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Smigielski, AlanTomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather.Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Office ofElementary and Secondary Education.1995-10-0017p.

Smithsonian Office of Education, Arts and IndustriesBuilding 1163, MRC 402, Washington, DC 20560; telephone:202-357-2425 (free).Collected Works Serials (022) -- Guides - Non-Classroom(055)

Art to Zoo: Teaching With the Power of Objects; Sep-Oct 1995MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.*Climate; Climate Change; Elementary Secondary Education;Environmental Influences; Instructional Materials;Interdisciplinary Approach; Multicultural Education;*Museums; *Oceanography; *Physical Geography; Prediction;Social Studies; *Weather*Smithsonian Institution

This issue of "Art to Zoo" focuses on weather and climateand is tied to the traveling exhibition Ocean Planet from the Smithsonian'sNational Museum of Natural History. The lessons encourage students to thinkabout the profound influence the oceans have on planetary climate and life onearth. Sections of the lesson plan include: (1) "Ocean Currents Going with

the Flow"; (2) "Coastal Climates, Inland Climates"; (3) "Getting ThereOcean Currents and Navigation"; and (4) "El Nino - An Ocean Child."Worksheets, and a resources list conclude the unit. Lessons are designed forgrades 4-8 and address science, geography, and social studies. (EH)

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TEACHING WITH THE POWER OF OBJECTS-Smithsonian Institution September/October 1995

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE ANDDISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS

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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)

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U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)'This document has been reproduced as

received from the person or organizationoriginating it

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Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policyNib 14111111L

TOMORROW'S FORECAST: Oceans and Weather

Inside

Lesson Plan

Take-Home Pagein English/Spanish

Subjects

Science

Social Studies

Geography

Grades

4-9

Publication of Art toZoo is made possiblethrough the generoussupport of the PacificMutual Foundation.

CONTENTS

Introduction page 3

Lesson Plan Step I page 6

Worksheet 11 page 7

Lesson Plan Step 2 page 8

Worksheet 2 page 9

Lesson Plan Step 3 page 10

Take-Home Page page 11

Take-Home Page in Spanish page 12

Lesson Plan Step 4 page 13

Worksheet 4 page 14

Resources page 15

Art to Zoo's purpose is to help teachers bring intotheir classrooms the educational power of museumsand other community resources.

Art to Zoo draws on the Smithsonian's hundredsof exhibitions and programsfrom art, history, andscience to aviation and folklifeto create classroom-ready materials for grades four through eight.

Each of the four annual issues explores a singletopic through an interdisciplinary, multiculturalapproach.

The Smithsonian invites teachers to duplicateArt to Zoo materials for educational use.

Cover photo:

Satellite photography revealsthe movement of massiveweather systems across thecontinental United States.

TOMORROW'S FORECAST:Oceans and Weather

Whether you live on the gentle rolling plains of theMidwest or the glittering desert sands of the Southwestno matter where in the world you areyour life is intimately

tied to our planet's oceans. Even if you've never gone to abeach to watch a sunrise or sunset or to ride the waves, theoceans probably affected you as recently as this morningwhen you may have checked the weather and decided what

to wear.The oceans influence the world's climate by storing vast

amounts of solar energy and distributing that energy around

the planet through currents and accompanying atmosphericwinds. Dramatic weather events like hurricanes originate at

sea, and the oceans also influence long-term conditions such

as average daily temperature and rainfall. These factors in

turn affect the variety and volume of crops that can be grown

and the number of fish that can be caught. In fact, the oceans

affect all life on our planet.The world's oceans and their integral role in weather and

climate are the focus of this issue of Art to Zoo and one ofthe many fascinating issues explored in Ocean Planet, athought-provoking traveling exhibition inaugurated at theSmithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. As withthe exhibition, we encourage you and your students to thinkabout the profound influence the oceans have on our plane-tary climate and life on Earth.

