How Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Air on the Go

Students observe that air under high pressure will move toward a low-pressure area and certain objects in the air’s path may move in the same direction.
How Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Balloon in a Bottle

Air takes up space. It's only when air in the bottle escapes that more air is easily added!
How Weather Works

Catching Snowflakes

Are you in a place where snow falls in winter? If so, try catching snowflakes. Then take a close look. Can you find two snowflakes that look alike?
CloudsHow Weather WorksHow Climate Works

Clouds, Weather, and Climate Teaching Box

This Teaching Box combines activities, data analysis, and discussion to help high school students consider how weather can affect clouds and how clouds can affect climate.
How Weather WorksEarth as a SystemHow Climate Works

Connections in the Earth System

Students demonstrate their knowledge of interconnections between natural systems such as weather and climate and the built environment in which they live.
How Weather Works

Considering Flood Risk

Students analyze and interpret data on a map of floodplains to assess risk of flooding inform decision-making that will mitigate the effects of flooding.
How Weather WorksEarth as a SystemHow Climate Works

El Niño Teaching Box

This Teaching Box combines readings and activities that utilize data to build student understanding of the changes that happen to the Pacific Ocean and atmosphere during an El Niño event.
How Weather WorksEarth as a SystemHow Climate Works

Field Projects: Science in Action

In this activity, students gather information about atmospheric scientific field projects in order to understand how a research question about the Earth system can be answered by collecting data using many different research platforms and instruments.
How Weather WorksEarth as a SystemHow Climate Works

GLOBE Data Explorations

GLOBE Data Explorations are classroom activities that help students learn how to analyze GLOBE environmental data while also learning atmospheric science concepts and geography.
How Weather WorksStorms and Other Weather

GLOBE Weather

GLOBE Weather is a five-week curriculum unit designed to help middle school students understand weather at local, regional, and global scales.
Air QualityCloudsHow Weather WorksStorms and Other WeatherLayers of the Atmosphere

Infusing Science with the Arts

Explore STEAM education resources developed at the UCAR Center for Science Education.
How Weather Works

Interactive Story Map: Return from Catastrophe: Moore, Oklahoma

On May 20, 2013, a devastating tornado occurred in Moore, Oklahoma. How did the people of Moore work to rebuild their community?
How Weather Works

Interactive Story Map: Twister Dashboard: Exploring Three Decades of Violent Storms

Students investigate three decades of tornado data through an interactive Story Map from Esri.
How Weather Works

Modeling a Weather Front

In this activity, students observe how temperature changes can create a weather front, in particular how the mixing of warm and cold air can produce thunderstorms. Water, which behaves very similarly to air, and a density tank are used in this demonstration.
CloudsHow Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Modeling How Air Moves

In this activity, students use models to observe that air is a fluid that flows due to temperature-driven density differences.
How Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Modeling the Behavior of Air with Bottles

In this hands-on activity, students explore how temperature affects the behavior of air molecules.
How Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Not Your Usual Pop!

Students learn how to crush a can with only air pressure.
How Weather WorksLayers of the Atmosphere

Plunger Pull

Use plungers to create a vacuum and learn about how air exerts pressure.
How Weather Works

Rain Measurements Tell a Story

Using language arts, math, and measurement skills, elementary students explore rainfall data and learn how to measure precipitation through an interactive story. 
How Weather WorksEarth as a SystemHow Climate WorksSun and Space Weather

The Systems Game

Systems thinking is an important concept across the Earth sciences. In this game, students either are a part of a system or serve as scientists tasked with observing and making sense of the system moving in front of them.
How Weather WorksEarth as a System

Water Cycle Activity

In this activity, students will build a model to simulate parts of the water cycle. They will be able to recognize and explain the essential elements of the water cycle.
How Weather WorksHow Climate Works

Weather and Climate Data Exploration

Students explore the relationship between weather and climate by graphing weather temperature data and comparing with climate averages.
How Weather Works

Weather Forecasting & Satellites Teaching Box

This Teaching Box combines activities that build middle school student understanding of how satellites help make weather forecasts more accurate through a combination of hands on activities, and analysis of real satellite data.