http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/nitrogen-cycle-game-6079926/
http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/powerpoints-used-for-global-warming-carbon-cycle-6064142/
http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/tectonic-plates-and-continental-drift-6073218/
Friday 12 December 2014
Wednesday 10 December 2014
http://www.neok12.com/diagram/Plants-01.htm
General Stages in the Lifecycle of Flowering Plants
http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/lifecycles/lifecyc7.htm
GAME:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plant_life_cycles/play/
REPRODUCTION AND CLONING:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/genes/reproductionandcloningrev1.shtml
General Stages in the Lifecycle of Flowering Plants
http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/lifecycles/lifecyc7.htm
GAME:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plant_life_cycles/play/
REPRODUCTION AND CLONING:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/genes/reproductionandcloningrev1.shtml
NASA'S CLIMATE KIDS
After all, we live on land.
But our world is a water world. The ocean covers 70% of Earth's surface. The average depth of the ocean is about 2.7 miles. In some places, the ocean is deeper than the tallest mountains are high! The ocean contains about 97% of all the water on Earth.
The ocean plays a starring role in whatever happens with the environment. One big part of its role is to soak up energy (heat) and distribute it more evenly around the Earth. Another part is to soak up CO2.
.http://climatekids.nasa.gov/ocean/
The ocean does an excellent job of absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere. The top few meters of the ocean stores as much heat as Earth's entire atmosphere. So, as the planet warms, it's the ocean that gets most of the extra energy.
But if the ocean gets too warm, then the plants and animals that live in it must adapt—or die.
This coral has lost its algae, and thus its food source. It is sick and will probably die.
The ocean is great at sucking up CO2 from the air. It absorbs about one-quarter of the CO2 that we humans create when we burn fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas.) If not for the ocean, we'd be in even worse trouble with too much CO2.
However, the ocean and everything in it are paying a price. The ocean is becoming more acidic.
What does this mean? Liquids are either acid or alkaline. Each liquid falls somewhere along a scale with acid at one end and alkaline at the other.
However, when the ocean absorbs a lot of CO2, the water becomes more acidic. The alkalinity of the ocean is very important in maintaining a delicate balance needed for animals to make protective shells. If the water is too acidic, the animals may not be able to make strong shells. Corals could also be affected, since their skeletons are made of the same shell-like material.
One way the ocean affects the climate in places like Europe is by carrying heat to the north in the Atlantic Ocean. Way up north, cold water in the North Atlantic ocean sinks very deep and spreads out all around the world. The sinking water is replaced by warm water near the surface that moves to the north. Scientists call this the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. The heat carried north helps keep the Atlantic ocean warmer in the winter time, which warms the nearby countries as well.
NASA missions that very accurately measure the hills and valleys in the ocean and changes in sea level help scientists understand what is happened with ocean currents.
The "great ocean conveyor belt" refers to the major
ocean currents that move warm water from the equator to the poles and
cold water from the poles back toward the equator
The amount of salt in the ocean water also affects currents. Saltier
water is heavier than less salty water. When salty ocean water freezes,
the ice can no longer hold on to the salt. Instead, the salt mixes with
the water below making it saltier and heavier. Glaciers, land ice and
icebergs are made of fresh water, so what happens when this ice melts?
Good question!
The water in the North Atlantic sinks because it's cold, but also
because it's salty. Being both cold AND salty makes it really heavy, so
it can sink very far. But if too much ice melts in the North Atlantic,
the water could become less salty. If that happens, what about the
Ocean Conveyor Belt? Would it stop warming the North Atlantic? Could
Europe get really cold? Scientists say it seems unlikely, but NASA
satellites are keeping a close eye on the melting ice and the ocean
currents to try to understand this complicated system better.
Why is the ocean important?
Our watery world.
But our world is a water world. The ocean covers 70% of Earth's surface. The average depth of the ocean is about 2.7 miles. In some places, the ocean is deeper than the tallest mountains are high! The ocean contains about 97% of all the water on Earth.
The ocean plays a starring role in whatever happens with the environment. One big part of its role is to soak up energy (heat) and distribute it more evenly around the Earth. Another part is to soak up CO2.
How does the ocean soak up energy?
How can a water balloon teach us about climate change? Watch this video and find out:.http://climatekids.nasa.gov/ocean/
The ocean does an excellent job of absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere. The top few meters of the ocean stores as much heat as Earth's entire atmosphere. So, as the planet warms, it's the ocean that gets most of the extra energy.