,

4

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and WeatherSeptember/October 1995 3

AN OCEAN OF DIFFERENCE

In the complex recipe ofEarth's climate and weather,no ingredient is more impor-tant than the Sun. Without itsintense energy, life on ourplanet would be impossible.At an average distance of 93million miles (150 millionkilometers), only 1/2 bil-lionth of the Sun's energyreaches Earth. Yet even thatfraction of the Sun's power ismassivetotaling some 1.8x 10'4 kilowatts, or more than300,000 times the electricalgenerating capacity of theUnited States!

Not all of that solar radia-tion reaches the surface ofEarth. Some energy is scat-tered by the atmosphere onits way to the surface or isreflected back by the clouds,leaving about 45 percent tocomplete the journey. Thissolar radiation is absorbed(as heat) in differing amountsby the various surfaces onEarth. Land areas heat upquickly during the day andcool rapidly at night, radiat-ing much of their energyback to space. Luckily,atmospheric gases such ascarbon dioxide and watervapor retain certain types ofradiation that warm theatmosphere. Scientists havetermed this phenomenon thegreenhouse effect.

As compared with thecontinents, the world'soceans absorb much more ofthe incoming solar radiation

and reflect much less back tospace. That is because waterhas a higher heat capacity(holds more heat per unitvolume) than land or air. Notsurprisingly, the oceans'higher heat capacity directlyaffects the climate of ourplanet. The insulating effectof water gives coastal areas amore moderate range of tem-peratures than inland areashave at the same latitude.

The energy from the Sun(in the form of heat) fuels thecirculation of Earth's atmos-phere. Regions near theequator receive more heatthan those near the poles.Warmer, lighter air rises atthe equator while cooler,denser air sinks at the poles.This sets up a pole-to-equa-tor movement of air at thesurface and an equator-to-pole movement of air aloft,although actual atmosphericcirculation is somewhat morecomplex. Because of Earth'srotation, atmospheric windsappear to be deflected to theright in the NorthernHemisphere and to the left inthe Southern Hemisphere.

Ocean CurrentsGoing with the Flow

The circulation of theworld's oceans generallymirrors the movements of theatmosphere. Surface currentsdriven by atmospheric windsmove warm equatorial waters

4 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

to the poles and cold polarwaters toward the equatorsetting up nearly circular pat-terns of movement known asgyres. Before steam-poweredships were introduced in thenineteenth century, sailorsused these winds and cur-rents to cross vast stretchesof ocean. Many of the routesthey took, such as thosebetween Europe andAmerica, were physicallylonger than the trade routesused today. Rather thansetting out directly westfrom Europe, sailors movedparallel to the west coastsof Europe and North Africauntil they reached the "tradewinds" that carried themwestward across the Atlanticto the Caribbean.

Today scientists recognizethat ocean currents are morethan natural highways ofcommerce. These massivemovements of ocean waterplay a pivotal role in deter-mining the climate of Earth,although their behavior is notentirely understood. And, ofthe myriad currents flowingthrough the open ocean andalong the edges of conti-nents, the Gulf Stream mayhave the greatest influenceon climate.

This swift-moving currenttransports more than 100

5

times the outflow of all theworld's rivers as it movesnortheastward from Cuba toNewfoundland. Caribbeanheat continues eastward (inthe form of the NorthAtlantic Drift), greatly mod-erating the coastal Europeanclimate. Much of Britain, thesouthern parts of which lienorth of the U.S.Canadianborder, experiences wintersas mild as those of northernFlorida, Georgia, and SouthCarolina, which are fifteen totwenty degrees in latitudefurther south!

The counterpart to theGulf Stream in the Pacific isthe Kuroshio (or Japan)Current, which moves fromthe Philippines northwardpast Taiwan and Japan.Overall, the climatic effectsof the Kuroshio Current areless extensive than those ofthe Gulf Stream. Toweringmountain ranges along thewest coast of North Americaconfine the effects of the cur-rent's waters to relativelysmall areas.

Other, similar currentsaffect climate on the rest ofthe planet. The relativelycold California, Peru,Benguela, and CanaryCurrents flow around thewest coasts of the Americas,Africa, and Europe, creatingcool, moist surface air withfrequent fog and overcastskies.

