Product Detail: SciPack

Description

SciPacks are 10 hour online learning experiences teachers can use to enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Teachers access topics “on demand” from the Internet. Topics are based on science literacy goals in the national standards and tied to state standards. Pedagogical Implications also address student misconceptions. Expert content help is available via email as well as a final assessment to demonstrate understanding of the SciPack content.

The Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack explores concepts related to Earth’s weather and climate. The focus is on Standards and Benchmarks related to weather and climate, the water cycle, climate change, and the role of solar energy and its affect on the atmosphere and oceans. The unique role oceans play in defining Earth’s weather and climate patterns is also specifically addressed.

Ideas For Use

SciPacks are ten hour discrete learning experiences teachers can use to enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Each SciPack contains a collection of three to five free Science Objects, which provide an understanding of the science content that supports curricula requirements by providing a structured set of learning experiences through simulations and practice assessments. Science Objects challenge teachers to explore and explain real world phenomena. Science Objects are founded on the principle that learners must be challenged with a problem, observation, data, etc., in order to develop scientific understanding. Science Objects present problems, phenomena, demonstrations, and simulations utilizing inquiry-based learning.

In addition to comprehensive inquiry-based learning materials tied to Science Education Standards and Benchmarks, the SciPack includes the following additional components:

• Pedagogical Implications section addressing common misconceptions, teaching resources and strand maps linking grade band appropriate content to standards.
• Access to one-on-one support via e-mail to content “Wizards”.
• Final Assessment which can be used to certify mastery of the concepts.

Learning Outcomes:

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: Global Climate Patterns

• Explain why the temperature of the ocean does not generally fluctuate as dramatically as the temperature of the land.
• Describe the relationship between density of liquids and gases and their temperature.
• Explain how a difference in density of different layers/portions of a fluid will cause internal currents (rising and falling of the fluid).
• Explain the cause of predictable wind patterns along the coastal regions of large land masses.
• Describe how the Coriolis Effect helps determine the direction of movement of air and water currents.
• List the major variables that affect the transfer of energy through the atmosphere.
• Provide an example showing how the transfer of energy affects weather and climate.
• Explain how convection relates to weather, including its role in the development of circulation patterns.

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: Global Precipitation and Energy

• Outline the basic steps in the water cycle in terms of density, energy of the water, and the relative molecular arrangement and motion in each phase.
• Describe how energy is transferred to the atmosphere by heating from the ocean and by the evaporation of water and its subsequent condensation.
• Identify the Sun as the energy source that drives atmospheric circulation and the movement of masses of air and water from one place on Earth to another (via convection).
• Llist sources for the water cycle and identify the largest source.
• Explain the relationship between water, temperature, the amount of water evaporated into the atmosphere (and subsequently condensed), and the energy of the atmosphere at or near the location of evaporation.

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: Global Circulation Patterns

• Explain how the oceans might influence and affect local weather and climate, given a specific location (on the planet near the ocean) and the local ocean currents.
• Describe the cause of hurricanes and explain why they usually occur within specific regions during certain times of the year.
• Explain how changes in ocean temperatures (over a period of months) affect factors that influence weather patterns.
• List the major variables that affect the transfer of energy through the ocean.

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: Changing Climate

• Explain the role that phenomena such as volcanic eruptions or asteroid impact play in changing climate.
• Describe the type of atmospheric conditions and weather related data that can be obtained from ice core and deep-sea sediment records.
• Describe how a small change in the content of oceans and atmosphere (such as a rise in carbon dioxide levels) can have significant impacts on global climate.
• Describe human activity that has an affect on climate.

Additional Info

Science Discipline: (mouse over for full classification)	Global climate change Clouds Fronts Precipitation Pressure Storms Wind
Intended User Role:	Elementary-Level Educator, Middle-Level Educator, Teacher
Educational Issues:	Inquiry learning, Teacher content knowledge, Teaching strategies

Technical

Resource Format:	application/x-shockwave-flash, audio/mp3, image/gif, image/jpeg, text/html, video/quicktime
Installation Remarks:	Run the Science Objects System Check to ensure that your system is capable of viewing the simulations: http://ecommerce2.nsta.org/system_check/
Requirements:	Requires Macromedia Flash Player and Apple Quicktime Player