Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Demonstration of Factors Affecting Soil Temperature

For Teachers 1st - 7th
Students examine the influences of water and mulch on soil temperature.  In this investigative activity students complete a soil experiment. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Label the Earth Diagram

For Students 6th - 9th
In this earth's layer worksheet, students label a diagram of the earth's layers. They are given 4 terms and their definitions to read and students determine which layer is which on the diagram based on the definitions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

(S-1) Sunlight and the Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the solar heating of the Earth and atmosphere, its heat loss proceses, and the way these relate to weather and climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use authentic satellite data to produce plots and graphs of sea surface temperature as they explore the seasonal changes of the Gulf Stream.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Masses

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the physical characteristics of several types of air masses to discover how air masses can be identified and defined by their temperature and moisture content.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fallout!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall....
Activity
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Web Weather for Kids: Thunderstorms & Tornadoes Make Convection Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Demonstrate convection currents using a clear box, red food coloring, ice cubes, colored pencils and index cards. Get all the directions you need for this simple lab.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Convection Current

For Students 3rd - 8th
This lesson plan is a great way to show convection currents in water. Students will see what happens to water as it gets warmed.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Convection Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Get a visual of convention currents with this activity. This activity allows students to observe the currents by bending light due to cold and warm water.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Kids: Colored Water Convection

For Students 3rd - 8th
This PBS site allows users to learn more about water convection as they discover how to demonstrate the way convection currents form. A fun science project!
Activity
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Atmospheric Processes: Convection

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a pair of activities to demonstrate convection currents in air and water. Encourages students to view air as a fluid.
Lesson Plan
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Cycles of the Earth System: Make Convection Currents!

For Teachers 5th - 9th
In this activity, students will understand that temperature changes can cause density changes in water and in air.
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: The Sun and Convection Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the sun's energy, Coriolis effect, and how wind is formed in this interactive learning module.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Pie Pan Convection

For Students 9th - 10th
In this experiment, students observe what happens when a pan of soapy, colored water is heated. They will see that convection currents cause the fluid to rise and sink in a localized convection cell.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Examples of Convection

For Students 9th - 10th
Gives lots of examples of convection and instructions for a simple experiment that looks at convection currents in a fluid.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Exhibit Cross Reference: Convection Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of a museum exhibit that illustrates convection and convection currents. Great idea stimulus for a student project or lab investigation.
Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Investigating Convection

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will plan and conduct an experiment that investigates convection currents.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: What Makes Thunderstorms? See Convection

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using water, food coloring, and an ice cube, students observe the movement of convection currents in a container, and illustrate what they see happening. This activity develops their understanding of how thunderstorms form.
Activity
Other

Steve Spangler Science: Denver's Brown Cloud

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn how fluids move through our atmosphere and water. This experiment explains atmospheric convection currents (thunderstorms), the Gulf Stream, and temperature inversion. A video is included.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Turning the Air Upside Down

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students develop their understanding of air convection currents and temperature inversions by constructing and observing simple models.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Ocean Currents: Modeling 'Global Conveyor Belt' in Your Kitchen

For Students 9th - 10th
Ocean currents have a profound effect on the climates of the continents, especially those regions bordering on the ocean. The Gulf Stream makes northwest Europe much more temperate than any other region at the same latitude, and the...
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Activities: Fly a Hot Air Balloon

For Students 5th - 9th
Step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how to construct a hot-air balloon from tissue paper, to demonstrate that heated air expands, creating a convection current. This activity requires the use of a hot air gun and is labor-intensive.
Lesson Plan
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide: Investigating Climate Present

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Lesson plans on the following: Carbon cycle: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks, Nitrogen Cycle: Traveling Nitrogen, Ocean and Atmosphere: Make Convection Currents, Energy Cycle: Albedo

Other popular searches