Susan Kaiser describes using a Soda Stream machine to easily introduce carbon dioxide gas into student experiment chambers made from soda bottles

In an effort to support teachers with varying access to materials, Teacher at Sea alumna, Susan Kaiser, presented student options for data collection related to climate change topics at the National Science Teachers Association conference in Reno, NV in October 2018.

She modeled how carbon dioxide gas affects Earth systems, and showed teachers how to set up a large classroom demonstration using aquariums filled with carbon dioxide gas generated from dry ice. This can also be accomplished with small group stations using soda bottle chambers containing carbon dioxide gas from a Soda Stream machine.

Kaiser also discussed albedo, carbon dioxide that traps heat reflected off the Earth’s surface. Light and dark colored surfaces reflect different
amounts of energy. Using the camera on a cell phone and Google School app teachers learned how to measure reflectivity and convert it to LUX using a table. This allowed them to observe albedo from different colored rock. Finally, a Petri dish containing an “ancient ocean” water (saturated calcium hydroxide solution) was tested for pH and then placed in the high carbon dioxide atmosphere. After 3 minutes exposure the pH was tested again and shown to be more acidic demonstrating how ocean acidification occurs.

Learn more about Susan Kaiser’s Teacher at Sea experience.