El NiiioAn Ocean Child

Not all ocean waters havea moderating effect onweather and climate. A mas-sive ocean-atmosphere inter-action in the tropical Pacificknown as El Nifio hasbrought about climatic dev-astation worldwide. The termEl Nitio (Spanish for "theChrist Child") was coinedmore than a century ago byPeruvian and Ecuadorianfishermen who noted that insome years a warm oceancurrent appeared during theChristmas season and lastedfor several months.

The fishermen noticedbecause when the warmwaters were present, fishwere less abundant, threaten-ing their livelihood. Evenworse, they encounteredheavy rains and flooding.

Scientists now understandthat these fishermen wereobserving part of El Nitio.The strongest El Nifio eventof this century occurred from1982 to 1983 and has beenblamed for $8 billion in dam-age worldwide. Climaticeffects of this El Nifioincluded drought and brushfires in Australia, Indonesia,southern India, and parts ofAfrica and Brazil. In con-trast, heavy rains fell alongthe equator, in SouthernCalifornia, and the southeast-

ern United States, while win-ter temperatures soared farabove normal in the interiorof Canada.

While scientists do notentirely understand the caus-es of El Nifio, they believethat it is linked to dramaticatmospheric changes thattypically occur over theNorth Pacific every 2 to 7years. In normal years, pre-vailing winds blowing fromthe east help to push Earth'swarmest ocean water into thewestern Pacific. For reasonsthat aren't clear, occasionallythe prevailing winds weakenand the warm water begins tomove eastward across thePacific toward SouthAmericastarting El Nifio.

El Nitio's effectsextend far beyond the SouthAmerican coast. Storm sys-tems that would normallyhave been kept farther westby the prevailing windsmove into the central equato-rial Pacific, bringing heavyrain to typically dry islands.These heavy storm systemsfurther disrupt the normalflow of the jet streams acrossthe Northern Hemisphere.

In any El Nifio year thepolar jet stream shifts north-ward over western NorthAmerica, resulting in mildwinters over western Canadaand the north central UnitedStates. At the same time thesubtropical jet stream is morevigorous than normal, bring-ing heavy rainfall to thesouthern United States.

Tomorrow's Forecast...

Every day scientists gath-er vast amounts of data aboutthe world's oceans fromEarth-orbiting satellites,ocean-traversing researchvessels, and drifting buoys.Advanced computer modelsprocess this raw data, help-ing scientists to forecast notonly the probability of com-mon weather systems butalso the dramatic effects ofEl Nil-1o. These efforts havebeen so successful that indi-viduals, corporations, andgovernments alike havecome to depend on weatherand climate forecasts tomake critical choices.Whether it's a decision toplant more or less of a crop,to import or export a prod-uct, or to invest in a develop-ing technology, the ocean isan important factor.

Yet there is still much tobe learned about the complexinteractions between theocean and atmosphere indetermining our planet'sweather. The ocean andatmosphere are so inter-twined that it is often unclearwhich is driving the other atany given time. However,whatever the process, theocean will always play animportant role in tomorrow'sweather.

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

WeatherThe immediate atmosphericconditions: temperature,humidity, precipitation

ClimateThe long-term weatherconditions in a specificgeographic area

Greenhouse effectThe process by which Earth'ssurface is warmed by com-paratively short-wavelengthsolar radiation and its moos-phere is warmed by relative-ly long-wavelength radiationreflected from its surface

Heat capacityThe amount of energyrequired to raise thetemperature of a substanceby a given amount

GyresCircular or spiral forms ofwater movement in an openocean basin

Jet streamsBelts of strong winds imthe upper atmosphere thatseparate warm and col&regions at Earth's surface

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995 5

LESSON PLANStep 1

OCEAN CURRENTSGOING WITH THE FLOW

Objectives

Locate the continents andoceans of Earth.

Identify the basic circula-tion patterns of the oceans.

Evaluate the relationbetween ocean currents andtrade routes of the past.

MaterialsCopies of Worksheet 1,

page 7.Pencils or pens.World maps or globes

(you might also use theatlas section of your socialstudies book).

National Geographicocean map of currents andspeeds (if available).

