Lessons and Activities
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.
In two activities from this site, Differences Between Climate and Weather and Climate Variability, students can gain firsthand knowledge of local weather changes and how those changes relate to local climates. They can also simulate climate variability and come to understand that long-term climate averages are the result of significant annual climate variability. MSP full record
This interactive lesson explains how weather is a series of atmospheric phenomena and climate is a record of the various phenomena. Students will learn about climate in seven different regions of the United States. An online quiz on climate gives instant results. MSP full record
In this unit, students explore how scientists study climates of the past by modeling the scientists’ methods. The lessons address the difference between weather and climate, direct and indirect evidence of climate change, and natural indicators of climate such as tree rings. The lessons also examine what conditions were like in the "Little Ice Age" between 1300 and 1850 A.D. A lesson on glaciers uses imagery to show how they respond to climate change, and a lesson on sunspots uses real data to show the connection between sunspot activity and the earth’s climate. There is also a lesson on the effect of volcanism on climate. A summary activity brings together all these concepts to draw conclusions about possible natural causes of climate change. MSP full record
This tutorial provides an overview of the difference between weather and climate and the factors that affect climates. Factors discussed include distance of an area from the sea, ocean currents, wind direction, relief, proximity to the equator, El Niño, and human activities. MSP full record
The answers to these frequently asked questions help the average citizen navigate the debate about climate change. Question topics range from the difference between weather and climate to our dependence on fossil fuels to energy efficiency. MSP full record
The goal of this site is to provide middle school science students and teachers with online resources for research and investigation experiences dealing with the atmosphere, climate, and oceans. MSP full record
This collection of classroom activities covers climate, physical properties of the ocean (density, salinity, currents, and others), and ocean life and life-support structures. Topics include the 1997 El Niño, oceanographers and their work, the Poseidon mission, properties of fresh water and sea water, the hydrologic cycle, coastal and inland temperatures, ocean currents and coastal temperatures, salinity, deep ocean circulations, and greenhouse gases. Oceanography activities cover density of water, evaporation, mixing, sound in water, wind-driven currents, tides, upwelling, and the Cartesian diver. Oceans life activities cover plankton, bioluminescence, oil spills, and plastics in the ocean. MSP full record
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Copyright
October 2006 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
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