But if the ocean gets too warm, then the plants and animals that live in it must adapt—or die.
This coral has lost its algae, and thus its food source. It is sick and will probably die.
The ocean is great at sucking up CO2 from the air. It absorbs about one-quarter of the CO2 that we humans create when we burn fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas.) If not for the ocean, we'd be in even worse trouble with too much CO2.
However, the ocean and everything in it are paying a price. The ocean is becoming more acidic.
What does this mean? Liquids are either acid or alkaline. Each liquid falls somewhere along a scale with acid at one end and alkaline at the other.
Normally, ocean water is less acidic than fresh
water. Unfortunately, as the ocean absorbs more and more carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere, it becomes more acidic. Lemon juice is an example
of an acidic liquid. Toothpaste is alkaline. The ocean is slightly
alkaline.
However, when the ocean absorbs a lot of CO2, the water becomes more acidic. The alkalinity of the ocean is very important in maintaining a delicate balance needed for animals to make protective shells. If the water is too acidic, the animals may not be able to make strong shells. Corals could also be affected, since their skeletons are made of the same shell-like material.
How does the ocean affect the climate?
One way the ocean affects the climate in places like Europe is by carrying heat to the north in the Atlantic Ocean. Way up north, cold water in the North Atlantic ocean sinks very deep and spreads out all around the world. The sinking water is replaced by warm water near the surface that moves to the north. Scientists call this the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. The heat carried north helps keep the Atlantic ocean warmer in the winter time, which warms the nearby countries as well.
NASA missions that very accurately measure the hills and valleys in the ocean and changes in sea level help scientists understand what is happened with ocean currents.
The "great ocean conveyor belt" refers to the major
ocean currents that move warm water from the equator to the poles and
cold water from the poles back toward the equatorDoes the salt in the ocean do anything?
Fresh water has lower salinity (saltiness) than
estuary water, where the ocean water mixes with river water. The ocean
itself is most salty of all.
The amount of salt in the ocean water also affects currents. Saltier
water is heavier than less salty water. When salty ocean water freezes,
the ice can no longer hold on to the salt. Instead, the salt mixes with
the water below making it saltier and heavier. Glaciers, land ice and
icebergs are made of fresh water, so what happens when this ice melts?
Good question!
The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt carries warmer, less
salty water from the equator to the poles, and colder, saltier water
from the poles back toward the equator. Colder water and very salty
water are heavier than warmer water and less salty water.
Thursday 4 December 2014
WMO Weather 2050 - Spain (Spanish original)
Este experimento de futurología climática, basado en proyecciones científicas, sirve para poner sobre aviso a la población de los riesgos que corre el planeta de seguir por esta vereda de emisiones de gases con efecto invernadero y cambio climático global. Según el pronóstico del tiempo que presenta López, jefa de Información Meteorológica de TVE, durante las noches de ese verano no habrá quien logre conciliar el sueño: entre las 22.00 horas y las 8.00 horas se darán temperaturas de más de 40 grados con una mínima de 29 grados.
Según explica López, en los 30 años que preceden a 2050 la temperatura media de España habrá aumentado de media 3 grados. Este vídeo forma parte de una serie que ha lanzado la OMM en el marco de la Cumbre del Clima que estos días se celebra en Lima, para concienciar a distintos países del mundo de las consecuencias de la inacción. Aunque noticias como la conocida ayer, que 2014 será el más caluroso de la historia, ya podrían servir para ese propósito.
Wednesday 3 December 2014
Friday 28 November 2014
Thursday 27 November 2014
Archaeopteryx fossil
Archaeopteryx lithographica fossil, around 147 million years old.
Archaeopteryx is the earliest known
bird and the Natural History Museum cares for the first skeleton
specimen ever found. This spectacular fossil helped prove that modern
birds evolved from dinosaurs and was the first example providing support
for Darwin's theory of evolution. It is the most valuable fossil in the
Museum's collection.
Sketch by Joseph Dinkel from Richard Owen’s paper on Archaeopteryx, 1863. Mysterious discovery
The fossil caused a lot of confusion when it was discovered in Germany in 1861. It had feathers like a bird, but teeth, claws and a bony tail like a dinosaur.Richard Owen, the Museum’s first superintendent, knew there was something extraordinary about it. World-famous for his skill in identifying animals, he classified Archaeopteryx as a bird. No birds were known from so far back in time.
But Owen failed to realise just how remarkable Archaeopteryx was.
