. As you explore the data and science associated with CO2 you can form your own opinions based on your observations. This is the basis of critical thinking and also of good science. Some facts about the Keeling Curve:
- Ice core records indicate our CO2 levels now are higher by far than recorded on Earth in the past 800,000 years.
- Each year has high and low periods tied to the seasons, you can see this in the jaggy lines that represent each year. Importantly, the overall average CO2 level increases each year.
- In 2019 414.7 ppm established a new record high of CO2 in our atmosphere.
The Keeling Curve displays the annual increase of CO2 levels in our atmosphere since 1958. Let’s check out our neighborhood CO2 levels with databot™ and explore further!
What You'll Need
- IOS or Android smart device with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to connect to databot™
- databot™ + Phypox App installed on your IOS or Android device.
Objectives
By completing this experiment and conducting the scientific observations associated with it you will master the following knowledge! Good luck science explorer!
- Climate change is a complex topic with many factors influencing it.
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is:
- An invisible and odorless gas.
- Exhaled by human beings in the process of respiration.
- Produced by a variety of manmade sources such as fossil fuels.
- Considered a greenhouse gas that traps heat in our atmosphere
- Increasing in concentration in our atmosphere each year, and has done so consistently since recording began in 1959.
- Provides carbon for plants to use for building tissue through photosynthesis
- Trees are a remarkable part of our climate ecosystem as they absorb and store carbon from CO2 in the air.
- Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.
Important Terms
Carbon: A highly abundant, incredibly important chemical element with the symbol C that, due to its unique ability to form bonds, serves as a common element to all known life. All life that we know of we refer to as “carbon-based” and our human body is made up of approximately 18.5% carbon.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A colorless, odorless gas comprised of oxygen and carbon that is naturally present in the air you breathe and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis.
Carbon Sequestration: In response to CO2 driven temperature increases, carbon sequestration proposes the long term storage of carbon in solid or liquid form to remove it from the atmosphere. Trees and forests are a natural method of carbon sequestration as they convert CO2 into usable carbon through photosynthesis. A tree trunk is a massive carbon storage vessel for example.
Climate: The weather over a prolonged period of time in a region is called climate.
Climate Change: A change in global or regional weather patterns. Global climate change is linked to the steady increase of CO2, a gas that traps heat, in our atmosphere.
Deforestation: The permanent removal of forested areas and converting the land use to housing, farming, or other applications is called deforestation. Deforestation should not be confused with the organized harvesting of forests, a renewable resource.
Global Warming: The ongoing rise in the average temperatures around the world is called global warming and is linked to an excess of greenhouse gases such as CO2.
Greenhouse Gases: Gases in our atmosphere that absorb and radiate heat energy are called greenhouse gases as they contribute to a global warming effect. The greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
Photosynthesis: The chemical process in plants, driven by sunlight, that absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and combines it with water to provide the carbon needed by the plant to form complex molecules that enable it to grow and repair itself. Glucose, its source of energy, is one of these complex molecules.
Prep (5 Mins)
This is a fun, hands-on discovery activity in which you will explore the areas around your building and document CO2 levels using your databot™.
- Review the important terms.
- Print out your worksheet for recording values.
- Make sure your databot™ is fully charged.
- Test your smart device connection and make sure you’ve installed the CO2 science experiments in Phyphox.
- Note: databot™ is an indoor air quality sensor and has a minimum level of 400 ppm that it can detect. 10 years ago it probably would not have been useful for taking outdoor readings. If all of your outdoor readings are 400 that is great news and your local environment has low CO2 levels in your outdoor air.
Our atmosphere contains a variety of gases: Nitrogen 78%; Oxygen 21%; Argon .93% and CO2 .04% (~400 PPM).
PDQ 1 (10 mins)
Procedure
- Click on the image to the right and download and print out your worksheet for taking recordings.
- Select the CO2 sensor option from your Phyphox menu.
- Connect to databot™ and activate the Phyphox recording feature.
- Watch the data level and go explore. Take 9 different readings in outdoor locations that you are interested in studying. You might consider:
- Near running or idling automobiles.
- Different micro-climate areas that are grassy and shaded, or concrete and sun.
- In your notes section detail your location and observations.
- Repeat the data readings at 3 different times – morning, afternoon, and evening.
Deep Thoughts with databot™
- Are any of your readings above 400 PPM?
- What do you observe about the different locations you took readings in – is there any clear reason for potential differences in your readings?
- We are surrounded by invisible gases all the time – CO2 is just one of the gases in the air around us. Do you find it interesting that you can use scientific instruments like databot™ to visualize scientific data like this?
- What do you observe about the readings taken in identical places, but at different times of day? Are the readings different? The same?
- Was there anything about this exploration that you found surprising?
Educator Info
Educator Info
- Study the background information in the Overview and familiarize yourself with the learning objectives and terms for this activity.
- Conduct the PDQ yourself before conducting it for your class.
- Review the guiding questions to help guide the student experience.
Understand:
- Climate change is a complex topic with many factors influencing it.
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is:
- An invisible and odorless gas.
- Exhaled by human beings in the process of respiration.
- Produced by a variety of manmade sources such as fossil fuels.
- Considered a greenhouse gas that traps heat in our atmosphere
- Increasing in concentration in our atmosphere each year, and has done so consistently since recording began in 1959.
- Provides carbon for plants to use for building tissue through photosynthesis
- Trees are a remarkable part of our climate ecosystem as they absorb and store carbon from CO2 in the air.
- Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.
You’re Getting Warmer! by Robert O. Grover & Team databot™ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at databot.us.com/contact.
