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Ocean Impacts on an El Nino Event
http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/?page_id=474?&passid=68

Missy Holzer, My NASA Data

This lesson explores El Nino by looking at sea surface temperature, sea surface height, and wind vectors in order to seek out any correlations there may be among these three variables, using the My NASA Data Live Access Server. The lesson guides the students through data representing the strong El Nino from 1997 to 1998. In this way, students will model the methods of researchers who bring their expertise to study integrated science questions.

Activity takes two 50 minute class periods. Access to a computer lab is necessary.

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Topics

Ocean and Climate
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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO
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Grade Level

High School (9-12)
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Educator notes include suggestions for modifying the activity for grades 6-8.

Regional Focus

Islands, Oceans (Global)
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Climate Literacy
About Teaching Climate Literacy

Climate change is a significant and persistent change in an area’s average climate conditions or their extremes. Seasonal variations and multi-year cycles (for example, the El Niño Southern Oscillation) that produce warm, cool, wet, or dry periods across different regions are a natural part of climate variability. They do not represent climate change.
About Teaching Principle 4
Other materials addressing 4c
Environmental observations are the foundation for understanding the climate system. From the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the Sun, instruments on weather stations, buoys, satellites, and other platforms collect climate data. To learn about past climates, scientists use natural records, such as tree rings, ice cores, and sedimentary layers. Historical observations, such as native knowledge and personal journals, also document past climate change.
About Teaching Principle 5
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Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:C) Collecting information
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C) Collecting information.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:A) Processes that shape the Earth
Other materials addressing:
A) Processes that shape the Earth.

Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Learn more about the Benchmarks

Scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant data, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected data.
Explore the map of concepts related to this benchmark

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • Some terminology has changed in the My NASA Data Live Access Server web interface, but it should be easy for educators to adapt their instructions to the student users of this website.
  • There are no obvious instructions on how to save the images produced by the Live Access Server: Educators will need to make sure to instruct their students.
  • Activity has students getting data by hand, which is a lot of work. Potentially download data ahead of time for students.
  • Extensions to this lesson offer additional inquiry activities that address this topic.
  • Other El Niño activities that include more recent data can be found at: http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/, animation to support this activity can be found at: http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/videos.html.

About the Science

  • Students analyze data from 1997 and 1998, when there was a strong El Niño event.
  • The Live Data Server does contain more recent data that could be used if educators wanted to consider a more recent El Niño event.
  • TOPEX-Poseidon has been decommissioned: data on sea level is now collected by Jason 1 and 2.
  • Student teams study single variables - sea surface height, sea surface temperature, or wind vectors using NASA data. Each team examines all variables for several dates to identify characteristic features of the static images and the changes in these features over time. Teams then describe the temporal variations they observe, look for relationships among the three variables, and discuss the causes and effects of these relationships.
  • Comment from scientist: The connections between wind, sea surface temperature and thermocline etc. are accurate but rushed. Educators should provide more explanation of the connections or the figures. Detailed information can be found on the PMEL webpage http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino-home.html.

About the Pedagogy

  • Different learning styles are addressed through the team approach. The use of animations in this activity supplies an alternate tool to improve student understanding. Both visual observations and written answers are required to the posed questions.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • Self-contained with links to support materials, including animations, other lessons and background.

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