Hydrosphere: Ocean Currents and Climate
How do ocean currents impact climate zones? In just a few minutes of demonstration, your students will easily see for themselves.
Africa's southern coast, with a subtropical steppe on the east and cold desert on the west. Cold currents (blue) and warm currents (red) cause different climates at the same latitude.
Lab Summary
Give your students a clear visualization of the relationship between ocean currents and global climate zones. All you need to include this short demonstration in your lecture or discussion is My World GIS, a computer and a projector.
In just a few minutes of your classroom time, you can bring real scientific data to life in My World GIS, and clearly visualize for your students the relationship between ocean currents and global climate zones. More than 50 data sets are included free with My World GIS, and you will use two of them -- Surface Currents and Climate Classes -- to provide your class a compelling interactive demonstration of this important relationship.
Method
Use the Surface Currents and Climate Classes data sets from My World GIS to show how the currents effect climate in different regions of the world.
Here's What You Need
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Other Materials
- My World GIS
My World GIS is a Geographic Information System (GIS) designed by educators specifically for learning with a GIS--not about a GIS. It is a powerful mapping and analytical tool that provides visual representation of data in a geographic context.
PASCO offers a variety of licensing options for K-12 and University students.