NSDL Science Refreshers



4 results returned

Resources for Science > Earth Science > Weather and Climate > Climatic Factors

Antarctic Weather

http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/weather/

Visitors to this site can read a discussion about the weather in Anarctica, including why it is so cold, how weather observations are conducted there, and what role the continent plays in the global weather system. Links to related topics, a wind chill calculator, and a Fahrenheit-Celsius-Kelvin temperature converter are also provided.

Resource Type: Dataset - Observed Data, Dataset - Remotely Sensed Data, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Seasonal Change on Land and Water

http://www.globe.gov/tctg/earth_la_seaphen_s5.pdf?sectionId=260

Though designed as a middle or high school lesson, this PDF contains thorough background information and maps supporting inquiry into the differences in seasonal change in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, culminating in an evidence-based argument about why one hemisphere experiences warmer summers although it receives less total solar energy.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Lesson/Lesson Plan, Audio/Visual - Map
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Observe an animation of land and sea breezes

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es190...

Learners can view the animation, identify the key components in this system, and explain how each one contributes to the formation of a breeze. Although the resource was designed to accompany a specific Earth science textbook, it can be used without that text.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Oceans, climate and weather

http://msteacher.org/epubs/science/science6/science.aspx

What is the difference between weather and climate? What do the oceans have to do with them? Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere and its short-term (minutes to weeks) variation. Climate is typically described by the regional patterns of seasonal temperature and precipitation over 30 years. The averages of annual temperature, rainfall, cloud cover, and depth of frost penetration are all typical climate-related statistics. The oceans influence the worlds climate by storing solar energy and distributing it around the planet through currents and atmospheric winds.This publication is all about developing your students understandings of earths oceans and the major effect they have on climate. Understanding and interpreting local weather data and understanding the relationship between weather and climate are important first steps to understanding larger-scale global climate changes. Activities that ask students to collect and analyze local weather data as well as analyze global data can be found in the Lessons and Activities section. Analyzing and interpreting data is a major focus of this publication. Numerous data sets can be found in the Sources for Real Data section. The Background Information section and the article Tomorrows Forecast will help reinforce your own content knowledge.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6