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2015 METEOROLOGY RESOURCE LINKS ALL LINKS ACTIVE AS OF NOVEMBER 12, 2014

The topic for the 2015 Meteorology Event is climate. The resource links provided below are categorized by the key event topics listed in the 2015 Meteorology Event Rules.

GENERAL METEOROLOGY RESOURCES http://www.met.nps.edu/~psguest/polarmet/geninfo/index.html A great polar meteorology primer from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California. The site includes loads of information relating to polar climates, global climate models and web resources. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/288978main_Meteorology_Guide.pdf Link to a NASA PDF Meteorology: An Educator’s Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. An excellent resource for all three strands of the Meteorology Event Cycle. https://www.climate.gov/teaching NOAA resource page for teaching about climate. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/climatechange/index.html The more I studied this resource page from Carleton College, the more I liked about it. The site provides lots of great lessons and tools for designing curriculum related to teaching about climate change. http://www.pinterest.com/sassyslippers/meteorology-unit/ Pinterest site providing lots of great links for all three strands of the Meteorology event rotation. Appropriate for late elementary and middle school. http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/resources.html A great resource for meteorology/climate related satellite imagery. The site is provided by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/glossary.html EPA glossary of terms related to climate change. WEATHER vs. CLIMATE http://www.noaa.gov/climate.html NOAA general discussion of what climate is with limited resource links. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html#.VGO6C_nF-So NASA webpage that discusses differences between weather and climate. UNDERSTANDING EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/lesson_plans/ An excellent NOAA resource page that includes many lessons related to climate change and other key event topics of the 2015 Meteorology and Dynamic Planet Events.

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http://www.atmos.illinois.edu/earths_atmosphere/ University of Illinois webpage with resources for teaching about the atmosphere. The organization of the site is well suited to all three strands of the Meteorology Event. http://www.geosociety.org/educate/LessonPlans/Layers_of_Atmosphere.pdf A great out-of-the-box lesson from the Geological Society of America to help students understand layering of the Earth’s atmosphere. https://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_2_1t.htm If you want an extraterrestrial flavor added to your next practice session, this might be the activity for you. In the Goldilock’s Principle: A Model of Atmospheric Gases students use jelly beans to model differences in the atmospheric composition of Venus, Earth and Mars. http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/atmos.html A nice, simple webpage describing how the atmosphere formed, its composition and structure. The site also incudes some problem solving activities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaikvaAw2nk A nice visual discussion of earth’s atmosphere. It also includes some discussion of meteorites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDqJUjh38Q A more detailed discussion of the atmosphere that is well illustrated in a lecture format. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWPgzlEDp8k Discussion of the impact of aerosols on Earth’s climate. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/infodata/lesson_plans/Volcanoes%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf NOAA teaching activity relating the effect of volcanic eruptions on Earth’s climate. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/volcanic_ash.html Carleton College discussion of the effects of volcanic ash on Earth’s climate. SOLAR RADIATION/ EARTH ENERGY BALANCE http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/SORCE/sorce_04.php NASA Earth Observatory discussion of the Sun’s effect on global climate. This is a good place to start discussion of this key event topic area. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7y.html Physical Geography page discussing causes of climate change, the Milankovitch Cycle, and many other variables affecting climate. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/6i.html Physical Geography page describing insolation and Sun-Earth relationships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20carbgO45I A brief description of solar insolation. It also describes the difference between insolation and insulation.

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CLIMATE ZONES http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/lesson_plans/Worldwide%20Climate%20Zones.pdf A great NOAA activity to introduce the concept of climate zones. The categorization of climates presented is minimal (tropical, temperate and polar), but again, this is a great introductory activity. http://www.slideshare.net/Roseenglobal/climate-factors-ppt-presentation?related=2 An excellent Slideshare presentation that discusses factors affecting climate. http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/162263/ Encyclopedia of the Earth discussion of the Koppen Climate Classification system. It is a very clear and direct description of the basic categories and sub-categories. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7v.html A more detailed discussion of the Koppen Climate Classification system that includes lots of illustrated examples. http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/GRG301K/grg301kkoppen.html Lecture notes provided by University of Texas at Austin Instructor Troy Kimmel that provides brief descriptions of the climate zones and lists examples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBuQc1OL1xE A visual discussion of climate classification. http://agron-www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/Agron541/classes/541/lesson08a/8a.3.html Iowa State University Department of Agronomy discussion of the Thornwaite Climate classification system. http://www.cengage.com/resource_uploads/downloads/0495555061_137431.pdf Detailed textbook discussion of both the Thornwaite and Koppen systems. High reading level, but well illustrated. http://www.slideshare.net/rmsimpson/climate-classification An excellent Slideshare presentation of climate zones and factors affecting climate change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGhwxVImcg Basic introductory level for reading climatographs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l5uQQTqxz4 Video showing how to draw a climate graph on graph paper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhPVMrg1fGY How to make a climatograph on Excel. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/media/climate_zones.swf NOAA interactive website that describes climate zones throughout the world.

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OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION http://www.indiana.edu/~geol105/1425chap4.htm University of Indiana website that discusses global energy transfer as it relates to oceanic and atmospheric circulation. http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/oceanatmos.htm A very comprehensive PDF handout from Tulane University that addresses most key event topics of the 2015 Meteorology Event. It includes a discussion of atmospheric and oceanic circulation. https://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.atmosphere_circulation North Carolina State University Climate Education for K-12 that includes a discussion of atmospheric circulation with background links. http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/edu.html NOAA website for teaching about El Nino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FVZrw7bk1w Good, brief discussion of how El Nino forms. The second half of the presentation is less well illustrated and more of a historical discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPq86yM_Ic A very well animated explanation of El Nino and La Nina. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye45DGkqUkE Good explanation of global air circulation including rising and sinking air. NATURAL CLIMACTIC VARIATIONS AND FEEDBACK http://202.82.16.155/bss/geography/notes/climate_variation.pdf Discussion of natural climate variations. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast20oct_1/ NASA Science News discussion of natural and other factors affecting global climate and what causes variations. http://mhs.wcpss.net/teachers/murphy/earthscience/textbook/este213.pdf Textbook discussion of factors causing natural variations in climate. http://climate.nasa.gov/resources/education/pbs_modules/lesson2Engage/ NASA discussion of Sea Ice Albedo Feedback. https://www.climate.gov/climate-and-energy-topics/albedo NOAA discussion of albedo and the role of arctic ice in global climate. Includes engaging videos and activities.

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ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS ON CLIMATE https://www.climate.gov/teaching/teaching-essential-principle-6-human-activities-are-impacting-climate-system NOAA reviewed resources for teaching about climate. Includes five key concepts for understanding climate change. http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.lp_global2/global-climate-change-the-effects-of-global-warming/ PBS activity in which students determine CO2 levels in four different gases and examine evidence of global warming. http://heatisland.lbl.gov/coolscience/cool-science-urban-heat-islands Cool Science page describing the Heat Island Effect and comparative satellite images to illustrate it. http://www.climate.gov/teaching/resources/urban-heat-islands NOAA discussion of heat islands which also includes an interactive activity. SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/200712TorresHandoutParentNSTAConn.pdf PDF from the National Science Teacher’s Association that can serve as an excellent model for developing science process skills in students. http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/images/sec6.processskills.pdf Excellent PDF that discusses many of the science process skills needed by students to succeed in this and other Science Olympiad events. http://www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/articles/valentino2.html Good strategies for developing science process skills in students by Catherine Valentino. http://www.pinterest.com/explore/science-process-skills/ Pinterest pins for science process skills.