Model Greenhouses
Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect. They construct their own miniature greenhouses and explore how their designs take advantage of heat transfer processes to create controlled environments. They record and graph measurements, comparing the greenhouse indoor and outdoor temperatures over time. Students are also introduced to global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and their relationship to global warming.
Greenhouses are designed to capture sunlight to create a controlled environment suitable for gardening.Copyright Copyright © Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, http://www.dmh.mo.gov/nmprc/services.htm
An engineer might design and build a greenhouse to create a controlled environment for growing many different types of plants. With a greenhouse, a grower can monitor and adjust the amount of heat, light and water plants receive, enabling optimal growing conditions, which allows for an extended growing season. As an additional design component of many energy-efficient houses, greenhouses contribute to a house's overall energy efficiency by providing a space for year round home grown vegetables and flowers.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- List the benefits (cost saving, efficiency) of using a greenhouse.
- Explain the greenhouse effect in depth.
- Provide an in-depth explanation of the greenhouse effect.