Radiation Budget Lesson: Integrated Language Arts

Recommended Age:
Intermediate Level (5-8)

Objective:

Principles:

1. The radiation budget is a comparison of how much sunlight reaches the Earth vs. how much heat the Earth gives off into space.

2. The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was launched by the Space Shuttle Challenger. Sally Ride was the astronaunt who deployed the satellite.

3. NASA uses instruments/data to study the radiation budget in order to better understand how the Earth's climate works. Instruments collect data from the Earth and atmosphere and are carried into space by shuttles/rockets.

4. The instrument aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite was used to study light, heat, and total radiation.

5. A scanner instrument moves by sweeping back and forth across the satellite's path as it flies, while a non-scanner instrument collects data from a fixed wide viewpoint.

Activity:

1. Divide the students into cooperative groups.

2. Discuss the importance of why the Earth must reflect enough energy into space to keep the temperature from getting too warm or too cold. Also explain that a satellite can be compared to a bookbag. Just like a bookbag is used to carry several books from home to school - a satellite is used to carry several instruments from Earth to space to study the activity between the Sun, the Earth and space. Introduce probing questions or statements to get their minds thinking so they will have something to contribute to their cooperative learning group.

   (Example: Why do you think studying the Earth's radiation budget is important? Do you think more instuments should be on a satellite? Why? If you could create a satellite, what would you want it to measure? How would the data retrieved from the satellite benefit scientists studying the Earth's climate?)

3. Explain to the students that they will be given a problem to solve. Everyone in the group must agree on a solution to the problem. Encourage them to vote (majority rules) when making decisions. Also explain that you will monitor each group, but you will not offer suggestions to help them because they are to solve this problem. You, the teacher, can probe questions to help them think, but try not to tell them how to make the model or solve the problem.

4. Before starting this activity it is very important that everyone understand what to expect. Tell the students they will have a certain amount of time to decide on how to solve the problem and then they will have to design and create a model. It is a good idea to set a timer so the students can see the remaining time. Also, explain to the studuents that at the end of the allotted time, each group will present their model and explain how it works, why they made the decisions they did, what they contributed to the group, if they had any problems, how they solved them, etc.

5. Stress the fact that the students are limited to use ONLY the items listed on their sheet. The materials should be organized prior to class and distributed along with the design brief. Reread the problem on the design brief and tell the students when to begin.

Pretend that the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite fell from orbit. Design and build another satellite, with instruments on board, to measure the amount of solar energy received by the Earth and the amount of solar radiation reflected from the Earth into space.

You will have 90 minutes to design and build your satellite in your group. Your satellite can be of any size, but it must have: "power" source attachable instruments detectors (sensors) The following materials can be used to construct your product: milk carton 4 small pieces of aluminum foil 5 straws 10 toothpicks scissors markers clay tape construction paper [optional: 1 balloon and several rubber bands]

After students have constructed their model, have them orally explain the instruments aboard their satellite and their function(s). The students must be able to explain how they designed it, why they decided to make it that way, and how it differs from NASA's Earth Radiation Budget Satellite.

Have the students write in their journals about what they did in their groups, and what they contributed to the group. Students could also include what they learned, what puzzled them with the project, what they enjoyed, or what they accomplished in the lesson.

Have the students write a descriptive paragraph(s) about the satellite they created and its function(s). Remind the students that their paragraphs must have a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

Suggested Journal Topics:

• Why should scientists know how much radiation is reflected into space?
• Should NASA monitor the Earth's radiation budget?
• What do you think would happen if a satellite got lost in space?
• Explain how the radiation budget is monitored by NASA.
• Describe scanning and non-scanning instruments aboard satellites.