Data Puzzle: To Reflect or Not to Reflect

Center for Education, Engagement and Evaluation

Students analyze and interpret Arctic albedo data to evaluate the effect of declining sea ice on the Arctic system. They connect this information to climate and finish by constructing a conceptual model that explains how declining sea ice is changing both the Arctic's albedo and Earth's climate.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

The slides and teacher guide are Google-based documents, so that a copy of each material can be made and adapted for a particular classroom setting. Some of the graphs, such as of sea ice minimum extent, will need to be updated over the years. This can be done by downloading a new version from websites such as the [link https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/ 'National Snow and Ice data center'] or from the [link https://mosaic.colorado.edu/ 'MOSAiC project website']. There are additional [link https://datapuzzles.org/data-puzzle-collection 'Data Puzzle style lessons available']. Topics are related.
This lesson is focused on understanding albedo and its effect on climate. Data is cited and from credible sources. There are videos to help start the thinking process for students and provide background material. The activity is appropriately rigorous for the intended age range, especially at the middle school/lower end of the range. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
In this activity students analyze data to predict how albedo affects various surfaces and build an explanatory model of how that affects the Arctic sea ice. The lesson can be done individually or in small groups and involves worksheets and data study. The lesson is well organized, properly sequenced, and should be engaging for students. The teacher's guide does a great job of setting up the lesson plan. Learning outcomes are listed, as well as other ideas on how to engage with the material. Incorporating real-world data sets helps encourage engagement and participation. There are no prerequisites required.
Materials are all available and easy to understand, including a teaching guide, PowerPoint slide, videos, data, and worksheet. The lesson involves no cost, and is easily usable. The teacher guide is very thorough and useful. The only tech requirement is a shared screen/student computers to view the presentation. Teacher prep time is minimal, less than 30 minutes.