Vocabulary: global warming, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gas, heat flow
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. What do you notice when you get into a car that has been sitting in the Sun for a
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Vocabulary: global warming, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gas, heat flow
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. What do you notice when you get into a car that has been sitting in the Sun for a while?
It is extremely hot on the inside
2. Why is the inside of the car so hot? Because the sun is hitting it and so it gets hot
3. How would things be different if the car’s windows were left open? It would be hot but not as
hot as it would’ve been with the windows down. The seats will still be hot though
Gizmo Warm-up
Like the windows of a car, greenhouse gases play
a major role in regulating Earth’s climate. Without
the gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere,
Earth would be a frigid desert like Mars (average
temperature -55°C). Too much greenhouse gas and
Earth could be a fiery inferno like Venus (average
temperature 450°C).
On the Greenhouse Effect Gizmo™, set the
Greenhouse gases to 0% and the Simulation
speed to fast.
1. Click Play ( ) and view the BAR CHART tab. The temperature will go up and down every
day, but try to look at the overall trend. What happens to the temperature over time?
The temperature gets the hottest at around 5-6 in the afternoon then it goes down f=during
the night only to go back up again the next morning
2. Now set the Greenhouse gases to 100% and let the simulation run for a while. How does a
maximum amount of greenhouse gas affect the temperature?
The more greenhouse gases there is the temperature stays going up and it doesn’t come
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