Resources

Students first learn about the complexities of Earth's climate system and the different factors contributing to Earth's energy balance. Then, students categorize the factors that influence climate as warming or cooling factors. Finally, students design art pieces to depict the science behind Earth's climate system and share these artistic creations with families and communities.

Students consider the ways their climate affects their region, by identifying a type of food unique to the region and selecting (and possibly cooking) a recipe that features that ingredient. Optional activities to make the food are also provided.

Children create a wind streamer out of common materials and use it to determine the wind's direction.

Children get to know each other through an icebreaker activity that introduces the importance of water on Earth.

This eClip video is part of NASA's Our World series and introduces students to the basics of cloud formation.

This 3-minute eClip video from Nasa's Our World series introduces students to the unique properties of water.

A computer simulator that allows students to adjust the air temperature and dew point to see what type of precipitation would fall to the ground.

In this lesson, students will learn about the water cycle and how energy from the sun and the force of gravity drive this cycle.

This activity was developed to give participants an understanding of Earth's water cycle by completing a WebQuest and building a model of the water cycle.

In this hands-on inquiry-based activity, students face an engineering challenge based on real-world applications. They are tasked with developing a tool they can use to measure the amount of rain that falls each day. This is more of a mini unit than a stand alone activity.