Curated OER
Faking It
Middle school earth scientists describe the behavior of the Coriolis force. They compare and contrast conditions under which the Coriolis force has a significant impact with conditions under which it has very little. They model the...
Curated OER
Does Santa Claus use the Coriolis Force to Travel East?
Students are given a visual demonstration of the Coriolis Force in the Northern Hemisphere. They are encouraged to find locations around the globe and try to predict what the weather circulation patterns might be like.
Curated OER
Motion in the Ocean
How does the formation of currents and waves in the ocean happen? High schoolers will learn about the primary causes for ocean currents and waves by calculating a wave's amplitude and nautical mile speed. Then they will complete a...
Curated OER
Oceans: Water, Water Everywhere. . . but Only on the Earth!
It's not long, but it's thorough! This PowerPoint takes 4th - 8th grade earth scientists deeper into the oceans. They learn about tide and current activity and the forces that drive them. They also discover how wind and the rotation of...
Curated OER
Upwelling - Cold One Day, Warm Another?
Discuss with your oceanographers what forces cause nearshore upwelling and downwelling. Display a line of wind vectors alongside a graph of the temperatures so that they can discover whether or not they are related. Discussion questions...
Colorado State University
Why Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?
Test your class' coordination as they model the Coriolis Effect. Forming a large circle, learners move to the right as they try to toss a ball to the person across from them. The movement of the circle represents the rotation of the...
Curated OER
A Comparison of Cloud Coverage over Africa
Students 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
#24 Rotating Frames of Reference in Space and on Earth
Young scholars explore rotating frames of reference, focusing on the weightless environment in space and the Coriolis force.
Curated OER
Upwelling in the World Ocean
Here is a fascinating topic: the upwelling of ocean waters. Oceanography pupils learn what mechanisms cause upwelling, types of upwelling, and the effects on marine life. Colorful satellite imagery and informative diagrams bring this...
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.
NOAA
Currents
A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects...
Curated OER
(S-1B) Global Climate, Global Wind Flow
Learners discuss how the horizontal transport of heat from equatorial regions polewards drives global wind systems.
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
Curated OER
Winds Go Spinning Around
Students simulate the Coriolis Effect to comprehend why winds in the Westerlies are prone to cyclonic and anti-cyclonic motion. They arrive at an explanation of processes that drive world wind patterns
Center Science Education
Hurricanes and Climate
Feeling under the weather? This lesson on hurricanes can whip things up! With professionally designed maps and handouts, teach your future weathermen (or women) where, when, and how hurricanes occur. They identify hurricane regions and...
Curated OER
Exploring Hurricanes
In this hurricane worksheet, students explore the behavior of hurricanes by reading an article about it. They complete 8 short answer questions that follow.
Curated OER
Hurricanes and Climate
Learners investigate maps and data to learn about the connections between hurricanes and climate. In this exploratory lesson plan students describe and graph the 6 regions where hurricanes happen and discuss how hurricanes have changed...
Curated OER
Earth's Winds, Crust, and Atmosphere
This site provides a variety of activities and worksheets about the problem-based learning activity about Earth and its atmosphere. The lessons can be used separately or together in a geology unit. The resources and charts are very...
Curated OER
Weather Lesson
Students examine the various types of dangerous weather situations. In groups, they focus on the characteristics of a nor'easter and how it forms. They compare and contrast the two main types of nor'easters and examine how one can use...
Curated OER
Earth's Weather
Seventh graders learn how solar radiation, latitude, and other factors affect weather. They break into six groups and are assigned a topic to research and to present their findings orally.
Curated OER
Tides and Currents
Students research and describe how currents are formed. In groups, they relate specific terms to the formation of currents and locate different currents on a world map. They also examine tides, how they are formed and how they are...