Impacts—Measuring Precipitation Summary: Scientists collect a lot of weather-related data to so they can better understand weather patterns and changes in climate. In this topic guide, students measure and record precipitation near their school, and compare with online data through the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). Concepts to teach: Crosscutting Concepts Patterns […]
Science Concepts—The Ocean and our Weather Summary: The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. The ocean absorbs heat from solar radiation, and loses heat by evaporation. When water from the ocean enters the atmosphere as water vapor, it condenses and forms rain. In fact, most of the rain that falls on land […]
Science Concepts—Climate vs Weather Summary: Sometimes people who are trying to understand climate change have asked the question, “How could the planet be warming given that it is so cold outside today?” Weather and climate are not the same thing. Weather is what’s happening outside your window; atmospheric conditions that you can see, feel or […]
Planning—Engineering Ideas Summary: Many people live in places that experience floods from rivers, and more people are likely to experience flooding as a consequence of rising sea level. In this topic guide, students brainstorm ways people living near the coast might respond to rising sea level. They are then challenged to design and build a […]
Planning—Shoreline Structure Summary: What different kinds of shorelines exist in Oregon? How do different types of shoreline react to flooding and sea level rise? In this topic guide, students learn about different kinds of natural and human-created shorelines, and map a coastal area to show where different types of shoreline are found. They also create […]
Impacts—King Tide Photos Summary: Climate induced sea level rise can lead to erosion and flooding events that threaten natural and human communities, establish new coastlines, and change ecosystems. Coastal citizens can help document sea level changes by participating in the Oregon King Tide Photo Project. At a few specific times of the year when the […]
Impacts—Melting Ice Summary: One indicator of climate change is the increased melting of ice on sea and on land. Students view scientific data showing the extent of ice in the Arctic to see how the amounts have changed over time. They then conduct an experiment to find out how melting sea ice and melting land […]
Science Concepts—Expand and Contract Summary: As the ocean’s temperature increases, its volume expands. In this activity, students heat and measure volume of air in a balloon to demonstrate the concept that heat causes most substances to expand and become less dense. Then they observe a demonstration that shows that liquid water (above 4 degrees C) […]
Science Concepts—Where the Land Meets the Sea Summary: One consequence of climate change is sea level rise. In this topic guide, students learn how to read nautical charts that show where the sea meets the coast, the depth of coastal waters, and the coastal waterways that are used and mapped by people. They discover how […]
Science Concepts—Ocean Temperature Summary: When displayed on a map, sea surface temperature (SST) measurements from the ocean help scientists see patterns in global sea surface temperature changes. Students watch and interpret an animation that shows temperatures varying according to season. Then they use a similar map to visualize temperature anomalies. Students practice reading and interpreting […]