•
The Ocean Report - SeaWeb and KIDSNET have produced this interactive
online study guide for grades 4-8. The guide features "The Ocean Report," a series
of 90-second radio programs that educate listeners about a variety of issues
surrounding the ocean, the life within it, and its relationship to humans.
The guide includes a searchable database of the radio programs, including audio files,
background information, discussion questions, and activity ideas based on
the science curriculum standards. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.kidsnet.org/seaweb
•
Adventures of the Flood Zone Kids - This site from Bankers
Insurance Group in St. Petersburg, Florida has been designed to help kids
understand floods and flooding. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.floodfacts.com/floodzone_kids_home.html
•
Pacific Bell - Knowledge Network Explorer - Pacific Bell has made a
long term commitment to improving education in California. The Knowledge Network
Explorer is the official web site of Pacific Bell's education program, Education
First, and supports education by helping schools, libraries, and colleges
acquire and effectively use Internet and videoconferencing technology. The mission
is to support meaningful technology-infusion that encourages a yearning for
learning. The most popular applications include Blue Web'n site library,
Filamentality Web activity builder, the Black History series,
Six Paths to China Web activities, Eyes on Art,
and Grant Resource Opportunities. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/categories.html#Scienc
•
The Experiment of the Week - Robert Krampf's Science Education
Company - In addition to presenting his science shows, educator
Robert Krampf also shows people that science can be fun and
understandable. Part of that effort is his Free Experiment of the Week
list. If you join the Experiment of the Week List, each week you will
get a new experiment that you can try yourself. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.krampf.com/news.htm
•
Welcome to NEWTON BBS - This bulletin board service has a special
section entitled Ask a Scientist Service, which is for K-12 eductors
and their students. The site also contains the Newton's Teacher, Classroom
and Curriculum Support which has links to other pages of interest to
teachers.
www.newton.dep.anl.gov
•
How the Weather Works - Home Page - The Weatherworks pages
will provide informaiton about educational services and activities, WWW
links, teacher courses, weather FAQs, and school-to-school weather projects, including National
SKY AWARENESS WEEK. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.weatherworks.com
•
Colleges and Universities with Degree Programs in the Atmospheric,
Oceanic, Hydrologic, and Related Sciences - This compilation is provided
for those individuals interested in pursuing a career in these
sciences. The information provided by the schools listed, where
complete, includes the college/university name, address, department
offering the degree(s) with phone numbers, specific degrees offered,
and home page information. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.ametsoc.org/AMS/amsedu/96degree.html
•
The USA Today Weather Page - How the Weather Works -
This page provides graphics and text that examine various weather
phenomena, including the basics of things such as winds, what goes on
in thunderstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes, or how dust from the Sahara
Desert sometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.usatoday.com/weather/wworks0.htm
•
The University of Illinois Online Guides - The WW2010
Online Guides (formerly known as the Guide to Meteorology). These guides
include resources on meteorology, climate, remote sensing and global
change. These topics are
presented not as individual sciences, but as integral components of a
much larger system that affects the planet on which we live.
Available Online Guides include Meteorology, Remote Sensing, Reading
and Interpreting Weather Maps, and Projects & Activities. These
curriculum aids provide teachers with a blueprint for integrating
web-based educational resources into the classroom. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/home.rxmlm
•
The Societal Aspects of Weather - The University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research is a consortium of universities
that educate scientists and pursue research to enrich our understanding
of the earth systems. This page provides information from studies
of environmental change on topics including tornadoes, summer and
winter weather, lightning, and El Niño and La Niña. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/socasp
•
The Automated Weather System Helps Teach Weather in the Classroom -
The award-winning AWS School WeatherNet Program promotes technological literacy
and develops the higher-order thinking skills necessary for students of all
grade levels to succeed in the Information Age. The AWS WeatherNet
Classroom is a unique, online exploratory classroom customized
for each school. Currently used in more than 6,000 schools nationwide, it
is designed by educators and meteorologists to meet
the needs of students and teachers who seek to make the most of the
Internet experience in their classrooms or at home. The most amazing
feature of WeatherNet Classroom is the ability to include current,
local and national weather into the teacher's lessons! (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
www.aws.com/aws_2001/default.asp
* * * An Oceans and Atmosphere Quiz * * *
1. After the National Weather Service issues a hurricane warning for your town,
which of these would NOT be a good idea?
a. Have flashlights and extra batteries on hand.
b. Brave the storm on your boat in the ocean.
c. Stay inside, try to secure windows and doors, and have a water supply that could
last a few days.
d. Secure or take inside any loose objects that are outside to prevent them from
blowing away.
