NOAA
Are You Climate Literate?: Play the Essential Principles Challenge
Installment eight of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series tests the class's understanding of climate. Scholars play alone or in small groups to assess their understanding of climate systems, causes of climate...
Colorado State University
Why Does the Wind Blow?
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
Colorado State University
Why Is the Sky Purple?
The color of the sky depends on the time of day. Young scholars experiment with scattering different wavelengths of light to recreate the color of the sky. They observe both the longer blue wavelengths and the shorter red and orange...
American Museum of Natural History
Rising CO2! What Can We Do?
It is colorless and scentless, but it makes a large impact on the environment. Learners explore carbon dioxide emissions and what they mean for the environment using an interactive graph. They review changes over time and how they impact...
Colorado State University
What Is a "Convection Cell"?
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
Teach Engineering
Building a Barometer
Forget your local meteorologist — build your own barometer and keep track of the weather with an activity that provides directions to build a barometer out of a narrow necked bottle, a glass, and some water. Using their barometer,...
NOAA
Make Your Own Compass
Scholars build a compass using a needle, cork, magnet, and a water-filled cup in order to locate the magnetic north and south.
Curated OER
Micro-Climate
Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record the varying temperatures and identify the microclimates on a map that they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand...
Curated OER
The Day After Tomorrow: How is the Density of Water Related to Climate Change and Global Warming?
Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Sea Level: On the Rise
With the global temperature on the rise, the effects of climate change are starting to be seen. However, many people have a difficult time conceptualizing the long-term effects, such as sea levels rising. Given an easy and effective...
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time in Areas of Deforestation and Urbanization
Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth instructional activity during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and...
Curated OER
Geographic Effects on Precipitation, Water Vapor and Temperature
Students investigate the factors affecting climate using Live Access Server. In this geography lesson plan, students graph atmospheric data using Excel spreadsheet. They compare and contrast temperature, precipitation and water vapor of...
Curated OER
Biomes: Extreme Climate
Learners discuss the causes of global warming. For this earth science lesson, students examine how global warming is connected to the arctic and world climate. They write a paragraph about their interconnection.
Curated OER
What's Making It Look So Brown Outside?
Ninth graders analyze cars and particulate matter in the atmosphere. They analyze results of particulate pollutants and identify which vehicle gives off more particulates. They identify sources of particulate matter and relate to...
Curated OER
Weather Instrument Use and Application
Eighth graders measure temperature, wind speed and pressure using Skymaster SM-28. In this earth science instructional activity, 8th graders collect data and record observations taken from outdoors. They explain why numerical values are...
Curated OER
Weather Forecasting Basics
Eighth graders analyze weather diagrams and weather maps. In this earth science instructional activity, 8th graders explain why it is important to know the weather. They complete a handout at the end of the instructional activity.
Curated OER
Geology and it’s Influence
Students compare current geological map and the one from 1800's. For this earth science lesson, students discuss differences between the two and explain the factors that caused the change. They write an essay about how these changes...
Curated OER
Weather Elements and Instruments
Eighth graders identify the different weather elements. In this earth science lesson plan, 8th graders explain the difference between relative humidity and dew point. They discuss the different instruments used to predict weather.
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Mount Vesuvius
Young scholars explain how volcanoes form. In this earth science lesson, students identify the different types of volcanoes. They create brochures about Mt. Vesuvius before and after the eruption.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle and Watershed
Students summarize the steps in the water cycle. For this earth science lesson, students create a skit, song or poem showing the various components of the cycle. They identify the different watersheds in their area.
Curated OER
How Pollution Disrupts Our Natural Environment
Students conduct experiments to illustrate global warming. In this air pollution instructional activity, students first examine how a layer of greenhouse gasses might impact the earth's atmospheric temperature, then evaluate how the...
Curated OER
Weather and Climate
Students explore all the facets about weather and analyze how weather and climate are connected through time. They consider how weather changes and the effects of weather on the present state of the Earth's climate. Alterations to our...
Curated OER
Greenhouse Effect- Online Interactive
In this greenhouse effect activity, students learn about Earth's climate change by reading a 7 paragraph text. Students then answer 10 questions. This is an online interactive activity.
Curated OER
An Overview of Solar Radiation
Students examine the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Students compute basic radiative "constants" of the sun-Earth-atomosphere system. They examine the wavelength of maximum radiation emission.