Curated OER
Environment: Wild Wind Direction
Students examine the different types of wind patterns. Using common materials, they construct weather vanes to measure and record wind direction over a two-week period. After analyzing the data, they draw conclusions about the...
Curated OER
Wind Circulation, Surface Currents and Climate
Students describe connections between wind patterns, surface currents, and ocean climate zones. In small groups, they color the ocean climate zones in four different shades of blue. Students then answer questions like what four...
Curated OER
Global Winds
Students extend their understanding of convection to consider global winds and the effect of the earth's rotation on the creation of patterns of prevailing wind direction.
Curated OER
SURFACE CURRENTS
Students identify five major ocean currents and identify the correlation between ocean circulation and prevailing winds.
Curated OER
Immersion Presents Monterey Bay
Students study Monterey Bay. In this Monterey Bay instructional activity, students create a model of upwelling around Monterey Bay. Students simulate surface water movement relative to prevailing winds.
Curated OER
Estuarine Currents
Students explore an estuarine system to gather data on density driven currents. This type of current is contrasted with temperature and wind driven currents.
Curated OER
Weather Olympics
Students consider the effects of topography on climate patterns. In this earth science lesson, students research weather patterns and make inferences of how the land forms may create different climates. Students compare Celsius...
Curated OER
Can the Radon Problem Be Fixed?
Students devise the solutions to the radon problem. They consider how radon enters homes and the air flow patterns within them while focusing on the fact that the ultimate source of radon is the rocks and soils under the house. They...
NASA
Earth's Global Energy Budget
Introduce your earth science enthusiasts to the earth's energy budget. Teach them using an informative set of slides that include illuminating lecturer's notes, relevant vocabulary, embedded animations, colorful satellite maps, and a...
Curated OER
1492: Using Data to Explain a Journey
Students examine how Christopher Columbus made his way across the Atlantic. For this data lesson students use an Internet program to navigate like Columbus.
Curated OER
How Mountains Shape Climate
Students use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.
Curated OER
Estuarine Currents
Students experiment observing a demonstration on models of density-driven currents which are typically found in an estuarine system of water flow. They compare/contrast water temperature and salinity to the formations of estuarine currents.
Curated OER
Can The Radon Problem Be Fixed?
Students develop their own solutions to the problem of radon. They share their solutions with the class and if possible carried out. They identify the health issues related to radon.
NASA
El Nino: Making Sense of the Weather: Global Wind Patterns
This is an educational site offered by NASA that has information on global winds, including prevailing westerlies, with illustrations. Included is a short activity to illustrate the winds.