Earth Science: Planetary Forecaster

Sample Material

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» What's the Big Challenge (PDF)
» Learning Set 1 (PDF)

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The Big Challenge: Which regions of a newly discovered planet have appropriate surface temperatures for a human colony?

Through a series of investigations consisting of both hands-on labs and software-based activities, students explore the major factors affecting temperature on Earth and then use what they learn to make predictions of temperatures and habitable areas on a fictional planet. Students consider how four factors — shape of the planet, tilt of the planet’s axis, land/water differences, and surface elevation — affect Earth’s temperatures. In the process, they also learn about Earth’s atmosphere and its density, conduction, convection, and radiation of heat energy, seasons, biomes on Earth, and specific heat capacity. By investigating what factors interact to cause weather, students explore weather maps, the water cycle, changes of state, wind patterns on Earth, and severe weather occurrences.

Implements STEM initiative
Uses the Engineering Design Cycle

• clouds
• conduction
• convection
• density
• Earth's average temperatures
• Earth's tilt
• Earth's tilt and its seasons
• effects of land and water on surface temperatures
• energy transfer by conduction
• energy transfer by convection
• energy transfer by radiation

• energy transfer in the atmosphere
• explaining origins of weather phenomena using the concepts of density
• global warming
• habitability
• heat transfer
• heating and cooling rates of different substances
• indirect and direct light
• latitude and longitude
• measuring
• measuring weather factors

• precipitation
• radiation
• relationship of elevation and temperature
• relationship of pressure and temperature
• revolutions around the Sun
• rotation
• shape and temperature
• storms
• temperature
• Water Cycle
• weather
• wind and wind patterns

• asking questions
• careful observation
• interpreting data
• keeping good records
• making claims based on evidence
• making measurements

• modeling and simulations
• predicting temperatures
• reading weather maps
• using evidence
• using scientific tools
• using scientific visualizations

21ST CENTURY SKILLS
Collaboration
Communicating plans and ideas Developing explanations
Finding trends in data
Critical thinking including:

• building on the work of others
• collecting, organizing, and analyzing data
• observations and interpretation using science knowledge
• using evidence to support claims