SubjectsScience, geography,

social studies

Procedure

1. Using the Introductionas a guide, tell your studentsthat the oceans play a majorrole in determining the cli-mate of our planet. Be sureto mention the oceans' abilityto store vast amounts of solarenergy (in the form of heat)and capacity to distribute thatenergy around the planetthrough currents and accom-panying atmospheric winds.

2. Give each student acopy of Worksheet 1. (Makesure each student has accessto a map or globe withthe continents and oceansclearly labeled.) Ask yourstudents to label the conti-nents and oceans on bothworksheet maps. You maywish to have students ventureanswers before consultingmap sources, especially ifyour school lies within acoastal area or if you haverecently completed a geogra-phy unit.

3. Direct your students tothe map of ocean currents onWorksheet 1. Tell them thatthe map shows the relativetemperatures of the cur-rentssome are warmer thanthe waters surrounding them,

6 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

others are cooler. Ask stu-dents to evaluate what rela-tion exists between the tem-perature of the currents andtheir direction of flow.(Students should concludethat warmer currents flowfrom the equator to higherlatitudes, while colder cur-rents flow from the polarregions toward the equator.)This evaluation may be diffi-cult for some students. Youmay wish to take a represen-tative warm and cold currentand ask students to identifywhether the water in eachflows toward or away fromthe equator. Apply the samequestions to other currentsto establish an understandingof the general pattern ofcurrent flow.

4. Tell your students thattoday scientists understandhow ocean currents affectglobal climate. Remind themthat the oceans are tremen-dous reservoirs of solar ener-gy (in the form of heat) andthat ocean currents move thisenergy around the globe. Foran example, you may wish to

7

describe the effects of theGulf Stream on the climateof coastal Europe and NorthAmerica (this informationcan be found in theIntroduction).

5. To conclude the activi-ty, direct your students tothe map of ocean trade andtravel routes on Worksheet 1.Tell your students that wellbefore there was much scien-tific understanding of oceancurrents sailors used currentsto navigate. Ask students toconsider how ocean-goingvessels may have been pow-ered before the advent ofsteam engines or any othermechanical power. They willprobably say that vesselswere mostly powered by thewinds. Next, direct studentsto examine closely the tradeand travel routes shown onWorksheet 1. Ask them tocompare these routes to theflow of ocean currents on thetop part of the worksheet.(Students should concludethat trade and travel routeslargely followed the flow ofatmospheric winds andocean currents.)

0°

WORKSHEET 1Ocean Currents

N Equatorial

Equatorial Co4er

S Eqtatorial

Major ocean currents andtheir relative temperatures.

V- /

t.\k1 4 4 31

, `*` A, 7 lin Asia and ,Mirth America! 0

1

R ! 1 t1c 4-

f..' E- itA N ret itt

,.*to et.

4 4 4 4 4-\ To SoO0 America

Selected ocean trademutes prior to mechanicalpropulsion.

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995 7

0°

LESSON PLANStep 2

COASTAL CLIMATES,

INLAND CLIMATES

ObjectivesEvaluate climatic data

from coastal and inlandregions.

Conduct an experimenton the differing heat capaci-ties of water and air.

Analyze data from anexperiment.

MaterialsCopies of Worksheet 2,

page 9.

Four thermometers,

four small jars of equal size,water.

Pens or pencils.

Chalkboard, chalk.

SubjectsScience, math, geography

Procedure

I. Tell your students thatthey'll now be studyinghow ocean waters make the

climate (in glossary) ofcoastal areas different fromthe climate of inland areas.

Emphasize that first they willbe examining data gathered

by scientists across the worldand then analyzing data from

an experiment of their own.2. (You may wish to

review the concept of latitudebefore proceeding with thisactivity.) Give each student acopy of Worksheet 2. Directstudents to examine the tem-perature data from the repre-

sentative cities. Ask them ifthey notice any patterns.

Answers may vary, but stu-dents should note that theranges of temperature are farmore moderate in coastalareas. Make sure to empha-size (if your students did not)that cities of nearly identicallatitude have widely varyingtemperature ranges. Explain

that because it takes far more

energy to change the temper-

ature of water than that of airor land, water warms up andcools off much more slowlythan either. As a result, the

temperatures of inland areas

tend to change more than the

8 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

temperatures of coastal areas

that are "insulated" by water.(Note that factors other than

proximity to water also affectclimate. The cities in thisexercise were selected onlyto illustrate general differ-ences between coastal and

inland climates.)