2. All thunderstorms create lightning and are dangerous. Which statement is CORRECT?
a. If you are outside during a thunderstorm, you should take shelter underneath
the nearest tree.
b. You may get electrocuted if you touch a person who has just been struck by
lightning.
c. When you first hear thunder, you can wait to seek shelter until it starts raining.
d. A lightning current can travel to a human who is touching an object that has
been struck, like a tall tree, fence, or pole.
3. All El Niño events are the same.
a. True
b. False
4. Which of the following elements is NOT a characteristic of climate?
a. Precipitation
b. Sunshine
c. Temperature
d. Humidity
e. Tides
5. _______________ refers to an overall increase in the temperature of the Earth and
climate changes resulting from increases in the amounts of greenhouse gases (such as carbon
dioxide, methane, and water) in the atmosphere.
a. Tropospheric aerosols
b. Solar radioactivity
c. Global warming
d. Ozone depletion
6. Whales and dolphins are mammals.
a. True
b. False
7. NOAA has an environmental satellite system that is made up of two
types of satellites: geostationary operational environmental satellites
(GOES) and polar-orbiting environmental satellites (POES). These
satellites collect data that are used for:
a. Ocean and boating activities and safety
b. Weather forecasting
c. Detecting forest fires
d. Ocean dynamics research
e. All of the above
8. Most shark attacks on humans occur because the sharks mistake humans for food,
such as a seal or sea lion, not because sharks are vicious man-eaters. Which of
these choices is INCORRECT when dealing with avoiding a shark attack?
a. Swim with a group of people and avoid swimming alone.
b. Do not swim near steep drop-offs or sandbars since sharks tend to congregate in these
types of areas.
c. Splash around as much as you possibly can to scare sharks away.
d. Do not wear shiny clothing or jewelry because sharks see contrast very well
and may mistake the shiny item as the scales on a fish.
9. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is present in the air.
a. True
b. False
10. What are some threats to coral reefs today?
a. Global warming
b. Over-fishing of reef species
c. Marine pollution
d. Coastal development
e. All of the above
11. This gas forms a layer, which is found high up in our atmosphere. It is a molecule
made up of three oxygen atoms and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV)
radiation by absorbing it. What is it?
a. Ozone
b. Oxygen
c. Hydrogen
d. Nitrogen
12. The process by which plants use the Sun’s rays to turn carbon dioxide and water into
carbohydrates they use for food and energy, and oxygen that we breathe is called:
a. Respiration
b. Precipitation
c. Photosynthesis
d. Evaporation
* * * The Answers to the Oceans and Atmosphere Quiz * * *
1. After the National Weather Service issues a hurricane warning for your town,
which of these would NOT be a good idea?
b. Brave the storm on your boat in the ocean. The safest place to
be during ANY storm is indoors. It is not safe to be on the ocean during a
hurricane, as high winds create extremely rough and dangerous seas.
If NOAA weather radio advises residents to evacuate, then do so and do not wait
out the storm at home. If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors away from
windows if possible, as blowing objects outside could shatter them.
2. All thunderstorms create lightning and are dangerous. Which statement is CORRECT?
d. A lightning current can travel to a human who is touching an object
that has been struck, like a tall tree, fence, or pole. Lightning strikes the
tallest objects. If you cannot get to shelter, crouch on the ground away from
trees and other tall objects. Lightning can strike as far as ten miles away from
rainfall. Most lightning deaths occur ahead of the storm because people wait too
long in seeking shelter. Someone who has just been struck by lightning does not
carry an electrical charge. Immediately call an ambulance and check the victim for
breathing and burns.
