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Venus Unveiled
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Classroom Activity
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Objective
To debate the validity of predictions about the greenhouse effect.
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copy of "How Warm Is Too Warm?" student handout (PDF
or
HTML)
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As students have observed in this program, using data to create
models of past or to predict future events is a difficult
process. Use the "How Warm Is Too Warm?" student handout to
focus a class debate. Distribute the student handout and divide
the class into teams.
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Assign each team one side of the argument. Give students time to
gather information from outside resources to support their
arguments.
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After discussing the issues, review the challenges the
scientists face in this program as they try to determine the
process by which Venus loses heat. How do these scientists use
data about present conditions to extrapolate into the future (or
the past)? What variables make it difficult to make precise
conclusions?
The debate in class will be influenced by the information students
can gather about possible greenhouse scenarios and by news reports
or other sources of information about global warming. As students
debate, they should realize that the controversy in not about
whether that planet is actually warming—this trend is proven.
The controversy arises in discussions of how warm the planet will
become, how quickly warming will occur, and the possible results of
such a warming trend. After the debate, review the influences,
assumptions, and interpretations of data that affected students'
opinions.
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