To extend the activity,you may wish to have stu-dents track two coastal and

non-coastal areas at similarlatitudes over a period ofmonths. Temperature infor-

mation can be found in manylocal newspapers.

3. Explain that the follow-ing experiment tests howwater and air differ in theircapacity to hold heat. (Thiswould be a good time toreview or present some basicinformation on the scientificmethod.) Fill two small jarswith equal amounts of waterat room temperature (you

may wish to appoint two stu-dents to do this) while leav-ing two other small jars"empty" with air. Divide theclass into four groups ofequal size and give a ther-mometer to each group. (Forgreater safety, you may sub-stitute alcohol-based ther-mometers for mercury-basedunits.) Direct one group toplace a jar of water in a cool,shaded spot. Have another

group place a jar of water indirect sunlight. At the sametime follow this procedurefor the two remaining air-filled jarshave one groupplace a jar in a cool, shaded

5

area and the other group

place a jar in direct sunlight.Next, tell students to place

their thermometers in the jarsand record the initial temper-ature on the worksheet. If

possible, have your students

take temperature readings

after 15, 30, 60, and 90 min-utes, recording their resultson the worksheet.

To conclude the experi-ment, ask a representative

from each group to write itstemperature results on the

chalkboard. Then graph theresults on the chalkboard,

with temperature on the ver-tical axis and time on thehorizontal. This exercise willallow you to compare the

temperature of water to thetemperature of air in bothshade and sunlight (you willneed to make two graphs).The graphs will demonstrate

that water cools and warmsat a slower rate than air. (Ifyour students have alreadylearned some graphing skills,you might want them tograph the data on the chalk-board.)

4. Conclude the activityby asking your students ifthey have already observed

that water and air cool andwarm at different rates.

Answers may vary, but manystudents will likely note thatthey have observed this phe-

nomenon at a beach, in a

pool, or in a bathtub.

WORKSHEET 2Coastal Climates, Inland Climates

Selected inland and coastal cities.

HIGHS AND LOWS, COASTAL vs. INLAND LOG OF EXPERIMENT RESULTS

City January (low) July (high) Latitude (°N)

Los Angeles 64°F (18°C ) 81°F (27°C) 34.00

Little Rock 50°F (10°C) 90°F (32°C) 34.5°

Seattle 41°F (5°C) 72°F (22°C) 4750

Bismarck 18°F (-8°C) 82°F (28°C) 47.0°

London 45°F (7°C) 73°F (23°C) 51.5°

Warsaw 32°F (0°C) 75°F (24°C) 52.5°

Belfast 43°F (6°C) 64°F (18°C) 54.0°

Moscow 16°F (-9°C) 73°F (23°C) 56.0°

Tokyo 46°F (8°C) 82°F (28°C) 35.0°

Kabul 36°F (2°C) 88°F (31°C) 35.0°

Beirut 63°F (17°C) 90°F (32°C) 34.0°

Jar of 0 air 0 water (check one)

Time (minutes) Temperature

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

13

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995 9

LESSON PLANStep 3

GETTING THEREOCEAN CURRENTS AND

NAVIGATION

ObjectivesLocate major port cities

of the world.Identify ocean currents

as potential travel routes.Analyze information

from reference sources.

MaterialsCopies of the Take-Home

Page, page 11.Copies of Worksheet 1,

page 7.Encyclopedias, atlases.Pens or pencils.

Subjects

Science, geography,social studies

ProcedureI. Begin the lesson by

reminding students that theflow of ocean currents andatmospheric winds helpedshape worldwide trade andtravel routes before theadvent of steam-poweredships. Tell them to imaginethat they are captains of sail-ing ships during the 1800swho have been given animportant mission by theirship owners: find the besttravel routes between fourpairs of cities. However,because of poor weatherduring a long ocean journey,only part of the owners'orders have arrived. Thenames of the cities havebeen lost and only a fewclues to the cities' identitieshave survived!

