FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT connect@space.rice.edu Funded by NASA as part of the Earth Science Information Partners   Activity 10: Ocean Temperatures Level: Grade 7-8, but easily adaptable for older (Algebra 1 or Science) students Learning Objective: Students will take ocean temperature data from a map and plot temperature versus angle from the equator. They will learn that this is an inverse relationship - the ocean temperature decreases with distance from the equator. Specific Science Content Standards Changes in earth and sky Structure and evolution of an earth system's history Risks and benefits Geography: Using maps to acquire and process data Specific Mathematics Content Standards Variables and data Plotting and graphing Linear equations Earth Update: Hydrosphere Introducing the activity: Tell students that measurements from space can tell us the temperature of the ocean, both on an annual average (as this map), and as measured at on any given date. For the annual average, as here, the highest temperatures are near the equator and lower temperatures as you move either northward or southward from the equator. They can choose as data points any point at that approximate latitude (note that the temperature is not uniform for a certain latitude - some areas are hotter and some are cooler). For an expansion of this activity, they can look at today's ocean temperatures in the "latest images" section of Hydrosphere or Atmosphere modules. See how the seasons affect whether the northern or southern oceans are warmer. Activity 10: Ocean Temperatures You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this activity. To download, click on the link below. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Last Update: December 12, 2001