Evidence for evolution
The curious fossil was discovered just a few years after Charles Darwin published his controversial theory of evolution.In 1868, Darwin’s strongest supporter, Thomas Henry Huxley, suggested Archaeopteryx showed an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. Until then, no intermediate forms between living animals and their supposed ancestors had been found. The half-bird half-dinosaur became central to the evolution debate.
Illustration of how Archaeopteryx might have looked. © DEA Picture Library / De Agostini / Getty Images Capable of flight
The shape and arrangement of the wing feathers of Archaeopteryx show adaptations for flight similar to modern birds.Museum scientist Angela Milner led an international team that found further evidence Archaeopteryx could fly by studying its brain.
Bird brains fit very tightly in the skull so an imprint is left on the inside of the bones.
Of the 10 Archaeopteryx specimens known to science, this is the only one whose skull and brain imprint could be studied. The back part of the skull was at the edge of the specimen block, so it could be removed and put in a CT scanner. Scientists used the scan data to build a 3D reconstruction of the brain. It shows Archaeopteryx had the sight, balance and coordination necessary for flight.
Fuzzy raptor, Sinornithosaurus, a flightless feathered dinosaur that lived in China 124-122 million years ago. © John Sibbick / Natural History Museum, London Dinosaur or bird?
Fossils found more recently in China (such as Sinornithosaurus and Xiaotingia) also have feathers, but ones adapted for warmth and display, not flight.They are the closest relatives to Archaeopteryx yet discovered but are definitely dinosaurs, so they throw into question whether Archaeopteryx was a bird after all. Perhaps it was one of many early flying experiments rather than the direct ancestor of modern birds.
On balance, the evidence still places Archaeopteryx with the birds, in the group Avialae. New discoveries will clarify the evolution of the bird family tree.
Official representative of the species
Fossil feather that was the original type specimen for Archaeopteryx until 2011. © O Louis Mazzatenta / National Geographic / Getty Images The complete skeleton and feathers of the fossil looked after by the Museum provide a more reliable reference. In 2011, it replaced the fossil feather as the type specimen. So it is now the one all others are compared to.
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Sunday 23 November 2014
Birth Of Universe
Video courtesy of National Geographic Channel.
What is exactly universe? The universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists,including all physical matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space,although this usage may differ with the context. The term universe may be used in slightly different contextual senses, denoting such concepts as the cosmos, the world, or nature. Observations of earlier stages in the development of the universe, which can be seen at great distances, suggest that the universe has been governed by the same physical laws and constants throughout most of its extent and history.Our universe, the galaxies, solar system, planet Earth -- land, sea, air, life -- where did they come from? Astronomer Edwin Hubble believes our universe once was very tiny. Take a journey through space and time to discover how the universe was born.
Saturday 22 November 2014
Kids 4 Clean Air
What can you do:
There are many things we can do to help reduce air pollution and global warming. 
Use
buses and trains instead of cars, as they can carry a lot more people
in one journey. This cuts down the amount of pollution produced. 
Walking
or cycling whenever you can will be even better, as it does not create
any pollution. It will also be good for your body, as regular exercise
will keep you fit and healthy.
If
your parents must use the car, ask them to avoid using it for very
short journeys if possible, as this creates unnecessary pollution. 
Try
to encourage them to share their journeys with other people, for
example when they go to work or go shopping. Also encourage them to
drive more slowly as this produces less pollution and less carbon
dioxide. 
Energy
is produced to generate electricity and to keep us warm. Most energy is
produced by the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas, which
release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Fuel burnt in our cars also
releases carbon dioxide. 
As
an individual, you do not have a lot of control on how your energy is
produced. However, you can control the way in which you use that energy.
Using less energy means less of it needs to be produced. So less carbon
dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
We
can also help prevent pollution from our own homes which may contribute
to acid rain and poor air quality, and increases emissions of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. Turning off lights when they are not needed
and not wasting electricity will reduce the demand for energy. Less
electricity will need to be produced and so less coal, oil and gas will
have to be burnt in power stations, which means less air pollution and
less carbon dioxide!
Pollution
formed indoors can be reduced by ensuring that all gas appliances are
working correctly. Good ventilation will improve indoor air quality by
dispersing biological pollutants like dust mite, and other pollutants
such as cigarette smoke.
Most
of the rubbish we throw away can be recycled, such as glass bottles and
jars, steel and aluminium cans, plastic bottles and waste paper.
Recycling used materials uses less energy than making new ones. Composting fruit and vegetable waste reduces the amount of rubbish buried at rubbish dumps.
What are the Governments doing?