2. Give each student acopy of the Take-HomePage. Tell them that theyneed to do two things tocomplete their missionsuccessfully. First, use the"City Clues" to determineboth cities in each of thepairs. Second, determinewhich ocean currents canhelp them to complete eachof the four trips.

10 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

3. (Depending on time andresource availability, youmay complete the lesson aseither a take-home or in-class activity.) Tell studentsthat to identify the pairs ofcities, they will need to con-sult reference sources such asmaps, encyclopedias, orgeography books. (If youassign this as a take-homeactivity, refer students to thepublic library.) To find theocean currents that wouldhelp complete the journeybetween each pair of cities,refer students to Worksheet I.

4. Tell students that theywill need to put the names ofthe cities on the Take-HomePage's world map and thentrace a route between the citypairs. Be sure to mention thatthey also need to place thenames of the ocean currentsthat assist in the journey onthe same world map.

5. Once the students havecompleted the activity,review the results in class.Ask your students what ref-erence sources they used tolearn the identity of thecities. You may also ask whatother interesting facts theymay have learned in thecourse of their research.

Ii

TEACHER ANSWER KEY:

Journey 1:

LagosRio de JanerioPossible currents:(Atlantic) South Equatorial,Brazil, West Wind Drift,Benguela

Journey 2:

BostonLisbonPossible currents:Gulf Stream, North AtlanticDrift, Canary, (Atlantic)North Equatorial

Journey 3:

TokyoSan FranciscoPossible currents:Kuroshio, North Pacific,California, (Pacific) NorthEquatorial

Journey 4:

MombossaPerthPossible currents:Agulhas, West Wind Drift,West Australian, (Pacific)South Equatorial

TAKE-HOME PAGE To the teacherDuplicate this page

for students.Use with Lesson Plan

Step 3.

Publication of Art to Zoo ismade possible through thegenerous support of thePacific Mutual Foundation.

CITY CLUESGETTING THERE

Directions:Follow your teacher's instructions to locate the pairs of cities on the map. Be sure to also draw in the ocean currents that could beused to journey between the cities.

Journey 1

The major seaport ofNigeria.

Largest seaport in Brazil.Lies near the Tropic ofCapricorn.

Journey 2

Largest city in NewEngland and capital cityof Massachusetts.

Capital city of Portugal.

Journey 3

Capital city of Japan andmajor world seaport.

Large seaport city innorthern California locatedon a huge bay.

Journey 4

Major seaport of Kenya.

Capital city of WesternAustralia.

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and WeatherSeptember/October 1995 11

TRABAJO PARA HACEREN FAMILIA

Al Profesor

Copie esta pagina paralos alumnos.

Use la con el tercero pasodel plan de la lección.

Esta publicacion ha sidoposible gracias al aportegeneroso de la PacificMutual Foundation.

SENAKES PARA LAS CIUDADESCOMO LLEGAR

Instrucciones:

Siga las direcciones de su profesor(a) para localizar los pares de ciudades en el mapa. Asegiirese de trazar una corriente oceani-ca que podria ser utilizada para viajar entre las dos ciudades.

Viaje 1

El puerto mayor de Nigeria.

El mayor puerto en Brazil.Se encuentra cerca delTrópico de Capricornio.

Viaje 2

La ciudad más grande deNew England y las ciudadcapital de Massachusetts.

La ciudad capital dePortugal.

12 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

Viaje 3

La ciudad capital de Japón yel puerto principal mundial.

Grand cudad porteria en elnorte de California localizadaen una bahia immensa.

13

Viaje 4

Puerto mayor en Kenya.

Ciudad capital de AustraliaOccidental.

LESSON PLANStep 4

EL NINOAN OCEAN CHILD

ObjectivesAnalyze satellite-based

data for evidence of El Nifio.Evaluate weather reports

for evidence of El Nitio.

MaterialsCopies of Worksheet 4,

page 14.Pens or pencils.Crayons, markers, or

colored pencils.

