University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Blue Skies and Red Sunsets
Find out how some wavelengths of light are scattered more than others producing blue skies and red sunsets.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Cycles of the Earth System: Make Convection Currents!
In this lesson, students will understand that temperature changes can cause density changes in water and in air.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Torrents, Droughts, and Twisters Oh My!
Students review what scientists know and what they're working to understand about the relationship between extreme weather events and climate change.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Clouds, Weather, and Climate Teaching Box
This Teaching Box combines hands-on activities, data analysis, and discussion that help high school students consider how weather can affect cloud types and how cloud types can affect climate.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: The Nature of Science
This teaching box engages middle and high school students in the Nature of Science - what it is and what it isn't - along with activities to ensure engagement and enhance science understanding explicitly.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Sun and Space Weather Image Gallery
Images and diagrams of the Sun, solar phenomena such as sunspots and flares, space weather, Earth's magnetosphere and upper atmosphere, the aurora, and more.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Atmosphere Images
Photos, diagrams, and other images related to climate and climate change.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Energy Choices and Climate Change
Help the Joules family make choices that keep their greenhouse gas emissions low.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Elementary Globe: The Colors of the Seasons
Students will search for all the colors in a natural place then repeat at different times of year and compare.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Elementary Globe: All Year Long
In this activity, kids record their observations of an outdoor environment in a science journal. The spot they record could be close to home or seen out a window.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Climate Postcards
Learners learn about the climate zones of the world by interpreting data and then identifying climate zones described in postcards.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Tracking Hurricane News
Students read news articles about Hurricane Irene, present information with classmates, and construct a timeline to describe the hurricane's story over time and across geographic area, exploring what happened, how people were affected,...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: The Sun Earth Connection: The Magnetic Sun
Learners will build a simple version of a magnetometer and use it to discover the types of areas of the Sun that have very strong magnetic fields. Students will then describe what the types of features associated with the Sun's strongest...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Plugged in to Co2
Students analyze the energy consumption of a household appliance and estimate the amount of carbon dioxide it is adding to the atmosphere each year.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Planning a Disaster Relief Mission: Storyboarding
Students plan a disaster relief mission employing a UAV (drone) by filling in a comic book-like storyboard of engineering design steps.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Little Ice Age: Dark Skies: Volcanic Contribution to Climate Change
In this activity, students learn how volcanic eruptions affect global climate.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Serial vs. Parallel Processing Activity
Students learn the difference between parallel processing and serial processing computer systems by racing to complete a task of stacking blocks.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Elementary Globe: Earth System in a Bottle
If you have seeds at home, try this activity to help kids learn what a seed needs to grow. Students will create experimental conditions in terrariums to study what plants need to live. They will learn about the importance of the...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Virtual Ballooning to Explore the Atmosphere Activity
In this computer-based virtual lab, students will learn about the layers of Earth's atmosphere by launching virtual balloons to collect temperature and pressure data at various altitudes. Given a limited number of balloon flights,...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Elementary Globe: To Spread or Not to Spread
Students will explore the difference between the three types of contrails. Then they will make observations of contrails outside, record their observations, and then make follow-up observations 15 minutes later to see how the contrails...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Tree Rings Simulation Dendrochronology
Tree rings help scientists learn about past climates by decoding tree ring patterns. Use this interactive simulation to learn how tree ring patterns tell us about climate conditions in the past.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Tree Rings and Climate Timeline Simulation
In this online interactive activity, you will align tree ring cores to build a long chronology of climate history.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Kids Crossing: Living in the Greenhouse
This web site provides information about the global climate, Earth's cycles, the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases, ancient climate changes, and climate events and news.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Measuring Density by Bending Light
Students observe how different materials bend light, and how we can infer the nature of the material based on the amount it bends light rays.