Join Dr. Lynne Talley as she describes how she and others are using decades of ocean observations from floats, research vessels, and merchant ships to discern the long-term signal of climate change that is recorded in our oceans. (49 minutes)
This is a hands-on lab activity about the composition of salt. Learners will explain the general relationship between an element's Periodic Table Group Number and its tendency to gain or lose electron(s), and explain the difference between molecular compounds and ionic compounds. They will then use household materials to build a model to demonstrate sodium chloride's cubic form and describe the nature of the electrostatic attraction that holds the structure of salt together. Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.
From mangroves to deep-sea reefs, join Brad Erisman and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza on a grand tour presenting the diversity of marine life in the Gulf of California. Learn how humans impact these fragile ecosystems and how marine reserves and habitat monitoring provide scientists with critical information needed to protect and restore these amazing ecosystems. (51 minutes)
In this video, Jonathan treks all the way to Antarctica to investigate life south of the polar circle. Along the way he dives in the majestic kelp forests of Patagonia, where crabs rule the sea floor. Once he arrives in Antarctica, his adventures continue. He swims with penguins, dives under an iceberg, meets a massive jellyfish 3 feet across, and has an incredible encounter with a Leopard seal, the apex predator of Antarctica. Part 2 finds Jonathan continuing his exploration of Antarctica including an encounter with a Leopard seal. This program won a New England Emmy Award! Please see the accompanying lesson plan for educational objectives, discussion points and classroom activities.
This quiz game is intended to help students review for an upcoming exam. Topics of questions are randomly determined by spinning a wheel. Teams answer questions using electronic CPS handhelds.
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This is a hands-on lab activity about the water cycle, specifically evaporation and condensation. Using materials such as clay, ice and a lamp, learners will observe the relationship between temperature and condensation and temperature and evaporation. They will then draw a diagram or a concept map of the water cycle. Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.
This activity is designed to introduce students to the way in which thermohaline circulation and the biological pump influence the distribution of nutrients, oxygen, carbon, and radiocarbon in the Atlantic vs. Pacific Oceans.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)
TED Studies, created in collaboration with Wiley, are curated video collections — supplemented by rich educational materials — for students, educators and self-guided learners. In Climate Change, speakers give talks that boldly illuminate the nature and scale of current-day climate science, policy and ethics. They explore the economics and psychology of individual and collective action — or inaction — on climate change in order to assess the costs of our choices and opportunities for change. Relevant areas of interest, study and coursework include: ecology, atmospheric science, oceanography, glaciology, energy development, environmental policy, science in the media, political science, ethics, sociology, behavioral psychology and cultural studies.
This is a hands-on lab activity about the properties and states of water. Learners will complete activities using different liquids to understand the three states of matter, explain how the high heat capacity and abundance of liquid water makes life on Earth possible, and understand that water containing salts and minerals has different properties than fresh water. They will graph data to analyze and articulate results and conclusions. The lab is set up as three stations that small groups of students rotate through; it can also be done as demonstrations (e.g., for younger students). Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.
Storms can have devastating impacts on coastal communities. Typically, tropical storms like hurricanes get the most attention, but there are other types of storms that occur at more northern latitudes that can be just as destructive. For example, in January of 2018, Winter Storm Grayson caused more than 300,000 power outages and $1.1 billion in damage, and resulted in 22 confirmed casualties along the eastern seaboard. In this module, students will learn how barometric pressure changes during a storm, analyze the effect of storms on oceanographic variables, classify a storm as a bomb cyclone, and compare a bomb cyclone to a hurricane. Ultimately students will use their quantitative reasoning skills to manipulate and visualize data during storms in the northeastern United States.
