Curated OER
The Pacific and El Niño
El Nino, and the climate changes that go along with it, are the focus of this Earth Science lesson. Learners pay particular attention to the wind patterns that are established on Earth, and look at weather maps to see how El Nino can...
Curated OER
Wind Circulation, Surface Currents and Climate
High schoolers describe connections between wind patterns, surface currents, and ocean climate zones. In small groups, they color the ocean climate zones in four different shades of blue. Students then answer questions like what four...
Curated OER
Air Pollution Over Where?
Young scholars predict the movement of an air borne pollutant using their understanding of air currents. They determine which governments and/or communities should be contacted to be forewarned. They also explore the properties of their...
Nine Planets
The Eight Planets: The Sun Solar Wind
This Eight Planets site briefly describes solar wind, a low density stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun. It also provides the basics on the sun's composition and additional sun links.
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...
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All: Atmosphere | Nasa Online
The Earth is surrounded by a thin envelope of gases called the atmosphere. More than 500 active volcanoes erupt around the world affecting the Earth's atmosphere and global climate.
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."
Idaho State University
Global Wind Systems [Pdf]
A great description of the global scale circulation and heat energy. Discusses a single-cell model, a three-cell model, jet streams and more.
NASA
Nasa: Cosmicopia: Solar Wind
Resource includes a brief description of solar wind, a solar wind model, a list of current articles concerning solar wind events, and "Solar Wind Activities," which include links to related lessons.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Wind
Wind is air moving from a place that has higher pressure to one that has lower pressure. Sometimes wind is just a light breeze and other times it is strong enough to blow the roofs off buildings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: The Wind Swe Home Page
This is a technical site from MIT. It provides data and information from satellites which observe solar winds. Provide 3-D models of the heliosphere and uptodate plots of solar wind data.
Weather Wiz Kids
Weather Wiz Kids: Wind
What is wind? How is it caused? This site offers simple answers to many common questions about wind as well as a chart of the Beaufort scale, which "is an empirical measure for the intensity of the weather based mainly on wind power."
Other
The Virtual Sun: Between the Sun & Earth
The Virtual Sun by Michiel Berger provides a very brief overview of solar wind.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Geography Phenomenon: Hurricanes
Describes how ocean currents affect climates around the world and the impact of the Gulf Stream, which can cause hurricanes to form. The role of wind patterns in the Caribbean is also discussed.