Governments
throughout the world have already taken action for these different
environmental problems (i.e. Acid Rain, Air Quality, Ozone Hole, Global
Warming). In their plans they hope to reduce the amount of emissions of
greenhouse gases produced by man.
About half of the greenhouse effect is caused by our use of energy, especially from fossil fuels. 
Other
sources of energy could be used which do not emit carbon dioxide, e.g.
wind power, solar (sun power) and wave power. In the home and at school,
we must learn to use energy efficiently and not waste it.
Friday 21 November 2014
Thursday 20 November 2014
The Story Of Earth Part 1 of 10
The Earth might seem solid beneath our feet but five billion years ago there was no sign of the planet we call home. Instead there was only a new star and a cloud of dust in our solar system. Over millions of years, a series of violent changes led to the formation of our world and, eventually, the creation of life.
Tuesday 18 November 2014
Monday 17 November 2014
Make a terrarium mini garden
http://climatekids.nasa.gov/mini-garden/
A terrarium is like an aquarium, but for plants instead of fish. It
is made in just about any glass container. It is planted to look like a
miniature garden or forest enclosed in its own little world.
You can easily make a beautiful terrarium yourself.
First, you want all the plants to thrive in the same kind of environment. For example, you could plant all succulents (including cactus), because they need very little water. Or you could plant all ferns, because they like it moist. You could put moss with the ferns, because moss likes it moist too. If you put a fern with a cactus, one or the other might not do well (the fern if it gets too dry, the cactus if it gets too wet).
You can use an open container or a closed container.
An open container is best for succulents and cacti. They like lots of air.
A closed container (with a lid) might be best for ferns, ivies, and begonias. They like it humid. But if you see a lot of water condensing on the lid, remove it for a while, then replace it.
For any terrarium, you need:
Start with a layer of rocks, about one inch or so, at the bottom of
your container. These will help the soil drainage, so the roots of your
plants won’t get water-logged.
Add a 1/2-inch-thick layer of charcoal.
Fill the container up to half-full with potting soil.
Plant your plants. When you remove them from their little pots, carefully tease the roots apart and remove some of the old soil so they will fit nicely in the terrarium. Arrange them to look nice. Leave some space for them to breathe and grow. Pat down the soil so they don’t get uprooted easily.
Add decorative pebbles, rocks, pine cones, or whatever to make your terrarium look like a little garden world.
Water the plants, but not too much.
Place in indirect light.
We planted succulents in our terrarium. We picked different shapes, colors, and sizes. Succulents need very little water.
You can easily make a beautiful terrarium yourself.
First, you want all the plants to thrive in the same kind of environment. For example, you could plant all succulents (including cactus), because they need very little water. Or you could plant all ferns, because they like it moist. You could put moss with the ferns, because moss likes it moist too. If you put a fern with a cactus, one or the other might not do well (the fern if it gets too dry, the cactus if it gets too wet).
You can use an open container or a closed container.
An open container is best for succulents and cacti. They like lots of air.
A closed container (with a lid) might be best for ferns, ivies, and begonias. They like it humid. But if you see a lot of water condensing on the lid, remove it for a while, then replace it.
For any terrarium, you need:
- Clear glass container. For example, aquarium of any size, goldfish bowl, cookie jar, pickle jar, vase with a broad bottom, brandy snifter, or even a shallow dish with a glass bowl turned upside-down over it.
- Rocks (around marble sized, depending on the size of container)
- Activated charcoal to filter the water and help prevent growth of fungi
- Potting Soil (sterilized)
- Small plants of different colors, shapes, & textures. Try to get miniature plants that aren’t going to grow too big for the container.
- Moss
- Decorative rocks or pebbles, or both
- Fun décor, like tiny pine cones, shells, ceramic animals, or a garden gnome.
The layers of rock and soil are part of the beauty of your terrarium.
Add a 1/2-inch-thick layer of charcoal.
Fill the container up to half-full with potting soil.
Plant your plants. When you remove them from their little pots, carefully tease the roots apart and remove some of the old soil so they will fit nicely in the terrarium. Arrange them to look nice. Leave some space for them to breathe and grow. Pat down the soil so they don’t get uprooted easily.
Add decorative pebbles, rocks, pine cones, or whatever to make your terrarium look like a little garden world.
Water the plants, but not too much.
Place in indirect light.
Guided tour of the Big Questions.
NASA’s Climate Kids website brings the exciting science of climate change and sustainability to life. Targeting upper-elementary-aged children, the site is full of interactive games, hands-on activities, and engaging articles that make climate science accessible and fun. With a special section for educators, Climate Kids is great for parents and teachers as well.
