Climate: Electronic Resources

This is a collection of Electronic Resources (websites, software, etc.) about climate. A separate collection of Print Resources is also available.

Key: E = Elementary (K–5), I = Intermediate (6–8), HS = High School (9–12), C = College, G = General Public

What is Climate?

Destination Earth: The Globe Program. (E, I, HS)
Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Students and teachers from over 6,500 schools in more than 80 countries are working with research scientists to learn more about our planet. GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program.
  • For Students, GLOBE provides the opportunity to learn by: taking scientifically-valid measurements in the fields of atmosphere, hydrology, soils, and land cover/phenology; reporting their data through the Internet; creating maps and graphs on the free interactive web site to analyze data sets; and collaborating with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world.
  • For Teachers, GLOBE provides assistance through: training at professional development workshops; Teacher’s guides, "how-to" videos, and other materials; continuing support from a Help Desk, scientists and partners; and contact with other teachers, students and scientists worldwide.
EduGreen: Making Environmental Learning Fun for the Young. (I)
Explore the environment around you through Life on earth, Forestry, Energy, Water, Air pollution, Climate change, Biotechnology and Solid waste. Enrich your knowledge through quiz, story time, maps, a time line, environment laws, multimedia resources, and an environment calendar.
Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE). (E, I, HS)
GLOBE is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Students and teachers from over 13,587 schools in more than 70 countries are working with research scientists to learn more about our planet.
National Climatic Data Center. from U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (I, HS, C, G)
The world’s largest active archive of weather data, the NCDC has long served the Nation as a national resource for climate information. As climate knows no boundaries, NCDC works closely with scientists and researchers worldwide.

Climates of the World

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). (HS, C, G)
A center within the Earth Institute at Columbia University, CIESIN works at the intersection of the social, natural, and information sciences, and specializes in on-line data and information management, spatial data integration and training, and interdisciplinary research related to human interactions in the environment. Educational resources are available for K-12 plus college age students.
Vital Climate Graphics from UNEP. (E, I, HS, C, G)
EPA: Environmental Explorers Club. (E)
Kids can explore their environment and learn about neat things to protect it. There are games, pictures, stories, and other fun things. Subjects on this web site include: air, water, garbage and recycling, plants & animals, you & your environment, art room, game room, science room, trophy case, and ask EPA.
Global Climate Change > Research Explorer. from The Exploratorium Museum. (I, HS, C)
At this Web site, you can explore scientific data relating to the atmosphere, the oceans, the areas covered by ice and snow, and the living organisms in all these domains. You’ll also get a sense of how scientists study natural phenomena.
NASA’s Earth Observing System. (E, I, HS, C, G)
The Earth Observing System Earth Observing System (EOS) is the centerpiece of NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise. It is composed of a series of satellites, a science component, and a data system supporting a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. EOS will enable an improved understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. The EOS Project Science Office is committed to bringing program information and resources to program scientists and the general public alike.

Changes in Climate

Climate Change Portal. from United Nations Environment Programme. (HS, C, G)
This portal is a central source for substantive work and information resources regarding climate change. Use the navigation on the left to find information based on the key issues within climate change or select a specific type of resource.
Ask Doctor Global Change. from US Global Change Research Information Office (HS, C, G)
“Dr. Global Change” is a Reference Service that assists researchers, students, educators, resource managers, decision-makers, and the general public in finding information and data relevant to global environmental change. This site features a searchable database of previously asked questions, and allows users to submit original queries. Help is available in the areas of climate variability and change, atmospheric composition, global carbon cycle, global water cycle, changes in ecosystems, and human dimensions of global change. This site also contains links to some of the best web sites on global change data and information.
Climate Diagnostics Center. from U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. (I, HS, C)
The mission of the Climate Diagnostics Center is to identify the nature and causes for climate variations on time scales ranging from a month to centuries. US Climate Data in the Climate & Weather section allows you to create maps of monthly US temperature and precipitation from 1895 to the present.
Curriculum Guide to Confronting Climate Change in California. (PDF) (HS)
The guide is designed to complement the report and to make its findings accessible to younger residents of the state. The guide consists of multiple activities, which are closely tied to and build upon the report. To make these student-centered activities most useful to teachers, each activity is tied to the content and skills standards required for grades 9-12 according to the California Board of Education Standards for Science, and History and Social Science. Although teaching materials are geared towards students and teachers in grades 9-12, individual exercises are adaptable to other grade levels.
EduGreen: Making Environmental Learning Fun for the Young. (I)
Explore the environment around you through Life on earth, Forestry, Energy, Water, Air pollution, Climate change, Biotechnology and Solid waste. Enrich your knowledge through quiz, story time, maps, a time line, environment laws, multimedia resources, and an environment calendar.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (HS, C, G)
World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation, established the IPCC.

Copyright © 2005 American Chemical Society