This is Activity 12 of a set of Level 1 activities designed by the Science Center for Teaching, Outreach, and Research on Meteorology (STORM) Project. The authors suggest that previous activities in the unit be completed before Activity 12: Air Masses, including those that address pressure systems and dew point temperature. In Activity 12, the students learn about the four main types of air masses that affect weather in the United States, their characteristic temperatures, and humidity levels as it relates to dew point temperatures. The lesson plan follows the 5E format. Initially, students discuss local weather and then examine surface temperature and dew point data on maps to determine patterns and possible locations of air masses. They learn about the source regions of air masses and compare their maps to a forecast weather map with fronts and pressure systems drawn in. During the Extension phase, students access current maps with surface and dew point temperatures at http://www.uni.edu/storm/activities/level1 and try to identify locations of air masses. They sketch in fronts and compare their results to the fronts map. Evaluation consists of collection of student papers.

In this informational text, elementary school readers learn about the difference between weather and climate and about components of the climate system. The text can be used to practice visualizing and other comprehension strategies. Available in K-2 and 3-5 grade bands and as an illustrated book as well as a text document, the story appears in the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle.

Students learn that fats found in the foods we eat are not all the same; they discover that physical properties of materials are related to their chemical structures. Provided with several samples of commonly used fats with different chemical properties (olive oil, vegetable oil, shortening, animal fat and butter), student groups build and use simple LEGO MINDSTORMS(TM) NXT robots with temperature and light sensors to determine the melting points of the fat samples. Because of their different chemical structures, these fats exhibit different physical properties, such as melting point and color. This activity uses the fact that fats are opaque when solid and translucent when liquid to determine the melting point of each sample upon being heated. Students heat the samples, and use the robot to determine when samples are melted. They analyze plots of their collected data to compare melting points of the oil samples to look for trends. Discrepancies are correlated to differences in the chemical structure and composition of the fats.

Convert metric measurements to U.S. Measurements and the reverse, too. Easy to follow tables have sections for area, length, mass,temperature and volume.

What kind of unit conversion would you like to do? This site will allow you to do a multitude of conversions. Just click on the specific measurement you are needing to convert. It also provides a history of measurements and a chart of metric symbols.

This site provides background information, images, and an activity to help students understand the concept of radiation. Includes both the student pages and a teachers guide with lesson plan.

This website from the BBC is a great introduction to averages (mean, median, and mode) and will take you through some interactive learning activities. A practice test and worksheet are also provided.

In this experiment, two chemicals that can be found around the house will be mixed within a plastic baggie, and several chemical changes will be observed.

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Define biogeography
List and describe abiotic factors that affect the global distribution of plant and animal species
Compare the impact of abiotic forces on aquatic and terrestrial environments
Summarize the effects of abiotic factors on net primary productivity

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the properties of water that are critical to maintaining life
Explain why water is an excellent solvent
Provide examples of water’s cohesive and adhesive properties
Discuss the role of acids, bases, and buffers in homeostasis

A narrated screencast demonstrates the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at constant temperature. [7:08]

In the following video Paul Andersen explains how heat is the movement of energy from an object with a higher temperature to an object with lower temperature. Heat transfer can occur through conduction, convection, and radiation. [4:10]

In the following video Paul Andersen explains how energy can be transferred from warmer objects to colder objects through heat. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. When two objects are in contact collisions between the particles will transfer energy from the warmer object in the form of heat. [5:05]

In the following video Paul Andersen explains how objects in contact with varying temperatures will eventually reach thermal equilibrium with equal temperatures. The amount of thermal energy transferred is related to the mass and temperature of the objects since momentum is transferred and conserved along the margin. [3:48]

In the following video Paul Andersen explains how the total energy of a system is the combination of kinetic, potential and internal energy of the objects. He then shows you how to calculate the kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and elastic potential energy of objects within a system. Over time the total energy of the system will change due to changes in position and frictional effects. [6:14]