Find out how global changes affect our planet over time using the interactive Climate Time Machine.
Follow the adventures of a quirky polar bear and monkey as they cope with climate change and humans in the animated feature “Climate Tales.”
Learn about ways you can help the planet in the “green careers” section. Become a climate expert!
Go to this site:
http://climatekids.nasa.gov/big-questions/
Answer these questions :
What does climate change mean?
What is the big deal with Carbon?
What is the greenhouse effect?
How do we know the climate is changing?
What is happening in the oceans?
What can we do to help?
What else do we need to find out?
Sunday 16 November 2014
What is El Niño anyway?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/el-nino/en/
El Niño is a condition that sometimes occurs in the Pacific Ocean, but it is so big that it affects weather all over the world.Weather depends a lot on ocean temperatures. Where the ocean is warm, more clouds form, and more rain falls in that part of the world. In the Pacific Ocean, near the equator, the Sun makes the water especially warm on the surface.
Normally, strong winds along the equator push the warm surface water near South America westward toward Indonesia. When this happens, the cooler water underneath rises up toward the surface of the ocean near South America.
However, in the fall and winter of some years, these winds are much weaker than usual. They actually blow the other way (toward South America instead of Indonesia) in October. So the warm surface water along the equator piles up along the coast of South America and then moves north towards California and south toward Chile.
Many fish that live in the normally cooler waters off the coast of South America move away or die. The fishermen call this condition of warm coastal waters and poor fishing "El Niño" meaning "the Christ Child," because in the occasional years it comes, it comes at Christmas time.
How do you take the ocean's temperature from space?
Where the ocean is warmer, sea level is slightly higher. In 2008, the Jason-2 satellite (also called the Ocean Surface Topography Mission) was launched into orbit around Earth. It continued the measurements being made by Jason-1, launched in 2001. Both satellites have a sensitive altimeter onboard. An altimeter measures height from itself down to the Earth's surface (land or water).
Jason-1
uses radar to measure the small hills and valleys of the ocean's
surface. This information helps scientists understand ocean circulation
and predict climate events such as El Niño. Jason-1 was launched in 2001
and is still working!
Jason-2,
also called the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, continues the work
begun by Jason-1. Jason-2 was launched in 2008 and is still orbiting and
collecting data.
Saturday 15 November 2014
Weather
The Four Seasons:
The seasons change
Four times a year
From spring to winter
They appear
Spring is wet
The flowers grow
It rains a lot
And melts the snow
Summer is hot
It's full of sun
There is no school
It's lots of fun
Fall is cool
The leaves fall down
The colors change
All over town
Winter is cold
The snowflakes fall
We skate and ski
And make snowballs
The seasons change
From sun to snow
And that is all
You need to know
Thursday 13 November 2014
Earthquakes and volcanoes
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
Kids earthquakes: questions and answers:
http://www.iol.ie/~dromore/Classes/earthquakes/questions.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/natural_hazards/volcanoes_rev3.shtml
Kids earthquakes: questions and answers:
http://www.iol.ie/~dromore/Classes/earthquakes/questions.htm
Earthquake Facts
- The largest recorded earthquake in the United States was a magnitude 9.2 that struck Prince William Sound, Alaska on Good Friday, March 28, 1964 UTC.
- The largest recorded earthquake in the world was a magnitude 9.5 (Mw) in Chile on May 22, 1960.
- The earliest reported earthquake in California was felt in 1769 by the exploring expedition of Gaspar de Portola while the group was camping about 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Los Angeles.
- Before electronics allowed recordings of large earthquakes, scientists built large spring-pendulum seismometers in an attempt to record the long-period motion produced by such quakes. The largest one weighed about 15 tons. There is a medium-sized one three stories high in Mexico City that is still in operation.
- The average rate of motion across the San Andreas Fault Zone during the past 3 million years is 56 mm/yr (2 in/yr). This is about the same rate at which your fingernails grow. Assuming this rate continues, scientists project that Los Angeles and San Francisco will be adjacent to one another in approximately 15 million years.
- The East African Rift System is a 50-60 km (31-37 miles) wide zone of active volcanics and faulting that extends north-south in eastern Africa for more than 3000 km (1864 miles) from Ethiopia in the north to Zambezi in the south. It is a rare example of an active continental rift zone, where a continental plate is attempting to split into two plates which are moving away from one another.
- ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/natural_hazards/volcanoes_rev3.shtml
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