Part 1: Introduction to Albedo

Guiding Question:

What is albedo and how does it relate to climate?

Albedo = the fraction of incoming solar radiation (sunlight) that is reflected back into space. Albedo values range from 0 to 1, and because they are expressed as fractions, they have no units.
Feedback loop = when the result of an event influences the occurrence of that same event in the future.

Positive Feedback = factors that result from a process and, in turn, amplify or enhance that same process (e.g. a snowball rolling down a hill: the bigger the snowball gets, the more snow it picks up, which makes it even bigger). Positive feedbacks are destabilizing and can often be destructive to ecosystems.
Negative Feedback = factors that result from a process and, in turn, reduce that same process (e.g. thermostat control: When the temperature goes up, the air conditioning turns on, which causes the house to cool down). Negative feedbacks generally resist change and keep a system stable.

INTRODUCTION: Briefly introduce the concept of albedo to the students.
Students read the Introduction To Albedo and answer the thought questions provided. This can be completed as a homework assignment.
Discuss questions students have on the reading and their answers to the thought questions. Talk about differences between satellite data and ground measurements (Satellites collect data more frequently -every few days- and have a large spatial coverage. Ground measurements are more infrequent, but can give more detailed information about a specific location).

Use the Checklist for Student Work, or your own rubric, to assess the quality of student work.