DE Science Elementary Patterns in the Natural World
About Weather – The Big Ideas Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Weather includes temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation. Changes in air pressure are associated with changes in weather. Air movement is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun. The movement of air is wind as the air moves from one area to another.
About Weather – Using DE Science Content Virtual Lab: Wow, Windmills! Video: Climate Zones Reading Passage: Measure the Weather
About Climate – The Big Ideas Climate is the average weather at a location over a period of years. Climate includes seasonal temperatures, winds, and average annual precipitation. Movement of water in the water cycle affects climate. Latitude and proximity to large bodies of water or mountains affect climate.
About Climate – Using DE Science Content Exploration: About Climate Reading Passage: Earth’s Changing Climate Video: Climate
The Water Cycle – The Big Ideas The sun provides the energy that drives the water cycle. When liquid water is warmed, it evaporates and turns into water vapor, a gas that enters the atmosphere. Water vapor can become liquid water or ice as it cools. Water vapor that has turned to liquid water or ice falls as precipitation. Water falling from the sky collects in bodies of water on the surface of the Earth as well as underground.
The Water Cycle – Using DE Science Content Exploration: The Water Cycle Video: The Water Cycle Reading Passage: It’s Only Water
The Cycle of Day and Night – The Big Ideas Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, causing the cycle of day and night. When it is day on the side of Earth facing the sun, it is night on the other side. Earth’s rotation makes it appear that the sun, planets, and stars are orbiting Earth once a day.
The Cycle of Day and Night – Using DE Science Content Exploration: The Cycle of Day and Night Virtual Lab: When’s the Shadow There? Video: The Movement of the Earth
Our Star, the Sun – The Big Ideas The sun produces heat and light that travel to Earth. The sun is a star, one of billions in the universe. The sun is an average-size star. The sun is mostly hydrogen and helium.
Our Star, the Sun – Using DE Science Content Exploration: Our Star, the SunOur Star, the Sun Reading Passage: A Huge FurnaceA Huge Furnace Video: The Sun and its PlanetsThe Sun and its Planets
Physical Characteristics of the Moon— The Key Ideas Marias are “seas” of ancient basaltic lava flows that form plains on the moon. Highlands are the older, heavily cratered, mountainous areas of the moon. Regolith is the mixture of fine dust and rocky debris that forms the moon’s soil. The moon is divided into three distinct layers: core, mantle, and crust. The far side of the moon is more heavily cratered because lava flows have covered many older craters on the near side, creating the maria.
Physical Characteristics of the Moon— Using DE Science Content Audio: The Solar System: The Moon (from :45–2:50)The Solar System: The Moon (from :45–2:50 Video Segment: Surface Features of the Moon & Review.Surface Features of the Moon & Review Video Segment: Moon’s SurfaceMoon’s Surface