Scientists have studied the physical properties of clouds and have developed instruments onboard satellites to characterize the types of clouds they see below. Some satellites have instruments that allow them to measure rainfall as well. For this lesson, students will hypothesize what types of clouds they believe will create the most precipitation (rainfall) over Nashville, TN. Students use the Live ... Full description.

In this lesson, students calculate the amount of radiative energy reaching the ground on a clear day, a day with cirrus overcast, and a day with significant cumulus convection. Comparisons will be made to determine how clouds affect the solar radiation received at the surface of Earth. Students will begin to understand the effects of cloud type on radiative energy. They also learn how clouds affect ... Full description.

In this activity, students examine graphs of solar radiation for various times of the year to see how the length of the day changes throughout the year. It can be used as a follow-up activity to the preceeding activity, 'The Seasons'. After examining the 12 graphs, which are presented in random order, they are asked which one represents which month of the year, and to explain their rationale. Full description.

This activity provides students with an understanding of the different weather patterns that exist across the globe. Students begin by gathering and graphing average temperatures for a number of U.S. cities over the course of a year. They then find and graph average temperatures for two stations in Antarctica for the same time period and end by offering explanations for the differences they have discovered, ... Full description.

This activity will help clarify to students that the seasons are created by changes in the tilt of the earth as it revolves around the sun, not by changes in the earth's distance from the sun. Using a light and a globe or ball, they will walk around the light to simulate the earth's orbit around the sun, making sure to keep the 'earth' tilted toward a specific wall of the classroom. They will observe ... Full description.

This lesson demonstrates the link between the tilt of the Earth's axis to the plane of the ecliptic and seasons of the year, length of day, effectiveness of sunlight, and polar day and night. It discusses how the inclination of the Earth's rotation axis causes seasons of the year, by varying the length of the local day and the angle at which the Sun's rays arrive on the surface of the Earth, and to ... Full description.

This site contains an activity in which students work in small research groups to describe and explain seasonal phenomena. They begin by documenting and describing seasonal fluctuations in the maximum angular height of the Sun, average daily temperature, maximum shadow length, and amount of daylight in a 24 hour period. After examining local seasonal trends, students analyze data from a variety of ... Full description.

This Starting Point webpage is the summary of a role-playing resource called Mock Environmental Summit. The exercise takes place at the end of a six-week class or unit on global warming. Students role-play representatives from various countries and organizations at an international summit on the Santa Barbara protocol, dealing with global warming. The students prepare by studying the IPCC report on ... Full description.

This resource allows students to make use of data generated by environmental sensors that are distributed throughout Black Rock Forest. It includes interactive activities to acquaint the student with remote sensing and with the data-gathering tools. The data are used in various activities that strengthen the students' understanding of the earth system. Full description.

In this intermediate Excel activity, students import US Historical Climate Network mean temperature data into Excel from a station of their choice. They are then guided through the activity on how to use Excel for statistical calculations, graphing, and linear trend estimates. The activity assumes some familiarity with Excel. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's ... Full description.