This project introduces the concept of “Global Warming” to primary school students in a model that helps them understand the effect of climate changes on icebergs.
Global warming is the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate, resulting in the melting of icebergs. Since this change is considered as a great humanitarian crisis of our time, it is important to explain the phenomenon of global warming and simulate it in a model. So, students can see how icebergs melt as a result.
To construct the model, the following equipment are needed:
• lamp
• switch (BJT)
• 3 photo sensors
• 3 SV motors
• One Arduino
• Wooden Textile
• Small plastic tubes (around 9)
Firstly, three groups of plastic tubes will be placed under the wooden textile representing the iceberg. A motor is then placed under each group of tubes to either lift the tubes up or set them down. The tubes under the wooden textile, aka the iceberg, will rise to a certain level depending on the intensity of light detected by the photo sensors. Each motor is affected by one photo sensor.
Secondly, a lamp will be used for testing. This lamp emits light, so it represents the increase of temperature in real life. As the light intensity increases, aka the global temperature, the photo sensor will detect a higher light intensity, and the motors will move to set the tubes down, aka the iceberg. By this, the student can understand that the icebergs are melting when the temperature is increasing.
When the lamp is switched off, less light will be detected, and the motors will rotate in the opposite direction to lift the tubes upward. This is important for testing purposes in order to set the model back to its original state, and in cases when the teacher wants to repeat the experiment. Furthermore, the student can understand that when there is no increase in the temperature, the icebergs will remain intact.
The switch will change the state of the lamp: ON/OFF, and the Arduino will control the circuit.
