Changing Planet: Ocean Acidification - the Chemistry is Less than Basic!

A video and laboratory investigation are highlights to this lesson on acidification of ocean water due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using bromothymol blue (BTB) as an indicator, pupils analyze the amount of carbon dioxide produced or absorbed by different avenues. They relate their observations to the ocean and discuss how increasing the pH of ocean water will impact marine organisms. This lesson is geared toward middle to high school earth science courses.

Concepts

---

acidity, acids, carbon dioxide, climate change, indicators, oceans, ph, sinking and floating

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

acidity, carbon dioxide, climate change, ph, indicator, ocean water, sink, source, shell formation, carbonate ion, science

Show More Show Less

Resource Details

Grade

7th - 10th

Subjects

Science

3 more...

Resource Type

Lesson Plans

Audience

For Teacher Use

Duration

2 hrs

Instructional Strategy

Inquiry-Based Learning

Technology

Scientific Equipment

Video

Usage Permissions

Creative Commons

BY-NC-SA: 3.0