Sea Surface Temperature

Sea Surface Temperature
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.watcyc.seasurface/

WGBH Educational Foundation

This interactive visualization depicts sea surface temperatures (SST) and SST anomalies from 1885 to 2007. Learn all about SST and why SST data are highly valuable to ocean and atmospheric scientists. Understand the difference between what actual SST readings can reveal about local weather conditions and how variations from normal—called anomalies—can help scientists identify warming and cooling trends and make predictions about the effects of global climate change. Discover the relationships between SST and marine life, sea ice formation, local and global weather events, and sea level.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Video supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

MS-ESS2.D1: Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.

MS-ESS2.D3: 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.

MS-ESS3.D1: Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 7

Systems and System Models, Stability and Change, Patterns, Cause and effect

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Systems and System Models, Stability and Change, Patterns, Cause and effect

MS-C1.4: Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.

MS-C2.2: Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.

MS-C2.3: Phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause and effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability.

MS-C4.2: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions—such as inputs, processes and outputs—and energy, matter, and information flows within systems.

MS-C7.1: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and forces at different scales, including the atomic scale.

MS-C7.2: Small changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part.

MS-C7.3: Stability might be disturbed either by sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time.

Science and Engineering Practices: 1

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

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High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 4

HS-ESS2.C1: The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks.

HS-ESS2.D4: Current models predict that, although future regional climate changes will be complex and varied, average global temperatures will continue to rise. The outcomes predicted by global climate models strongly depend on the amounts of human-generated greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year and by the ways in which these gases are absorbed by the ocean and biosphere.

HS-ESS2.E1: The many dynamic and delicate feedbacks between the biosphere and other Earth systems cause a continual co-evolution of Earth’s surface and the life that exists on it.

HS-ESS3.D1: Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 6

Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Stability and Change

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Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Stability and Change

HS-C1.1: Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena

HS-C2.2: Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

HS-C4.3: Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.

HS-C7.1: Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

HS-C7.2: Change and rates of change can be quantified and modeled over very short or very long periods of time. Some system changes are irreversible.

HS-C7.3: Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system.

Climate Literacy

This Video builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Our understanding of climate

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

The educator could read through the information provided in advance and generate a guide for students to use while viewing the interactive.

About the Science

While this resource does discuss the data sources (NOAA), it does not provide detailed references.
The resource includes short descriptions of where the data came from and what their implications are for marine biodiversity, sea ice, weather, El Niño, sea levels, the Arctic and climate change.
Comments from expert scientist: Presents NOAA data. The visualizations are fun, and there are a variety of interesting facts on the website, but it doesn't quite add up to a real learning experience. The SST data are presented on a rather confusing Mercator projection, and appear to run only as a video. The anomaly data are presented on a different projection, where the user must step through the slides.

About the Pedagogy

The visualizations of the sea surface temperature (SST) data and SST Anomalies are state-of-the-art.
These visualizations can be used to discuss major changes occurring on the ocean and their implications.
The main resource page contains support materials (e.g., a background essay, discussion questions, standards) to stimulate student inquiry and further questions.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

The design of the display panels, tabs, navigation and links is excellent.
The visualizations require a Flash plugin to run in a browser. Ensure Flash is enabled if it is already installed.
The visualizations are not suitable for projection, which may hamper how they can be used in a classroom setting.

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Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

Cross Cutting Concepts: 7

Science and Engineering Practices: 1

High School (see details)

High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 4

Cross Cutting Concepts: 6

Science and Engineering Practices: 1

Grade Level

Topics

Climate Literacy

Teaching Tips

About the Science

About the Pedagogy

Technical Details/Ease of Use

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