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Shows the geometry of the earth and sun over the course of a year, demonstrating how seasons occur. This simulator allows both orbital and celestial sphere representations of the seasonal motions.

Running this animation on your computer...

1. right-click to download eclipticsimulator.swf and eclipticsimulator.html to the same directory

2. open the html file in a browser to run the animation

Linking to this animation...

copy and paste the code below into your webpage or blog:

Putting this animation on your website...

1. upload eclipticsimulator.swf to the same directory as your webpage

2. copy and paste the following code into your webpage:

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Shows the geometry of the earth and sun over the course of a year, demonstrating how seasons occur. This simulator allows both orbital and celestial sphere representations of the seasonal motions. Running this animation on your computer... right-click to download eclipticsimulator.swf and eclipticsimulator.html to the same directory open the html file in a browser to run the animation Linking to this animation...

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This service is has been removed. Please update your bookmarks to point to www.weather.gov.

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Teacher Background

All you need to do on a sunny day is walk on a dry beach in the early afternoon to learn that the sand can get very much warmer than sea water. Water is a slow conductor of heat, thus it needs to gain more energy than the sand or dry land in order for its temperature to increase. On the other hand, soil loses its heat much faster. But your toasted toes would perhaps mislead your mind: Earth's oceans are far more important than the land as a source of the heat energy which drives the weather. Not only do the oceans cover more than 2/3 of the Earth's surface, they also absorb more sunlight and store more heat. Additionally the oceans retain heat longer. The Sun's rays also penetrate the oceans to a depth of many meters, but only heat up the top layer of the sand or soil. Water has to lose more energy than the sand (dry land) in order for the temperature to decrease.

During the summer the land is much warmer than the water. It's made up of many different materials which absorb the Sun's rays differently. Land covered in forests or snow warms and cools very differently from a city blanketed with asphalt streets and concrete buildings. Darker materials absorb more radiation than lighter materials. Texture also matters. Rougher and dryer materials absorb more radiation than smoother and wetter materials. If you have ever walked barefoot on a street or sidewalk you'll recall these are much hotter than the grass beside them.

This Activity can also be adapted to challenge older students to come up with their own experimental protocols to test some of these fundamental and important principles. As an extension, you can invite students to suggest various materials to test other than those specified here.

Objectives

Students will research, compare and contrast temperature patterns around the country/world.

Students will observe that soil both heats up and cools faster than water.

Students will observe that different colors absorb different amounts of the Sun's radiation.

Engage

Provide temperature maps to each group of students (see p. 3 of student handout). Allow time for them to study there maps and share observations with each other. Then ask each team to prepare 3-5 generalizations they have gathered from the maps. Prompt them to "Discuss the different temperature patterns you observe. Where are the highest temperature located? Where are the lowest temperatures located? Compare coastal temperatures with temperatures further inland. Compare temperatures at different latitudes and elevations. Record these observations on an overhead transparency, chalkboard or large chart to facilitate whole class discussion.

Explain/Explore

Based on what they have observed on the temperature maps and from their existing knowledge, challenge students to form a hypothesis about whether soil or water will heat faster, and which will cool faster.

Materials

Reflector lamp with 100 watt bulb

2 x 250 ml beakers

150 ml of soil

150 ml of water

2 thermometers

Stopwatch

Temperature map (download current maps here or see URL's below)

Student Worksheet 1.2 (Side 1 supports the main Activity and Side 2 the "Sports Shirt" extension.)

Procedure

Distribute Student Worksheet 1.2 and review the procedure with students. Ensure each group has all the materials required and understands safety guidelines for the use of glassware and thermometers. Have students place 150 ml of soil in one beaker and 150 ml of water in the other beaker. They will then place a thermometer in each beaker and record the starting temperature. Ensure they position the lamp 10 cm from the beakers. Make sure that both beakers are equally distant from the lamp and that both receive an equal amount of light. Students should turn on the lamp and record temperatures every minute for 10 minutes. Turn off the lamp and record the temperature every minute for 10 minutes. Students should then graph their results. (The soil will heat up faster and also cool off faster. The water will warm up more slowly, but will then also cool off more slowly.)

Suggested URLs

Temperature map for this activity: http://www.comet.ucar.edu/dstreme/images/sfc_temp.gif

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/lessons/lesson3.html
Simple explanation about why weather systems develop, due mainly to the non-uniform heating of the Earth.

http://www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/html/ocean_temps.html
NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research web page for students on ocean temperatures: includes good background information, activities and links to additional resources.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/sea/htg.rxml http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/land/cls.rxml
More advanced explanation of sea and land breezes, and the relationship to the uneven heating of land and oceans.

Return to: Creating an Earth System I | Dynamic Earth Homepage | UCMP Homepege

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Activity: Differential Heating of Land and Ocean

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Teacher Background All you need to do on a sunny day is walk on a dry beach in the early afternoon to learn that the sand can get very much warmer than sea water. Water is a slow conductor of heat, thus it needs to gain more energy than the sand or dry land in order for its temperature to increase.

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Current Surface Weather Map" open in one tab and c lick on the " Satellite Images" site so that it opens in another tab. Under "Infrared" in the "East CONUS" column to view the Eastern part of the U.S. (The "CONUS" stands for the continental U.S.) Click on the "View Loop" link.

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This lesson connects to the following NGSS and Common Core Standards:

MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.

MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

Science and Engineering Practices:
Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts:
Patterns: Observed patterns in nature guide organization and classification and prompt questions about relationships and causes underlying them.

Patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships can provide information about natural and human designed systems.

Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.

Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.

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Students analyze weather maps as they develop their own understanding of the relationships between air pressure and clouds, factors that influence climate, weather fonts and the jet stream! Plan your 60 minutes lesson in Science or weather forecasting with helpful tips from Leigh Roehm

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The Reasons for the Seasons and more lesson plans

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NSTA Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
Come visit us at the national NSTA conference, Science on My Mind.
NSTA 2018 Presentation: "Using NASA Data to Enhance Earth Science and Make STEM Connections"
Join us as we model the revamped My NASA Data online portal for Earth system science education.

When: Friday, March 16 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Where: Georgia World Congress Center, C205

Presenter(s): Tina Harte (NASA Langley Research Center: Surry, VA), Elizabeth Joyner (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)

Format: Hands-On Workshop

Grade Level: 3 - 12, College

Subject: Earth and Space Science

Click here to view and download presentation.
Click here to view and download The Data Literacy Cube Activities

NSTA Presentation: "Working as Scientists Through GLOBE Mission EARTH"
Learn how your students can be scientists using GLOBE (Atmosphere protocols) and My NASA Data that meets the NGSS/Weather and Climate. Handouts.

When: Sunday, March 18 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Where: Georgia World Congress Center, A312

Presenter(s): Janet Struble (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), Kevin Czajkowski (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), David Padgett (Tennessee State University: Nashville, TN), Jessica Taylor (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)

Format: Hands-On Workshop

Grade Level: 5 - 12

Subject: Earth and Space Science

Click here to view and download presentation.
NSTA 2018 Share-a-Thon: "NESTA Integrating Earth Science into Other Disciplines"
Join more than 20 NESTA members and other education specialists as they share their favorite NGSS-congruent classroom activities. Lots of free resources!

When: Saturday, March 17 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Where: Georgia World Congress Center, B103

Format: Hands-On Workshop

Grade Level: K - 12

Subject: Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science

GLOBE 2016 Earth Systems Interactive Poster
Check out the GLOBE Earth System Interactive Poster resources for 2016.
The Earth as a System card set can be used with students to find patterns among different environmental data, understand the relationship among different environmental parameters, and understand how the data changes seasonally and over longer time scales. MND has updated the animated videos of the six variables, as well as have made available the card deck for download as PDFs. The GLOBE Earth System Poster Learning Activities booklet can be accessed here.

Science Practices
Looking for resources to teach science practices in your Earth Science lessons?
Visit the Science Practices page to learn more about these eight different activities that scientists use to develop their scientific understanding and how you may be able to use My NASA Data in the classroom.

Earth Educators Rendezvous 2018 in Kansas
Check out the GLOBE Earth System Interactive Poster resources for 2016.
Learn More...

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Explore Earth Science Data - MY NASA DATA

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Come visit us at the national NSTA conference, Science on My Mind. Join us as we model the revamped My NASA Data online portal for Earth system science education.

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An official website of the United States government.

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National Academies Climate change evidence videos.

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National Academies Climate change evidence videos.

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Virtual ballooning to explore the atmosphere.

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Planetary Atmospheres

Earth is not the only world with an atmosphere. Each of the planets - and even a few moons - in our solar system have an atmosphere. Some planets have active atmospheres with clouds, wind, rain and powerful storms. Scientists use light spectroscopy to observe the atmospheres of planets and moons in other solar systems .

Each of the planets in our solar system has a uniquely structured atmosphere. The atmosphere of Mercury is extremely thin and is not very different from the vacuum of space. The gas giant planets in our solar system - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - each have a thick, deep atmosphere. The smaller, rocky planets - Earth, Venus and Mars - each have thinner atmospheres, hovering above their solid surfaces. The moons in our solar system typically have thin atmospheres, with the exception of Saturn's moon, Titan. Air pressure at the surface of Titan is higher than on Earth! Of the five officially recognized dwarf planets, Pluto has a thin atmosphere that expands and collapses seasonally, and Ceres has an extremely thin and transient atmosphere made of water vapor.

But only Earth's atmosphere has the layered structure that traps enough of the Sun's energy for warmth while also blocking much of the harmful radiation from the Sun. This important balance is necessary to maintain life on Earth.

© 2021 UCAR

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The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the planet. Without the atmosphere, life on Earth wouldn't be possible.

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frozen precipitation and more

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Will it rain, sleet, or snow? | UCAR Center for Science Education

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When meteorologists forecast a winter storm one of the important questions they must answer is: will there be rain, snow, sleet, or freezing rain? That's often a challenging question. Because that water freezes at 32°F (0°C), a couple of degrees change in temperature can mean an entirely different form of precipitation.

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Balloon, bottle and Ice demo/lab

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simulation lesson with graphics

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Part A: Planetary Circulation Patterns Seeing the atmosphere through the clouds Ocean currents transport the remainder of the heat. These currents include both surface, or wind-driven currents, and thermohaline ...

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Lab and classroom activites

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Lab 2: Climate and Earth's Energy Balance

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The lab activities in this module were developed by Betsy Youngman of TERC for the EarthLabs project. Summary and Learning Objectives Students build and examine a diagram of Earth's energy balance, discussing ...