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Contrails in the Iowa Sky

Pictures of contrails outside over Eddyville Iowa.  Aircraft emissions, containing carbon dioxide, produce a stream-like cloud that just like other clouds trap heat radiating from Earth.  This is an example of how human activity is affecting the atmosphere and other Earth systems.

Location
Eddyville, Iowa

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

  • What Earth systems are affected or modified by modes of human transportation?
  • How are contrails produced and how do they affect Earth’s systems?
  • What chemicals are in aircraft emissions? 

Classroom Suggestions

  • Develop a model representing how Earth’s systems are affected by human transportation. 
  • Design a travel plan using computational thinking that reduces the impact of contrails.  
  • Develop a systems model with feedback loops predicting future effects of mitigated and unmitigated contrail effects.

Related Resources

Iowa Core Alignment

HS-ESS3-6:

Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity

Credit Info

Submitted by Michelle Seddon

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