Universe: The Sun as a Star Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It provides an understanding...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It provides an understanding of how our Sun compares to other stars in the universe. Analyzing the light from other stars and comparing it with light from our Sun has allowed us to determine that our Sun is a medium-size star. The Sun appears brighter than the other stars because it is many, many times closer to us. It takes about 8 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth, but more than four years for light to travel from the Sun out to the next nearest star. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Oceans Effect on Climate and Weather: Global Circulation Patterns Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack....  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack. It explores ocean circulation patterns and the effect oceans have on climate. Water in the oceans hold a lot of thermal energy (more than an equal amount of land). Throughout the ocean there is a global, interconnected circulation system that transfers this thermal energy across Earth. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation. As ocean currents transfer thermal energy to various locations, the temperature of the atmosphere above the ocean is affected. For example, the condensation of water that has been evaporated from warm seas provides the energy for hurricanes and cyclones. When the pattern of thermal energy released into the atmosphere changes, global weather patterns are affected. An example of a large-scale change like this is the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which changes the pattern of thermal energy released into the atmosphere in the Pacific. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Plate Interactions Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies the...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies the events that may occur and landscapes that form as a result of different plate interactions. The areas along plate margins are active. Plates pushing against one another can cause earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, and very deep ocean trenches. Plates pulling apart from one another can cause smaller earthquakes, magma rising to the surface, volcanoes, and oceanic valleys and mountains from sea-floor spreading. Plates sliding past one another can cause earthquakes and rock deformation. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Layered Earth Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It explores the...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It explores the characteristics of the various layers of the Earth, using the way waves travel through the different layers to illustrate the differences in each layer. The interior of the earth is hot, under high pressure from gravitational pull, and more dense than its rocky outer crust. The earth is layered with a relatively thin crust; hot, deformable mantle; liquid outer core; and solid, metallic, and dense inner core. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Oceans Effect on Weather and Climate: Global Precipitation and Energy Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack. It explores the distribution of water and energy on Earth. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere and oceans affects Earth’s climates by influencing patterns of precipitation and by transferring energy between the oceans and the atmosphere. As water moves through the water cycle, it evaporates from Earth’s surface, rises and cools, condenses into rain, snow, or ice, and falls back to the surface. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it eventually flows back into the ocean. The water cycle connects the oceans to all of Earth’s water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation. The ocean loses thermal energy due to the evaporation of water. This energy transfer drives atmospheric circulation as water moves to the atmosphere as vapor and eventually condenses, releasing thermal energy to the surrounding air. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Oceans Effect on Weather and Climate: Global Climate Patterns Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack....  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack. It explores global weather and climate patterns, focusing on why different conditions exist in specific areas. Earth’s weather patterns, which consist of different conditions of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, air pressure, and other atmospheric phenomena, result in various climate zones across the globe. Weather and climate are the result of the transfer of energy from the Sun at and near the surface of Earth. Solar radiation heats land masses, oceans, and air differently, resulting in the constant transfer of energy as energy is “balanced” across the globe. Transfer of thermal energy at the boundaries between the atmosphere, land masses, and the oceans—influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and relatively static conditions such as the position of mountain ranges and oceans—results in layers of different temperatures and densities in both the ocean and atmosphere. The action of gravitational force on regions of different densities causes them to rise or fall, forming convection currents (cells). This circulation, influenced by the rotation of the earth, produces winds and ocean currents. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Plates Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It provides a...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It provides a conceptual understanding of what plates are and how they move, contributing to a constantly changing surface. The Earth’s continents and ocean basins are made up of plates consisting of the crust and the upper part of the mantle. One plate can consist of both continental and oceanic crust. These plates move very slowly (an inch or so per year) on the hot, deformable layer of the mantle beneath them. The outward transfer of Earth’s internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle. This convection, together with gravitational pull on the plates themselves, causes the plates to move. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Consequences of Plate Interactions Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies the events that may occur and landscapes that form as a result of different plate interactions. The areas along plate margins are active. Plates pushing against one another can cause earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, and very deep ocean trenches. Plates pulling apart from one another can cause smaller earthquakes, magma rising to the surface, volcanoes, and oceanic valleys and mountains from sea-floor spreading. Plates sliding past one another can cause earthquakes and rock deformation. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Oceans Effect on Weather and Climate: Changing Climate Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of four Science Objects in the Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack. It explores how Earth’s climate has changed in the past and how it may change in the future. Climate change may occur as a result of changes in Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans. Such changes may be abrupt (such as gas and dust from volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts) or may occur over very long times (such as changes in landscape or increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere). Even relatively small changes in atmospheric or ocean content and/or temperature can have widespread effects on climate if the change lasts long enough. Since the industrial revolution, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased at an unprecedented rate. Though climate change and changes in the composition of the oceans and atmosphere are natural, present modifications far exceed natural rates. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Earth's Changing Surface: Humans as Agents of Change Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the last of three Science Objects in the Earth’s Changing Surface SciPack. It explores...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the last of three Science Objects in the Earth’s Changing Surface SciPack. It explores the natural and human influences on landscape evolution. These influences sometimes accelerate or slow down the process of landscape evolution. Human activities such as deforestation, accelerated global warming, and mining have impacted Earth’s changing surface. These activities are not new processes but often increase or accentuate the natural processes. When natural processes are accelerated, humans are often affected by the changes in their environment. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School