Pbs Learning Media: What Causes the Gulf Stream?

When light strikes an object it can cause reflection or absorption depending on the wavelength of the light and the property of the material that makes up the object. Watch this whiteboard animation for a full explanation and to find out...

This interactive activity from McDougal Littell/TERC visualizes the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, factors that influence oil spill behavior and impact, and techniques used to contain and clean up oil spills at sea.

Scientists study ice sheets because they influence weather and climate, playing a role in atmospheric and ocean circulation. Ice sheets can also have huge impacts on global sea levels because they store so much water. Explore this...

This video segment adapted from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explains how and where hurricanes develop. Learn how El Nino events alter the course of atmospheric circulation. Includes background reading material and discussion...

This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE demonstrates the physical property of carbon dioxide that causes the greenhouse effect. Includes background reading and discussion questions. [2:26]

Examine this visualization by NASA to understand how the warming of the Arctic region has caused the sea ice extent to decline by 40%, thereby throwing our earth's energy budget off balance. Extensive resources included are teaching...

Everything in our environment is interconnected. A change in one area causes a change in another area. Nowhere is this more evident than in our climate. NASA created a theoretical planet called "Daisy World" to show the complex system of...

In this lesson, students watch a video and animations that relate Isaac Newton's three laws of motion to baseball and apply what they've learned about these laws to another sport or other real-life situation.

Students learn how various kinds of data and information can be gathered to create a biodiversity timeline that serves as evidence of changes in a population of a species.

Thawing permafrost can have devastating effects for a region. It can lead to the ground becoming unstable, landslides, and sinking. This video shows some effects of thawing permafrost in Fairbanks, Alaska, and provides a glimpse of what...