This investigation is based on the GISP2 H-core data collected in 1992 adjacent to the GISP2 Greenland summit drill site. Students examine the seasonal/annual nitrate record and use information from known volcanic eruptions to date the unique... (View More) signature of the Icelandic volcanoes. Data is also provided for known volcanic eruptions from other latitudes which can be used throughout the activity to date major conductivity spikes to further refine the time locations. Educators can use the investigation as an application of absolute and relative dating activity (a skill taught within many science disciplines). It can also be used as an application of the cryosphere and ice cores, atmospheric chemistry, meteorology and world-wide climate patterns, geophysics involving the polar regions and the Van Allen Radiation Belts, or astronomy and the impact of extraterrestrial materials on planet Earth. (View Less)

This textbook chapter describes how the Earth is unevenly heated by the Sun, and the role this plays in determining the Earth’s seasons, global winds, and weather events such as storms and tornados. The resource includes a demonstration model of... (View More) the uneven heating of the Earth's surface and links to current news articles, and a suite of pre- and post-unit assessments. A teacher's guide supports classroom use. This is the seventh chapter in the unit, Energy Flow, exploring the transfer of energy through the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living things over short and long timescales. The resource is part of Global System Science (GSS), an interdisciplinary course for high school students that emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact. (View Less)

This textbook chapter introduces the concepts of static and dynamic equilibrium, and discusses contemporary climate change. The greenhouse effect is presented in a discussion of Mars, Venus and Earth, the "Goldilocks" planet. Two investigations... (View More) support the chapter. The resource includes links to current news articles, and a suite of pre- and post-unit assessments. A teacher's guide supports classroom use. This is the sixth chapter in the unit, Energy Flow, exploring the flow of energy through the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living things over short and long timescales. The resource is part of Global System Science (GSS), an interdisciplinary course for high school students that emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact. (View Less)

The purpose of this investigation is to understand how the amount of water vapor in the air at various temperatures affects the way the human body responds. This is an important basic concept for understanding why one might feel either comfortable... (View More) or uncomfortable at exactly the same temperature. This challenge draws on understanding the student has acquired by conducting experiments outlined in chapters 3-11 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The resource includes background information, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is chapter 14 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)

This chapter provides a series of investigations, ranging from teacher-centered to open inquiry, that involve the formation of clouds in a model cyclone, and demonstrating how the availability of heat (indicated by temperature) affects formation and... (View More) duration of the cyclone. Instructions for building the experimental apparatus is found in Appendix 6. Additional materials needed include a heat source, beaker, thermometer, and a metal pan. The resource includes background information, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is chapter 13 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)

In this activity, students are challenged to predict the next day's weather based on cloud observations, prevailing winds, and barometric measurements over a period of several days. The activity can be done as guided or open-ended inquiry and serves... (View More) as an authentic assessment to conclude a unit on weather. Resources needed to conduct this activity include weather instruments, some of which can be constructed from household materials. The resource includes background information, a pre-activity inquiry exploration for students, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is chapter 16 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)

This chapter provides teachers with instructions to install a school weather station, and to build simple instruments to monitor weather conditions. Materials need to create a homemade weathervane include a two-liter soft drink bottle, a shallow... (View More) metal pie pan, a plastic drinking straw, and a compass. Building an anemometer requires plastic cups, soda straws, a pencil with an unused new eraser on the end, a paper punch, and a thumbtack. Thermometers and a rain gauge must be purchased. A data table is included for estimating windspeed using the anemometer. The chapter includes research ideas that allow students to validate their instruments and test the predictive capability of resources such as the Farmer's Almanac. This resource is chapter 15 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The resource includes background information, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is chapter 15 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)

This activity is about planetary climate. Once familiar with the factors that determine a planet's surface temperature, learners will use an interactive spreadsheet model of a planet's atmosphere to determine if greenhouse gases, luminosity of the... (View More) source, the distance of the planet from the source and the albedo of the planet can be manipulated so that the average surface temperature on Mars or Venus could support human life. Learners will then be asked to make some conclusions about these methods and suggest improvements for the spreadsheet model (see related resources for link to this model). The activity requires use of Microsoft Excel software. This is Activity D in the fourth module, titled "How do Atmospheres Affect Planetary Temperatures?," of "Earth Climate Course: What Determines a Planet's Climate?." (View Less)