3. All El Niño events are the same.
b. False. El Niño events do have similarities, but there are also a lot
of differences. The intensity of El Niño events differs. The storms of 1972 and
1982 were very strong, whereas the storms of 1976 and 1986 were more moderate in
intensity. Also the timing and duration of these events varies. Most El Niño
events last about 18 months, but the 1941 and 1991 El Niños both lasted more than
two years!
4. Which of the following elements is NOT a characteristic of climate?
e. Tides may affect the climate of a particular area but are not considered
an element of climate.
5. _______________ refers to an overall increase in the temperature of the Earth
and climate changes resulting from increases in the amounts of greenhouse gases
(such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water) in the atmosphere.
c. Global warming
6. Whales and dolphins are mammals.
a. True! Whales and dolphins are mammals, just like humans are.
Some characteristics that all mammals share are giving birth to live young,
being warm-blooded, breathing air, producing milk in mammary glands, and having
hair. Believe it or not, young whales do have hair, which is typically lost as
adults in most species.
7. Data from NOAA Orbiting Environmental Satellites maintain many environmental
monitoring applications such as:
e. All of the above. Satellites are extremely important tools
that are used for observing and learning about environmental phenomena on a global
scale. For example, the POES satellite system makes polar orbits of the Earth
about 14.1 times a day.
8. Most shark attacks on humans occur because the sharks mistake humans for food,
such as a seal or sea lion, not because sharks are vicious man-eaters.
Which of these choices is INCORRECT when dealing with avoiding a shark attack?
c. Splash around as much as you possibly can to scare sharks away.
A swimmer should avoid splashing a lot and bringing pets into the water since
sharks are attracted to erratic movements, thinking prey may be nearby. Sharks’
victims are usually lone animals that are perhaps sick or have gotten away from
a group. That’s why it’s important to swim with a group of people rather than alone.
Sharks can see contrast very well, so it is smart not to wear shiny jewelry and
bright clothing into the water.
9. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is present in the air.
a. True. The air in our atmosphere contains a lot of water, which exists
in three possible states: as water vapor, as liquid droplets (which can sometimes
be frozen), and as cloud droplets (which can also be frozen ice crystals).
Did you know that warm air holds more water vapor than cold air?
10. What are some threats to coral reefs today?
e. All of the above. Coral reefs only cover about 0.2 % of the world’s
oceans and yet contain one-third of the world’s species of marine fish and tens
of thousands of other marine species. Unfortunately humans are having a negative
impact on coral reefs. Increases in carbon dioxide in the air due to greenhouse
gas emissions are leading to increases in ocean temperatures, causing episodes
called coral bleaching, which is when corals become stressed and expel the
symbiotic algae living inside them which they need for nutrition. Other
activities such as over-fishing and physical destruction of reefs decrease the
amount of diversity within reefs. Coastal development often creates runoff
from the land, adding to marine pollution.
11. This gas forms a layer, which is found high up in our atmosphere. It is a
molecule made up of three oxygen atoms and protects us from the Sun’s harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiation by absorbing it. What is it?
a. Ozone. The ozone layer is found high up in the stratosphere, and it
protects all living creatures from the harmful UV rays produced by the sun.
Unfortunately, humans are damaging the ozone layer by releasing CFC’s
(chlorofluorocarbons) into the atmosphere, which are particles found in things
like spray cans, refrigerants, and insulating products. The Montreal Protocol
is a global agreement that was reached in 1987 to phase out the use of chemicals
that deplete the ozone layer. Many scientific agencies worldwide, including NOAA,
have programs designed to study the ozone layer and make recommendations to
governments and policymakers about its status.
12. The process by which plants use the Sun’s rays to turn carbon dioxide and water
into carbohydrates they use for food and energy, and oxygen that we breathe, is
called:
c. Photosynthesis. Respiration is the taking in of oxygen and the
subsequent release of carbon dioxide and water vapor into the air. Precipitation
is the change of water vapor in the atmosphere to water droplets or ice particles
that fall to the Earth. Evaporation is the process by which water changes its
physical state from a liquid to a gas (water vapor).
* * * How Did you Do? * * *
