Hockey-Lacrosse Earth’s Atmosphere: Climate Greenhouse Simulation Game

Science Innovators in the Schools SIS Science World March 2, 2015, Vancouver BC

Presented by Dr. Mindy Brugman, Volunteerbrugmanm@telus.net

Goal• Simulate how the earth's atmosphere works

to create the so called Greenhouse effect to better understand climate change.

Terminology: Greenhouse versus Thermal Blanket

• This Greenhouse effect is essentially how layers in the atmosphere composed of absorbers (such as water vapor, CO2, Methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons ..) and scatterers (clouds, nitrogen, ash, aerosols..) create a life giving Thermal blanketing effect of the earth's surface. The Optical Depth of the atmosphere is a measure of how many layers have developed to increase the thermal blanketing effect. The more layers of blankets to keep us warm the thicker the optical depth. Here we keep terms general.

Help students understand a chart like this without having to show it to the younger kids.

Set the game up to Simulate a Hockey Lacrosse Game – then add up energy

Earth shine back to the dark side of the Moon

Lacrosse Players absorbers: take sunlight transform to heat and radiate any direction

Hockey Players scatter sunlight in any direction

Special Player Roles• Sun ( a son is chosen) He flings the balls as fast as he can towards the earth's

atmosphere trying to make it to the goal.• Mother Earth (she tends the goal at the back of the gym and at the base of the

layers of atmosphere composed of absorbers and scatterers)• Moon (he/she guards the second goal net to the side of the sun and can on

the dark side can collect sunlight balls scattered off the earth)• earth's surface team (scatterers – if snow and ice and light colored surfaces ,

and absorbers if forest and black colored surfaces)• Albedo is introduced here for advanced students:

– the (dark) absorbers are low albedo (Lacrosse Players or ball catchers) .– The (white) scatterers are high albedo ( hockey players) .

• Ozone layer. This is a line of absorbers (Lacrosse players) at the top of our atmospheric layer for this game – which is to simulate the stratosphere.

• Troposphere. All of the air (below the ozone frontline) where players line up at thermal blanketing or scattering layers. This is the air we breathe and live in.

Gameplay• Players and goalie nets are put into position.• Atmospheric Players get in lines with scatterers and absorbers

with designation.• Players who have special roles get into position and this

includes the Sun, moon, and mother earth and surface reflectance players.

• The sun leads by throwing balls for about 5 minutes• The rest do all they can to keep up.• Mother earth and the moon and absorbers try to keep balls

and can also throw them if they decide to do so any direction. radiation of infra red or heat).

• Scatterers can try to hit the moon too. Even the sun can throw balls directly to the moon.

Game Strategy, Design and Discussion

• Then we stop suddenly and count the balls and evaluate if the earth s atmosphere and surface heated up or got colder.

• The based on what the students want we modify and replay (add more absorbers or scatterers to any layer or the surface) .

• Re run the game about three times and get students involved in how we change the atmosphere or the surface, and deciding the impact.

• Get them to decide would the earth warm or cool. What role may humans have in this? Where to absorbing gases come from and what types can they name? Where do scatterers come from and what types can they name? What is the role of a huge volcanic eruption as well? The release of gases from permafrost or the ocean?

• HAVE FUN!!! Be crazy wild because that’s the atmosphere.

Summary: Keep your eye on the ball (sunlight)and use the game to conduct experiments so we

can understand how the atmosphere works

Safety First! • Keep organized – and ask extra parents and teachers to help. • Have the kids put away the supplies and clean up all the balls.• Use soft balls of various sizes.• If someone does not want to be in the action they can collect the balls in each

layer of the atmosphere. • If lacrosse is not available use your hands as an absorber to catch and throw balls. • You can use both lacrosse sticks and your hands. Or just use your hands for

everything. Whatever works best.• For more information contact mindy.brugman@ec.gc.ca or brugmanm@telus.net

or science world. • If you can - Let me know how it works for your group and what you learned and

have to recommend to make the game better for different age groups.• References: Pictures from Wiki and available online – if you want to publish, or

use for purpose other than education please get proper citations for the images used in this presentation .