Earth System: Ice and Global Warming

In this video, students learn that scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures. Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature. This video segment adapted from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center details how global warming may already be responsible for a significant reduction in glacial ice, which may in turn have significant consequences for the planet.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: WGBH/Boston

Earth as a System

This short video uses animated imagery from satellite remote sensing systems to illustrate that Earth is a complex, evolving body characterized by ceaseless change. Adapted from NASA, this visualization helps explain why understanding Earth as an integrated system of components and processes is essential to science education.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: WGBH/Boston

Earth's Albedo and Global Warming

This interactive visualization adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey illustrates the concept of albedo, which is the measure of how much solar radiation is reflected from Earth's surface.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio, NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), USGS (US Geological Survey)

Earth's Energy Cycle - Albedo

Students perform a lab to explore how the color of materials at Earth's surface affect the amount of warming. Topics covered include developing a hypothesis, collecting data, and making interpretations to explain why dark-colored materials become hotter.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

The Earth's Heat Budget

Hands-on laboratory activity that allows students to investigate the effects of distance and angle on the input of solar radiation at Earth's surface, the role played by albedo, the heat capacity of land and water, and how these cause the seasons. Students predict radiative heating based on simple geometry and experiment to test their hypotheses.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Roy Plotnick

The Ecology of Climate Change

This video focuses on the conifer forest in Alaska to explore the carbon cycle and how the forest responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Topics addressed in the video include wildfires, reflectivity, and the role of permafrost in the global carbon cycle.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: American Museum of Natural History

El Niño

This National Geographic video explains the origins of the El Niño Southern Oscillation using animations and shows the impacts on humans, wildlife and habitat, particularly in the United States.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: National Geographic Society

Energy 101: Solar PV

This video, from the US Department of Energy, shows the basics of how a PV panel converts light radiated from the sun into usable power, whether on the electric grid or off, and without emissions or the use of fossil fuels.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Department of Energy

Energy Choices and Climate Change

This interactive provides two scenarios for students to look at issues related to energy and climate change: from the perspective of either a family, or a monarch.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: NCAR Online Education, Windows to the Universe

Energy Consumption Rates across the USA and the World

Students use Google Earth to analyze oil consumption per capita in the US and around the world. Students then use spreadsheets to create graphs and calculate statistics regarding per capita energy use among various categories.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Glenn A. Richard, SERC - Pedagogy in Action Collection

Energy Enigma

This activity is a learning game in which student teams are each assigned a different energy source. Working cooperatively, students use their reading, brainstorming, and organizational skills to hide the identity of their team's energy source while trying to guess which energy sources the other teams represent.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: NEED

Energy Sources

This video provides an introduction to benefits and limitations of many sources of energy including fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. It also discusses hydrogen and hybrid cars.

Material Type: Lecture

Energy Calculators

This online calculator converts from one energy unit to another - from gallons to British thermal units (Btu), kilowatt/hours to megajoules, short tons to metric tons.

Material Type: Simulation

Author: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Energy and the Poor - Black Carbon in Developing Nations

An activity focusing on black carbon. This activity explores the impacts of the use of black carbon generating wood, dung, and charcoal for fuel in developing countries.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Anne Hall, Environmental Studies at Emory University, From the On The Cutting Edge Collection

Energy flows

This activity introduces students to different forms of energy, energy transformations, energy storage, and the flow of energy through systems. Students learn that most energy can be traced back to nuclear fusion on the sun.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: NEED Project - Putting Energy into Education

Envisioning Climate Change Using a Global Climate Model

This long classroom activity introduces students to a climate modeling software. Students visualize how temperature and snow coverage might change over the next 100 years. They run a 'climate simulation' to establish a baseline for comparison, do a 'experimental' simulation and compare the results. Students will then choose a region of their own interest to explore and compare the results with those documented in the IPCC impact reports. Students will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the process and power of climate modeling.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: and team of scientists and educators, Betsy Youngman, Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter from TERC

Estimated Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2008 by State

These flow charts show carbon dioxide emissions for each state, the District of Columbia and the entire United States. Emissions are distinguished by energy source and end use.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: A.J. Simon, Clara A. Smith, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Rich Belles

Estimated International Energy Flows 2007

This Energy Flow Charts website is a set of energy Sankey diagrams or flow charts for 136 countries constructed from data maintained by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and reflects the energy use patterns for 2007.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Clara Smith

Estimated State-Level Energy Flows in 2008

Sankey (or Spaghetti) diagrams parse out the energy flow by state, based on 2008 data from the Dept. of Energy. These diagrams can help bring a local perspective to energy consumption. The estimates include rejected or lost energy but don't necessarily include losses at the ultimate user end that are due to lack of insulation.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: A.J. Simon, R.D. Belles

Evaluating the Effects of Local Energy Resource Development

This is a semester-long jigsaw project in which students work in teams to explore the effects of energy resource development on local water resources, economics, and society. Students are presented with a contemporary energy resource development issue being debated in their community. They research the water, geological, economic, and social impact of the project, and then either defend or support the development proposal.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Devin Castendyk, SERC - On the Cutting Edge Collection