NOAA
Understanding El Niño Using Data in the Classroom
Are weather troubles caused by El Nino? An installment of a larger series presents a five-part lesson on El Nino. First, scholars learn to read sea surface temperature maps. Then, they compare them to data on graphs before determining if...
NOAA
Your Own El Nino
Scholars make a model to discover how the force of trade winds over the Pacific Ocean creates an El Niño. Super scientists observe how the severe weather affects life in water and on land.
NOAA
A Laboratory Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents
Stimulate interest in ocean currents with a simulation. The first installment of a five-part middle school series teaches future oceanographers about the forces that interact to cause ocean currents. A simulation shows how wind and the...
Curated OER
Ocean Impacts of an El Nino Event
Students study sea surface height and temperature and other characteristics of an El Nino. In this ocean impacts lesson students examine the factors that influence an El Nino or La Nina.
Curated OER
A Comparison of Cloud Coverage over Africa
Young scholars identify different climate regions and local weather patterns. For this cloud coverage lesson students use NASA satellite data and import it into Excel.
Curated OER
El Nino
Explore the properties of water and the affects of El Nino. Middle schoolers will learn about the devastation an El Nino can cause as well as the definition of El Nino. Additionally, they will discover the cause of El Nino along with the...
Curated OER
What Is El Niño?
Students access information at remote sites using telecommunications, identify impacts by reviewing past El Ni??o events, make and use scale drawings, maps, and maps symbols to find locations and describe relationships.
Curated OER
RIDING THE WIND
Students locate the Trade Winds, Westerlies and Polar Easterlies on a map, explain the impact of the rotation of the Earth, and plot a route for a round trip voyage from New York to London.
Curated OER
Hurricane and Tornadoes Group Creative Writing
Creating science literacy through writing gets scholars thinking about the context of scientific terms! Learners collaborate to write a short story about hurricanes and tornadoes in a group. Students have 25 minutes to write the story,...
Curated OER
Trade Winds
In this trade winds instructional activity, students complete multiple choice questions on trade winds and how they affect the weather. Students complete 3 questions.
Curated OER
Movement of Air
For this air worksheet, students identify polar easterlies, prevailing westerlies, and trade winds on a Earth diagram. This worksheet has 13 fill in the blank questions.
Other
University of Windsor: Climates on a Rotating Earth
This site offers the text of a college lecture on the atmosphere, with information on the effect prevailing westerlies have on North America.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Weather and Climate
In this amazingly comprehensive interactive tutorial you will learn how factors such as ocean currents, topography, and air currents affect weather patterns. You will also learn the similarities and differences between weather and climate.
Texas A&M University
Ocean World: Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom
Online resource for students and teachers to see information on icebergs, fisheries, coral reefs, waves, currents and more. Provides teachers with learning activities. Has its own ask-an-expert site (Ask Dr. Bob), and provides real-time...
South Carolina Educational Television
Etv: Nasa Online: Light: Atmosphere
An interactive look at our atmosphere and factors which affect planet Earth. NASA measurements of volcanic eruptions, toxic emissions, aerosols, and wind patterns are all graphically displayed. Basic text plus bold visuals make this...
University of Arizona
Backyard Gardener: La Nina Weather Conditions Jan 2000
This site by Arizona Cooperative Extension discusses the strong trade winds called "La Nina," and how they effect the climate.
University of California
Earthguide: El Nino: Illustrating the Concept
Do you know what happens during a typical El Nino? This overview provides a description, characteristics, and animated maps showing sea surface temperature changes during past El Nino events.
Other
Kites as Education: Wind Origins
This "kite science" site offers information on wind and the atmospheric conditions that cause it. From "Principles of Aeronautics."
US Navy
Office of Naval Research: Oceans in Motion Currents
Use this site to learn what the Navy has to say about ocean currents and then test your knowledge with their quiz.
Other
Cornerstone Networks: Fourth Grade Science Lesson 1
This site, designed as a fourth-grade lesson, focuses on the earth's atmosphere with information on prevailing winds.
Travel Document Systems
Tds: Solomon Islands: Geography
A discussion of the physical environment of Solomon Islands including the names of the major islands, climate, terrain, and vegetation. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.
PBS
Pbs/global Weather Machine
This site explains wind systems as part of a global weather scheme, with illustrations.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Fact Sheet for El Nino
This site from the Univ. Corp. for Atmospheric Research provides detailed information on El Nino and its effects on the trade winds is offered at this site, with satellite photos.
NASA
El Nino: Making Sense of the Weather: Global Wind Patterns
This is an educational site offered by NASA that has information on global winds, including prevailing westerlies, with illustrations. Included is a short activity to illustrate the winds.