Conduc'ng oceanography experiments in a conven'onal
classroom
Mirjam S. Glessmer & Kris'n Richter
Hamburg University of Technology Germany
University of Innsbruck Austria
@meermini
Conduc'ng oceanography experiments in a conven'onal
classroom
University of Innsbruck Austria
anywhere!
Mirjam S. Glessmer & Kris'n Richter @meermini
Hamburg University of Technology Germany
Innsbruck, Austria, in the street
Bergen, Norway, lecture theatre
IsaLordur, Iceland, Seminar room
Ice cubes mel'ng
in fresh-‐ and salt water
See also: hOp://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/comsci/pdfs/2_Teaching_and_Learning.pdf hOp://www.usc.edu/org/cosee-‐west/glaciers/Ice_Cube_ExptFINAL.pdf hOp://www.cesn.org/cosee_CD/web/ac'vity/Mel'ng_Ice.pdf
Setup • Groups of 4 students • Find a space so that you are siXng around a flat surface that all of you can easily see
• Clear that space (water coming up!) • Nominate one person per group to be the one who will get up when you need to fetch things
• Silently suffer through the introduc'on un'l I say “go!”
Introduc'on
fresh water salt water
Introduc'on
Ice cube Ice cube
fresh water salt water
Make a predic'on:
• When the ice cubes are added, which of the ice cubes will melt faster, the one in fresh water or the one in salt water?
• Why?
Observe
• Take the 'mes from when you add the ice cubes un'l both have melted completely
• What happens? • How quickly do the ice cubes melt? • Does one melt faster than the other?
GO! Ice cube Ice cube
fresh water
salt water
What did you observe?
Can you explain your observa'on?
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method – how is scien'fic knowledge established?
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method
Make an observa'on
Ask the ques'on
Literature search
Formulate hypothesis
Run experiment
Accept hypothesis
Reject hypothesis
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method • Lab protocol
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method • Lab protocol
– How to document your experiments (which beaker did contain the salt water?)
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method • Lab protocol • Oceanography
– Salt in the ocean – Density driven currents / what else drives currents?
Use this experiment to discuss:
• Scien'fic method • Lab protocol • Oceanography
– Salt in the ocean – Density driven currents / what else drives currents?
• Climate – Importance of ocean currents – Global warming and salinity / freshwater / THC
Alterna've setups for different purposes
• Structured ac*vity – Make predic*on about which is going to melt faster, test, discuss
– > too difficult? Dye your ice cubes!
Alterna've setups for different purposes
Alterna've setups for different purposes
Alterna've setups for different purposes
Alterna've setups for different purposes
• Structured ac*vity – Make predic*on about which is going to melt faster, test, discuss
– > too difficult? Dye your ice cubes! • Problem-‐solving
– Get materials without knowing which cup contains the salt water; design experiment to figure out which cup contains what
• Open-‐ended inves'ga'on – Use materials to learn about S/F, W/C, density
Benefits of demonstra'ons
"Classroom demonstrations: Learning tools or entertainment?” Crouch et al. (2004)
Debrief – discussion points
• Salt affects the freezing point • Salt crystals dissolve ice • Salt water is denser than fresh water • Less ice will be in contact with salt water • Buoyancy • “like dissolves like” • Rela've heat capacity of water • Molecular structure of NaCl
Debrief
fresh water salt water
Debrief
fresh water salt water
Evalua'on
further reading:
All the materials we brought to EMSEA14: In one big grocery bag: • 4 ice cube trays • 4 ice cube bags (backup) • 2 thermos flasks (to store ice
cubes) • 1 insula'ng carrier bag (lej) • 4 empty 1.5l water boOles to
mix & store salt water in • 1 tea spoon for measuring salt • 500g table salt • 21 clear plas'c cups for
experiments • 10 clear plas'c cups to hand
out ice cubes in • 11 straws (as pipeOes) • 1 flask of food dye • 11 liOle cups with lids to hand
out food dye in • nerves of steel (not shown)
What else you might want to bring (or ask nicely for): • 1 bucket (for waste water ajer you are done) • paper towels in case something goes wrong • plas'c table cloth or similar to protect the furniture