SubjectsScience, geography,

social studies

Procedure

1. Begin the activity bytelling your students that theclimatic effects of the oceanare not always moderatingor favorable. Using theIntroduction as a guide,explain the devastatingeffects of the 1982-83 ElNitiothe most intense ElNirio event of the century. Besure also to provide your stu-dents with an understandingof the causes of El Niflo andits relation to ocean waters inthe North Pacific. Stress thatEl Nifio can divert the nor-mal flow of the jet streamsover North America, leadingto milder winters over thenorth central United Statesand torrential rain over thesouthern United States.

2. Give each student acopy of Worksheet 4. Tellthem that satellites enablescientists to collect vastamounts of weather informa-tion that would take decadesto gather with ocean-goingresearch vessels. Stress thatscientists can use satellites to

observe El Nirio and canpredict this event one seasonin advance.

Tell students that the twosea-surface temperaturemaps, Part A on Worksheet 4,are based on satellite datagathered during two differentyears. The data on one maprepresent an El Nitlo year,while the data on the otherrepresent a nonEl Nifioyear. Ask students to com-plete the maps by coloring inthe ocean temperature bandsaccording to the key provid-ed. After the students havefinished coloring the twomaps, ask them to decidewhich represents an El Nirioyear. (Key: Year 1 is the ElNiiio year.) This may be dif-ficult for some students.Suggest that they look to thecoast of South America.Warm waters offshore area sure indication of an ElNifio year.

3. Tell your students toimagine the following sce-nario: They are scientists inthe future interested in deter-mining whether El Nitiooccurred during a 2-yearperiod. Unfortunately, thesatellite weather data theyrequested are missing. Allthey have to determinewhether an El Nifio eventoccurred are two reports ofJanuary weather events.

1 zi

4. Direct your studentsto Part B on Worksheet 4.Ask them to read the itemscarefully, uging them todetermine which year was anEl Niiio year. (Key: Year 2 isthe El Nifio year.) Make sureyour students justify theiranswers with concrete exam-ples of atypical weatherevents. This may be difficultfor some students. Suggestthat they look for weatherconditions similar to the onesyou mentioned in yourdescription of the 1982-83El Nifio event.

5. Conclude the activityby asking students whetherthey think there is presentlyan El Nifio condition. Askthem to provide specificweather examples that mayhave resulted from an ElNifio event. (Check currentclimate information beforeproceeding.)

Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995 13

WORKSHEET 4Find El Niiio

PART A: SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND JET STREAMS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGES

Directions: Color the numbered areas according to the key. Which is the El Nifio year?

Polar Jet Stream

North America

YEAR 1

router Subtropical Jet Stream

2

3

1

(2 I.3

4

3

2

SouthAmerica

Key

1=Green Colder2=Yellow3=Orange

4=Red Warmer

Polar Jet Stream

YEAR 2

North America

ff')\

oakSubtropical Jet

Stream

SouthAmerica

3

PART B: JANUARY WORLD WEATHER ROUNDUP

Directions: Interpret these weather clues. Which is the El Nitio year?

YEAR 1 YEAR 2

Northeastern United States South America Northeastern United States South AmericaHigh temperatures ranging Mild, cool waters offshore High temperatures ranging Heavy rain and floodingfrom 25° to 30°F from 45° to 50°F in Peru and Ecuador(-4° to -1°C) India (8° to 10°C)

Periods of rain with IndiaSoutheastern United States intermittent sunshine Southeastern United States Dry, drought conditionsHigh temperatures from Heavy rains and flooding45° to 50°F (8° to 10°C) Southern Africa Southern Africa

Periods of rain with Western United States Dry, drought conditionsWestern United States intermittent sunshine (coastal)(coastal) Severe stormsMild, rainy

14 Art to Zoo Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather September/October 1995

RESOURCES

BOOKS, REPORTS, AND MAPS

American MeteorologicalSociety. "The Maury Project:Wind-Driven OceanCirculation.- Washington. D.C.:American MeteorologicalSociety. 1994.

Bench ley. Peter. Ocean Planet:Writings and Images of the Sea.Edited by Judith Gradwohl. NewYork: Harry N. Abrams. 1995.

Flint. David C. Weather andClimate. New York: GloucesterPress, 1991.

