Modeling the Greenhouse Effect with Fish Bowls (Inquiry)

I use this in Environmental Science, a class that has 10th-12th graders mixed, and students with a wide range of ability levels. We discuss the greenhouse effect, and then I introduce this project to the students so they can SHOW me the greenhouse effect in action.

I had a whole bunch of plastic fish bowls (similar to these) left over from a different lab kit, which I use (and re-use each year) for this project. I provide students with clip-on lights (similar to these) and leave the rest up to them. As for other materials, that’s up to you. I purposely do NOT bring out materials when introducing this activity, because I want the students to think critically about what they need (like plastic wrap, thermometers, etc) and ask me for them.

If you purchase the product, I list a couple materials that would probably be good to have on-hand, provide information about how I use the rubric and a "conference" with students to assess their understanding, and an example schedule that you could follow for the activity.

It's simple, but an effective way to have students get hands-on with the greenhouse effect!