Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils recognize different cloud types. They determine the seaonality of various types of clouds. They graph the data and determine if a correlation exists between season, cloud cover and type of clouds most prevalent during each season.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcanoes:How Safe Are They?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore volcanoes, locate them on maps, record general information about volcanoes, and organize information on a fact sheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Drought?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore and conduct an experiment on the effects of drought on the environment. They define what drought is and the impact that a shortage of rainfall can have on agriculture, municipal water supplies, tourism, recreation, etc.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students define and associate words with the topic of climate change while completing associated worksheets. They read and discuss articles about climate change including the effects of global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using My Nasa Data To Determine Volcanic Activity

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students use NASA satellite data of optical depth as a tool to determine volcanic activity on Reunion Island during 2000-2001. They access the data and utilize Excel to create a graph that has optical depth as a function of time for the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Ride Sharing?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discover the concept of ride sharing. They discuss how it helps the environment. They use the internet to gather information as well.
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Electromagnetic Energy in the Atmosphere Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Summarizes the key points about electromagnetic waves and how they are classified. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
Graphic
NASA

Nasa Earth Observatory: Global Maps: Net Radiation

For Students 9th - 10th
View a global map from NASA's Earth Observatory that shows net radiation from July 2006 to November 2008. Learn about radiation and the balance between incoming and outgoing energy in the atmosphere.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Electromagnetic Energy in the Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Overview of electromagnetic radiation.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Electromagnetic Energy in the Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Overview of electromagnetic radiation.
Unit Plan
Vision Learning

Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: Factors That Control Earth's Temperature

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of how temperature is affected by the composition of the atmosphere and how energy flows in and out of Earth's atmosphere.
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Interactions Within Earth's Atmospheres

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using computational models, students investigate the interaction between greenhouse gases, solar radiation, and the Earth's surface for the impact on climate. They then look at data on atmospheric carbon dioxide to analyze changes in...
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Local and Regional Wind Systems

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about regional and local wind systems, including information on changes in atmospheric pressure, thermal energy in the atmosphere, sea and land breezes, mountain and valley breezes, and monsoon winds.
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability

For Students 11th - 12th
This collection of five learning modules looks at issues related to environmental change and sustainability. Topics addressed include changes in the atmosphere, soil, water, and biodiversity, and what can be done to counteract this and...
Handout
Simon Fraser University

Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
As part of the General Chemistry Virtual Textbook, this site examines a variety of topics related to Earth's atmosphere. Topics covered in the overview include structure of the atmosphere, composition of the atmosphere, energy balance of...
PPT
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Hhmi: Bio Interactive: Paleoclimate: A History of Change

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the history of Earth's climate in this Click and Learn. Learn how many factor control Earth's climate. Specifically, examine two of the most important factors: solar radiation and the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
Unknown Type
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Earth's Energy Sources (Pre Assessment)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A pre-assessment at the beginning of a unit on global atmospheric change. It checks understanding of issues around climate change and the impact it has on the environment and on human health. The lesson and accompanying slideshow can...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: A Guide to the Energy of the Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
Energy is neither created nor destroyed - and yet the global demand for it continues to increase. But where does energy come from, and where does it go? This video examines the many ways in which energy cycles through our planet, from...
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Civil Environmental: Ecology I: The Earth System

For Teachers 9th - 10th
College-level online course highlighting the fundamentals of ecology. Course topics include coevolution of the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere; photosynthesis and respiration; and the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles....
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Tracking Geomagnetic Storms in the Ionosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
The Sun is the ultimate source of the energy that powers weather systems on Earth. Geomagnetic storms are sun-powered storms in the upper atmosphere, arising from energized particles that are periodically ejected by the Sun. Among other...
Unit Plan
King's Centre for Visualization in Science

Explaining Climate Change: Lesson 4: Climate: A Balancing Act

For Students 9th - 10th
How does the Earth's energy balance regulate climate? This is the fourth lesson in a series of learning modules on the topic of climate change. This lesson explores how different factors can impact the amount of energy that enters and...
Article
Carnegie Mellon University

Telstar: The Sun and Its Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
The sun's energy is the primary source of energy for all surface phenomena and life on Earth. Combined with the material of the Earth (including the molecules held close by the Earth's gravitational force called the atmosphere), this...
Article
Carnegie Mellon University

The Sun and Its Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
The sun's energy is the primary source of energy for all surface phenomena and life on Earth. Combined with the material of the Earth (including the molecules held close by the Earth's gravitational force called the atmosphere), this...
Website
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Global Climate Change: Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this site to explore real scientific data relating to the atmosphere. With this information you can gather evidence, test theories, and come to conclusions. Click on the data examples to view a full scale version.