University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: The Greenhouse Effect
Students will learn how greenhouse gases temporarily trap heat within Earth's atmosphere, warming the planet via the greenhouse effect.
NASA
Nasa Earth Observatory: Should We Talk About the Weather?
Discover how scientists use the BOREAS to gather data such as heat, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and more to see what role these levels have on climate changes.
Other
Digital Library for Earth System Education: Teaching Box: Essentials of Weather
A suite of lessons focusing on the basic elements of climate and weather. Inquiry-based exploration of extreme weather events and the factors of weather including clouds, wind, air pressure, temperature, and the water cycle.
PBS
Nh Pbs: Nature Works: Ecosystems
How would you define an ecosystem? Check out this educational resource to learn more about the living and nonliving parts of different ecosystems.
Idaho State University
Global Wind Systems [Pdf]
A great description of the global scale circulation and heat energy. Discusses a single-cell model, a three-cell model, jet streams and more.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Radiant Energy Flow
A virtual lab to look at the physical features of Earth that affect the amount of the Sun's energy that hits Earth. Students investigate how solar and infrared radiations enters and leaves the atmosphere with this model. Virtual lab...
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Earth's Energy Budget
This 2-part resource details how the Earth absorbs just enough energy from the Sun to sustain life. Content explores incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: About Temperature
This site from the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research provides a lengthy page covering numerous topics including the difference between heat and temperature, the use of different temperature scales, thermal expansion, how a...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Convection
Wikipedia offers information on convection, the transfer of heat by the motion of or within a fluid. Includes table of contents, image, and formulas.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Air, It's Really There
Explore the properties of air, and what happens to air when heated and cooled.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Made Clear: What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Learn how greenhouse gases help keep the Earth warm.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Greenhouse Effect in a Greenhouse
A lab where students will construct their own small greenhouse out of a plastic container, plastic wrap, and different materials to observe the effect this has on temperature. Data is collected, graphed, and saved online to be graded by...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Heat on the Move
This activity is meant to be one of many common experiences that help students understand that convection is a major driving force on our planet.
Cosmo Learning
Cosmo Learning: Ocean Currents
The atmosphere forces the ocean in three ways: addition and removal of heat, precipitation and evaporation, and wind stress. The former two processes influence the density of sea water. Gravity acts on these density differences to cause...
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Cloud Development
This site explores the importance of clouds and how clouds are formed. Content details common atmospheric cooling mechanisms and atmospheric stability.
Curated OER
Science Kids: Science Images: Atmospheric & Ocean Circulation
A diagram which shows how the process of atmospheric and ocean circulation works. It features such important terms as precipitation, evaporation, sublimation, snow, accumulation, wind redistribution, melt, runoff, heat, ice flow and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: How Cities Affect Their Local Climate
Students explore the urban heat island effect with My World GISTM and GLOBE Program surface temperature student data. After completing this chapter, students will be able to successfully download GLOBE Program datasets in the...
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Physics & Chemistry: Boiling Point
A scientific explanation of what a boiling point is, the factors that can alter a liquid's boiling point, changes of state that occur at the boiling point, and how the normal boiling point relates to a liquid's vapor pressure. (Updated:...
Other
Climate Gateway: What Is Climate Change?
This ClimateGateway.com site provides information on what climate change is as well as the factors that affect global climate.
Other
Third Millenium Online: Melting and Freezing
The concepts of melting point and freezing point are explained on this site.
Curated OER
Ucar: About Temperature
This site from the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research provides a lengthy page covering numerous topics including the difference between heat and temperature, the use of different temperature scales, thermal expansion, how a...