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Aquatic ecosystems are home to a complex intersection of physical and biological factors and an intersection of natural and anthropogenic factors. In the Chesapeake Bay, low oxygen events have occurred periodically and may be connected with harmful algal blooms, fish kills, heavy flooding/runoff events, and warming temperatures. Careful monitoring of the system by the Chesapeake Bay Program since 1984 allows scientists and policymakers to evaluate the causes of the events and monitor improvements in the health of the ecosystem.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)
These two hands-on labs are about the role of temperature and salinity in governing the density of seawater, a major factor controlling the ocean's vertical movements and layered circulation. In the first activity students work in groups to determine the density of tap water and of tap water with salt, then compare the densities. The second activity investigates the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. Students use a Temperature-Salinity (T-S) Diagram to examine the effect of mixing on density. A list of key concepts, essential questions, common preconceptions and more is included. These are part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.
Investigations into the oceanŐs role in the global carbon cycle have taken on increasing importance as scientists strive to understand the potential impacts of global change. Join Scripps ocean chemist Lihini Aluwihare as she explains how her research is helping to understand the biology, Geology|Earth Science, and chemistry of the oceans, and ultimately the Planet. (57 minutes)
In this video segment, ZOOM guest Cassie takes us on a tour of the coral reef near her home in Key Largo, Florida, and points out some of its unique features.
SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students explore different methods of desalination.
SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson teaches students about potable water scarcity and then explores desalination as a possible solution in water-stressed areas. Desalination technologies are introduced, and energy and environmental costs of desalination are discussed. A video resource explores a novel desalination technology, the Solar Dome, being built in Saudi Arabia. Students are tasked with designing and building their own solar still, and opportunity is given for design optimization. This lesson is recommended for teaching.
POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be multidisciplinary and can be completed in engineering, computer science, digital art, English or science classes.
-Students and teachers are given voice and multiple areas of choice in this lesson.
-Students become agents of change in their own communities, identifying problems and solutions.
-Students and teachers can make this conceptual, practical, or hands-on.
-This lesson can be spread out over several days and be considered a mini-unit.
ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should be familiar with the basics of climate change.
-Students should be familiar with the basic scientific concepts of osmosis.
-Students should be familiar with basic engineering concepts like scaling and design.
DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can work independently or in a group with adjusted requirements.
-Teachers can use subject and grade level vocabulary already being worked on or learned in class. Teachers can add vocabulary words in the glossary slide of the Teacher Slideshow.
-To further develop practical science or engineering skills, students can work together to create and implement a workable desalination solution at the school, home, or community level. Students can lead a workshop for family, an environmental club, or the community.
-Some students may wish to communicate their advocacy via social media. Make sure to follow all school rules and monitor students’ progress if you allow this in the classroom.
The NOAA Ocean Service Education lab requires students create and manipulate solutions simulating different ocean water characteristics in order to recognize that the effects of salinity and temperature are the drivers of thermohaline circulation.
This article discusses the challenges facing a species of lemur in Madagascar. Due to atypical rain patterns resulting from climate change, the survival rate of the offspring of these lemurs is decreasing. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.
The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) is a software framework for analyzing and visualizing geoscience data sets collected by the Unidata Program. The IDV may be used to display and analyze satellite imagery, gridded data, surface observations, balloon soundings, radar data and more. Most of the data are provided in real time or near-real time. The IDV can display data anywhere on the globe with a wide selection of map projections and map backgrounds including a 3D spherical globe. Over 20 kinds of 2D and 3D data displays allow users to create cross-sections, profiles, animations and value read-outs of multi-dimensional data sets. A useful feature of the site is the ability to save displays in "bundle" files for use in classroom and lab exercises. Thorough and easy-to-follow directions for IDV installation and use are provided and annual training workshops are offered by Unidata. The data viewer is available for a free download, and data sets are available to participants who are affiliated with a degree-granting institution or a non-profit institution with an education and/or research mission. This resource is part of the Using Data collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/usingdata/
In this activity, students create a reservoir model using hoses, a bucket, a flat pan, and water, to understand the inputs and outputs of a local watershed or reservoir. The resource is supported by teacher background information, assessment suggestions, and a scoring rubric. This is Activity 2 of the learning module, Global Balance, part of the lesson series, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.
This online gallery of photos, illustrations, and videos provides a snapshot of deep sea vents and the ancient forms of life that can be found within them. Transcripts of the videos are provided, and the photos and illustrations are accompanied by explanatory texts.