Franck. Irene M. G. To the Endsof the Earth: The Great Traveland Trwle Routes 41-InmanHistory. New York: Facts onFile. 1984.

Ganeri. Anita. The Oceans Atlas.New York: Dorling Kindersley,1994.

Lydolph. Paul E. IVenther andClimate. Totowa. N.J.: Rowman& Allanheld, 1985.

National Geographic physicalmap of oceans and currents(three sizes). To order. call(800) 368-2728.

Ross, David A. liiiiodiictioii toOceanography. 5th ed.Englewood Cliffs. N.J.:Prentice-Hall. 1995.

University Corporation forAtmospheric Research. "Reportsto the Nation on Our ChangingPlanet: El Nino and ClimatePrediction.- I3oulder, Colorado:University Corporation forAtmospheric Research,Spring 1994.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

An interactive online version ofthe Ocean Planet exhibition isavailable through the Internetvia the World Wide Web athttp://seawikgsfc.nasa.gov/ocelm_planet.html. This "virtu-

al exhibition- features sound,video, and graphics that enhanceunderstanding of the manythemes of Ocean Planet.

Detailed information on El Ninois also available through theInternet via the World WideWeb at http://columbia.wrc.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino-story.html. This site featuresanimations and graphics thatexplain the complex interactionbetween the ocean and atmos-phere in the making of El Nino.

A good site for teachers to beginexploring weather resources onthe Internet is the University ofMichigan's gopher site atgopher://groundhog.sprl.umich.edu. Here you can download thelatest version of Blue Skies, aninteractive weather display sys-tem that provides current weatherdata, satellite photographs, andweather maps. This application isavailable for Macintosh andPower Macintosh computers.

Note: Because of the rapidlyevolving nature of the Internet.the uniform resource locators(URLs) above listed may havechanged since publication.

CURRICULUM MATERIALS

Weather, a hands-on earth sci-ence unit for primary gradesdeveloped by the NationalScience Resources Center. intro-duces students to the compo-nents of weather and a variety oftools that help them learn moreabout temperature. wind. rain-fall, and cloud formations. Thecomplete kit is $369.95: theteacher's guide (S14.95) andactivity books ($2.00 each) areavailable separately. Thesematerials are offered throughCarolina Biological SupplyCompany. 2700 York Road.Burlington. North Carolina27215. Call (800) 227-1150 formore information.

EXHIBITION TOUR

The Smithsonian InstitutionTraveling Exhibition Service hasscheduled the exhibition OceanPlanet to tour through a numberof U.S. cities from March 1996to November 1999. The follow-ing tour itinerary does notinclude five sites that areunannounced at the time ofthis publication.

H The Presidio of SanFrancisco. CaliforniaMarch 30-June 23. 1996

' Christopher ColumbusCenter. Baltimore. MarylandJuly 27-October 20. 1996

American Museum of NaturalHistory. New York. New YorkNovember 23. 1996-February16. 1997

. Bishop NIuseum. Honolulu.Hawaii

July 12-October 5. 1997Chicago Museum of Science

and Industry. IllinoisMay 23-August 15. 1998; 1 Museum of Science. Boston.Massachusetts

September 19-December 13.1998

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Smithsonian InstitutionEnvironmental AwarenessProgramJudith GradwohlBeth NalkerKaren Maria Lee

National Museum qfNatural HistoryLaura McKie

National Oceanic andAtmospherh AdministrationGary Ellrod

National Weather Service

Vern Kousky

University the

District q ColumbiaJames V. O'Connor

411

Susan HurstcalderoneBlessed Sacrament School.Chevy Chase. Maryland

ILLUSTRATIONS

Cover:National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration

All others:Alan Smigielski (The illustra-tions in Lesson Plan Step 4 arebased on images from "Reportsto the Nation on Our ChangingPlanet: El Nino and ClimatePrediction." p. 15.)

ART TO ZOO

Art to Zoo is a publication of theOffice of Elementary andSecondary Education.Smithsonian Institution,Washington. D.C. 20560.

WriterAlan Smigielski

EditorDouglas Casey

DesignerKarlic Design Associates. FL('Baltimore. Maryland

Publications DirectorMichelle Knovic Smith

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