This teacher-directed demonstration provides a conceptual understanding of latent heat. Using the example of a chemical hand warmer, students learn about phase changes from liquid to solid and from solid to liquid and observe that one of these phase changes releases heat while the other requires heat to be added. These concepts are then reinforced in a demonstration which involves heating water and ... Full description.

This interactive site features games, animations, and teachers' materials intended to introduce younger students to climate change. There is information about what climate change is, the difference between weather and climate, and the greenhouse effect. There are also materials on the climate system, ancient climates, and how scientists investigate climate. Other topics include discussions of whether ... Full description.

This set of resources for younger students includes activities and information on thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and clouds: how they form, and how they impact our lives. There are games about clouds, stories about extreme weather events, and a set of activities in which students create simulations of various weather phenomena such as fog, clouds, tornadoes, and others. The 'Recipe ... Full description.

In this lesson, students learn about the varying sizes of ocean waves, what causes such variation, and where to find giant waves. Students will learn the parts of a wave, and discuss wave height, wavelength, and wave period. They will explore variables that influence wave size through scientific visualizations. They will then experiment with creating waves on the National Geographic Wave Simulator ... Full description.

This description of the El Nino pattern in the eastern Pacific is from NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. In addition to text and diagrams, it provides three weather related activities for lab or classroom. Full description.

The purpose of this activity is to build an instrument that can be used to measure water temperature. Students construct a soda-bottle thermometer, which is similar to the thermometer used by GLOBE schools. Both are based on the principle that most substances expand and contract as their temperature changes. This experiment also demonstrates the principle of heat transfer. The intended outcome is ... Full description.

This site offers a virtual walk-through tour of a hydroelectric facility. The creation of hydroelectricity begins at the dam, where the power plant converts the force of falling water into electricity. It shows how dams operate and the equipment necessary for electrical generation. Full description.

This project gives students the opportunity to appreciate how difficult it is to predict the weather when making forecasts. By accessing an assortment of images and data, the students will be asked to forecast on a regular basis and determine the accuracy of the forecasts by comparing them with the actual observed data. Students will also complete specially constructed activities that introduce forecasting ... Full description.

This site provides an overview of the Earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect by briefly exploring the atmospheres of nearby planets and discussing the greenhouse gases of our atmosphere, such as, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide. Students will learn that the heat-trapping ability of a greenhouse is influenced by a number of factors, including the transparency of the greenhouse ... Full description.

This hands-on demonstration of the communications path between scientists and the NASA Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Satellite shows how scientific data are downloaded from the satellite. The same demonstration can also be used to illustrate how the instruments on the satellite are commanded by scientists on Earth. It gives students a feel for the dynamics of satellite communications and orbital ... Full description.