Atmosphere, weather, and climate
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Seasons: Why do we have them?
Learn why the temperature in the summertime is higher than it is in the winter by studying the amount of light striking the Earth. … Experiment with a plate detector to measure the amount of light striking the plate as the angle of the plate is adjusted (and then use a group of plates placed at different locations on the Earth) and measure the incoming radiation on each plate.
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Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun
Observe the motions of the Earth, Moon and Sun in three dimensions to explain Sunrise and Sunset, and to see how we define a day, a month, … and a year. Compare times of Sunrise and Sunset for different dates and locations. Relate shadows to the position of the Sun in the sky, and relate shadows to compass directions.
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Seasons in 3D
Gain an understanding of the causes of seasons by observing the Earth as it orbits the Sun in three dimensions. Create graphs of … solar intensity and day length, and use collected data to describe and explain seasonal changes.
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Seasons Around the World
Use a three dimensional view of the Earth, Moon and Sun to explore seasonal changes at a variety of locations. Strengthen your knowledge … of global climate patterns by comparing solar energy input at the Poles to the Equator. Manipulate Earth’s axis to increase or diminish seasonal changes.
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Greenhouse Effect
Within this simulated region of land, daytime's rising temperature and the falling temperature at night can be measured, along with heat … flow in and out of the system. The level of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere at any given time can be adjusted, allowing the long-term effects to be investigated.
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Weather Maps
Learn about standard symbols used in meteorology to construct weather maps. Rain, sleet, snow, temperature, cloud cover, wind speed … and direction, and atmospheric pressure can all be recorded at two different weather stations on a map.
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Coastal Winds and Clouds
Learn about atmospheric conditions near a coast using basic observables: wind and temperature. Measure daily temperatures over both land … and water near a coastline, along with the wind speed and direction. The conditions can be recorded at a variety of altitudes.
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Hurricane Motion
Use data from up to three weather stations to predict the motion of a hurricane. The wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover and air … pressure are provided for each station using standard weather symbols.
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Relative Humidity
Measure the temperature on both a wet and dry bulb thermometer to determine the relative humidity over time. The two thermometers show … the temperatures as time passes on a clock, and the temperature of a bucket of water can be adjusted to learn about the dew point, condensation, and saturated air.
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Freezing Point of Salt Water
Control the temperature of a beaker of water. As the temperature drops below the freezing point, a transformation of state will occur that … can be viewed on a molecular level. Salt can be added to the water to see its effect on the freezing point of water.
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