The four lessons in this unit build toward a student understanding of each component of the energy budget formula - and how the contribution of each component changes due to location and time of year. In order, the four lessons consist of: deriving... (View More) the formula for Earth’s energy budget, analyzing data from NASA’s CERES instrument, learning to code using the RStudio program, and using RStudio to explore and evaluate the energy budgets of specific locations and seasons. The unit includes a pre/post test; each lesson follows the 5E model and contains worksheets with answer keys. (View Less)

In this unit, students investigate temperature cycles, tree rings, CO2 records, and the effects of CO2 on temperature, precipitation and cloud cover to determine the impacts of changing climate on forests. After gathering and analyzing local data,... (View More) students examine regional impacts and differences. The unit is one of four under the Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum entitled, "Climate Change in My Backyard." (View Less)

Unit one of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum introduces the role of carbon (as carbon dioxide) as an atmospheric indicator. Students examine the impact of geologic and climatic history on current... (View More) climate by using computer models, measurements and the geologic record of past climate indicators. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Carbon Fizz, Carbon from the Past, Carbon Forcing, Global Connections, and Core Connections. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Unit three of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum examines the role of carbon and the carbon cycle in future climate. Students discover how scientists determine Earth's average temperature and the role of... (View More) climate models in understanding the size of some forcings on temperature. Students are challenged to reduce their electrical energy usage and to critically evaluate claims about carbon and climate. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Your Temperature Connections, Testing Forcings, Future Forcings, It Starts at Home, and Climate Claims. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

In this activity, users examine satellite images from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) that show how much ozone is in the atmosphere over the Southern Hemisphere. They interpret the images to identify ozone thinning that develops over... (View More) this region each summer, and compare its size from year to year. Using freely-available image analysis software, ImageJ, users quantify the area of the Antarctic ozone hole each October from 1996 to 2004. Finally, they bring their measurements into a spreadsheet program and create a graph to document changes in the size of the ozone hole. This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook, which provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page. (View Less)

In this online, interactive module, students learn about severe weather (thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards) and the key features for each type of "wild weather" using satellite images. The module is part of an online course for... (View More) grades 7-12 in satellite meteorology, which includes 10 interactive modules. The site also includes lesson plans developed by teachers and links to related resources. Each module is designed to serve as a stand-alone lesson, however, a sequential approach is recommended. Designed to challenge students through the end of 12th grade, middle school teachers and students may choose to skim or skip a few sections. (View Less)

In this online, interactive module, students learn about the using successive satellite observations of clouds to determine wind direction and speed. The module is part of an online course for grades 7-12 in satellite meteorology, which includes 10... (View More) interactive modules. The site also includes lesson plans developed by teachers and links to related resources. Each module is designed to serve as a stand-alone lesson, however, a sequential approach is recommended. Designed to challenge students through the end of 12th grade, middle school teachers and students may choose to skim or skip a few sections. (View Less)