This simulation from the National Center for Atmospheric Research portrays annual patterns in water vapor and precipitation across the globe, illustrating general circulation patterns as well as seasonal and regional variation.

In this interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab, learn how to measure wavelengths and see how wavelength affects the color of the light that we see.

In this activity, students learn to interpret current weather maps. They will observe weather map loop animations on the internet, learn the concept of Zulu time (Universal Time Coordinated, UTC) and visualize the movement of fronts and air masses. They will then analyze a specific weather station model, generate a meteogram from their observations, and answer a set of questions about their observations.

Students learn how Newton's Law of Gravitation can be used to determine the mass of the Earth. By calculating mass and volume, they can then determine the Earth's density, and compare that result with the densities of other solar system bodies. Knowledge of Earth's density can also provide information about the planet's interior.

In this exercise, students investigate long-term weather variables such as temperature and humidity to determine their affect on the climate of a particular region. They will choose two cities, use an online resource to obtain geographic and climatic information for each, and use a spreadsheet program to produce graphs that compare data for the two cities.

There's no need to don a space suit if you want to experience weightlessness. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, two members of the cast drop a cup of water with holes in it to demonstrate how free fall can create a momentary condition of "weightlessness".
Recommended for: Grades K-8

The activity describes Eratosthenes' experiments which determined that the Earth is spherical, rather than flat. Students reproduce Eratosthenes' methods using a slice of pizza to calculate the circumference of the entire pie.

This video/animation shows that a molecule of water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. When oxygen and hydrogen atoms exist alone, their properties are different from the properties they have when they are chemically combined to form a water molecule.

The purpose of this resource is to introduce students to the concept that sometimes there is no one "right" answer to a question or measurement. Students learn to be careful when searching for a right answer to questions such as 'What time is it?' by comparing multiple measurements of the time of day. Students gain an intuitive understanding of the characteristics of imperfect measurements. Using different clocks, students simultaneously record the displayed times. The resulting time measurements are converted from minutes and seconds to seconds. These measurements are plotted to illustrate the mathematical techniques of averages and deviations from an average.

This activity is a field investigation where students design an experiment to determine the coefficient of friction for two contacting surfaces.

Meaningful STEM learning can happen at home as we problem-solve around the house and make sense of intriguing phenomena around us! Join us as we embark on a mission to create a healthy and nutritious meal for our family! This STEM mini-project can be launched by the teacher and can provide families with a fun project to do in the kitchen.

In this activity, students investigate the mass, pressure, and temperature of air. They will measure and record the mass and temperature of a bottle of air as they increase its pressure by pumping in more air, record their observations, and answer some questions about what they have seen.

In this activity, students use METeorological Aerodome Reports (METARs) to view changes in temperature, dew point, air pressure, sky condition, wind, and visibility at White Plains, New York. After studying the reports, they answer a series of questions related to radiation and insolation, radiative balance, and meteorological processes.

In this animated video segment adapted from NASA, astronomer Doris Daou explains how the forces of speed and gravity keep the Moon in a constant orbit around Earth.

Writing nuclear equations for alpha, beta, and gamma decay. Created by Jay.

Let's derive a formula that relates all the variables in Young's double slit experiment. Created by David SantoPietro.

We can see interference in action if we shine laser light through two slits onto a screen. Created by David SantoPietro.

This interactive resource from the Exploratorium calculates your weight on other bodies in our solar system and offers an explanation of mass and weight and the relationship between gravity, mass, and distance.