A discussion of the interactions between the four spheres of Earth and how they affect weather and climate. The slideshow is divided into two parts. The first deals with interactions between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere and the...

This virtual field trip for middle school students looks at aquifers and their place in the hydrologic cycle. Students learn why and how it is important to protect the source of your drinking water and some unique details about the...

In this classroom lab activity, students will work with a plastic cup, straw, and drinking water to gain a better understanding of how atmospheric pressure works. They will be able to see how an imbalance in the atmosphere causes a...

The GLOBE program is a worldwide network of students and scientists working together to monitor Earth's atmosphere and water. There are lots of resources here, and you can email a student involved in the program to learn more about GLOBE.

"Explore things on, in, around and about the earth," with this web site dedicated to K-12 education from the United States Geological Survey. Homework help, science topics and fun learning games for students in Kindergarten through High...

This site provides extensive information on the controversial theory that there are millions of small comets which continually burn up yearly in the earth's atmosphere.

Listing of various fact sheets created and published through the Long Island Sound Study. Topics include How Low Dissolved Oxygen Conditions Affect Marine Life in LI, Impact of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Long Island Sound, Sound...

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.

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....

Mars has such low atmospheric pressure that any water at the surface would boil away. In this activity, students see that they can get water to boil below its "typical" boiling temperature when they drop the pressure in a closed...

Demonstration of the greenhouse effect and its role in climate change, discussion of the phases of water and the water cycle, and a hands-on experiment to investigate the role of temperature in phase changes of water.

An explanation of ocean chemistry, supported by illustrations, for example, of the global carbon cycle in the 1980s and the annual carbon dioxide flux. The concentration of nutrients in the ocean is discussed for its impact on marine...

In this activity, students will observe the effect of the gases resulting from a burned fossil fuel on the heat absorption of air and determine the ability of phytoplankton to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This activity is...

This site offers a wealth of online textbook-related materials that encourage the discovery of science in the world around us. Enter the site to access material on specific topics. Each section contains reading material (complete with...

Learn about the different kinds of clouds, their location in the sky, how they form, their influence on the weather, and unusual cloud shapes.

This short investigation from Carbo Europe explores how temperature relates to the solubility of carbon dioxide in water.

[Free Registration/Login Required] In this activity, observe the relationship between elevation, boiling point, and atmospheric pressure. Then answer a self-correcting challenge question.

How would you define an ecosystem? Check out this educational resource to learn more about the living and nonliving parts of different ecosystems.

One lesson in a larger module covering different aspects of the major greenhouse gases including some of the ways in which human activities are affecting the atmospheric concentrations of these key greenhouse gases.

Allow your students to explore states of matter as they learn what causes frost to form on the outside of a cold container. Students will observe how liquid water can change to ice or water vapor in this lab. Lesson includes background...

Often we find that different phases of pure substances can exist in equilibrium with one another. Let us consider an important gedankenexperiment (Latin-German for "thought experiment") in which we boil water. Ordinary water boiling is...

A student inquiry into properties of the ocean's carbonate buffer system, and how changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may affect ocean pH and biological organisms that depend on calcification.

Students are introduced to the concept of air quality by investigating the composition, properties, atmospheric layers and everyday importance of air. They explore the sources and effects of visible and invisible air pollution. By...