Amazing Albedo

American Museum of Natural History and Rice University

This lesson is a lab in which students use thermometers, white and dark paper, and lamps to measure differences in albedo between the light and dark materials. Connections are made to albedo in Antarctica.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Have students write out their hypothesis/prediction before they begin. Let students choose other materials to determine the albedo that exist in nature, i.e. different leaf types, substrates, etc. Instructors need to emphasize that color affects albedo but is not albedo. Albedo is a measure of the reflectivity of a surface. Most appropriate for middle school.
Students compare albedo of dark and light surfaces and relate to albedo in Antarctica. Albedo impacts average global and local temperature, but sun angle (and the tilt of the Earth) is the driving force for temperature regimes in any location. Other related AMNH resources complement this lesson: [http://www.amnh.org/explore/curriculum-collections/antarctica/extreme-temperatures] Comments from expert scientist: Albedo is an incredibly important concept in understanding Earth's climate and this activity certainly highlights its importance. The activity is very hands on, involves making and testing hypotheses, and asks the students to take measurements and plot their results. All in all, a very productive and useful activity.
Roles for team members are described. Good questions for lab. This lesson should be paired with related activities, also available from AMNH, that have students conduct an experiment in how sun angle and length of day affects temperature. See [http://www.amnh.org/explore/curriculum-collections/antarctica/extreme-temperatures]