SEEd - Earth and Space Science
Lesson Plans

Strand ESS.3: SYSTEM INTERACTIONS: ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE, AND GEOSPHERE

The abundance of liquid water on Earth's surface and its unique properties are central to the planet's dynamics and system interactions. The foundation for Earth's global weather and climate systems is electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the Sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity increase carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate. Current scientific models predict that future average global temperatures will continue to rise, although regional climate changes will be complex and varied.

Standard ESS.3.3

Construct an explanation for how energy from the Sun drives atmospheric processes and how atmospheric currents transport matter and transfer energy. Emphasize how energy from the Sun is reflected, absorbed, or scattered; how the greenhouse effect contributes to atmospheric energy; and how uneven heating of Earth's atmosphere combined with the Coriolis effect creates an atmospheric circulation system. (PS3.A, ESS1.B, ESS2.A, ESS2.D)

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