Educational Resources of the Office of Education and Outreach at NCAR

K-16 Educational Resources & Professional Training

		UCAR Office of Education and Outreach -- resources for students and educators, annual workshops, weather & climate primers, and much more. If you are planning a trip to NCAR or a field trip for students, make sure to review our Visit Us site, which includes field trip information.


		Backgrounders on Weather & Climate -- offers a quick look at the science and issues involved in major weather and climate topics researched at NCAR & UCAR, including hurricanes, the nitrogen cycle, a glossary of major patterns influencing weather and climate, a thunderstorm glossary, and background on wildfires and fire weather

		Biocomplexity Research Project and Secondary Educational Materials -- these educational materials were designed in collaboration with two Denver area educators and NCAR scentists to bring climate change research into high school classrooms. Visit this site to see their work in describing carbon's role in climate change and how the project's state-of-the-art laser spectrometer can be used to advance scientific knowledge. The site provides many secondary level educational activities and video interviews with scientists about the carbon cycle, climate change, and the Biocomplexity Research project.


		Digital Library for Earth System Education -- a community-led effort to promote access to high-quality digital resources for teaching and learning about the Earth at all levels.


		Climate Discovery Teachers Guide -- this teacher's guide was produced by the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a companion to the Climate Discovery exhibit at our Boulder, Colorado laboratory. Each unit contains lessons appropriate for grades 5-9 on a variety of Earth system science topics that facilitate student learning about our planet's climate system.


		Exhibits & Tours - Visit NCAR's Mesa Lab -- enlightening exhibits in an inspiring setting, open seven days a week; free admission, wheelchair accessible. Explore on your own, on a tour, or with an audio tour in English or Spanish.


		Explore Newsletter -- newsletter announcing upcoming public events, teacher professional development courses, and other informal education news specifically for teachers in the Denver Metro area.



		GLOBE Program -- works with K-12 students, teachers, and scientists worldwide to support collaborative research on Earth's environment at local, regional, and global scales.


		Hurricane Strike! -- a multimedia learning package created by COMET®, Hurricane Strike! is aimed primarily at middle school students. It integrates disaster safety and preparedness with science instruction, providing an engaging interactive learning environment. It also dovetails with science and safety content in the American Red Cross Masters of Disaster curriculum. (Note: You will need to establish a free login and password to access this resource.)


		In a New Light: The Color of Weather and Climate This multi-page booklet (in PDF format) is the handout for the popular workshop presented at NSTA by UCAR Education and Outreach staff. The booklet provides extensive background information and directions for all hands-on activities presented during the workshop, in addition to background content.

		Kids Crossing --You'll find a wealth of activities and information about the sky, water, dangerous weather, climate and more at our Kids' Crossing Website. Don't forget to download the Kids' Crossing in the Classroom activity booklet while you're at it!


		Learn: Atmospheric Science Explorers -- Learn modules – Ozone in Our Atmosphere, Atmospheric Dynamics, and Cycles of the Earth and Atmosphere–were designed to augment existing curricula in the atmospheric sciences and enhance earth and physical science programs by incorporating atmospheric science concepts. These modules were created by teachers for teachers over three summers in collaboration with over 60 atmospheric scientists. The project was funded through the National Science Foundation..


		NCAR Online Education - K-12 -- distance learning to help teachers integrate Earth system science, climate, and global change into the science classroom; a series of six-week courses informed by current research; recertification credit is available.


		NCAR Outreach -- science and education programs; teacher professional development courses, workshops and materials; and hands-on exhibits that appeal to a variety of audiences, from students to teachers, dignitaries, scientists in other fields, and the general public.... Learn about some of our outreach involvements here.


		National Science Digital Library -- a project to both deepen and extend science literacy through access to educational materials that reveal the nature of the physical universe.


		Observing Systems in Action - EOL Education & Outreach --demonstrations of weather balloons and other observing systems during field campaigns and on classroom visits bring students of all ages the excitement of discovery and exploration. NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory invites educators to inquire about classroom instruction and hands-on learning experiences.


		Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research & Science -- paid research internships offering mentoring and other support to undergraduates exploring a career in the atmospheric sciences or a related field.

		Undergraduate Leadership Workshop -- this five-day program for undergraduates studying atmospheric science or a related field aims to establish informal dialogue between students and research scientists as the students explore the laboratories, instrumentation, and computing facilities that support studies on weather, climate change, solar dynamics, the Sun-Earth system, and impacts of severe weather and climate change on societies around the world.


		Ventanas al Universo -- nuestro planeta, nuestro sistema solar, el clima de la Tierra y mucho más - visitors can switch between Spanish and English versions of Windows to the Universe to advance not only Earth and space science knowledge but language skills as well


		Visitor Programs and Research Experiences for Students and Teachers within the Office of Education and Outreach -- opportunities to pursue internships, special training, or research at NCAR. Please conduct us to determine to detrmine current or upcoming opportunities and/or to be put onto our notification mailing list.


		Visual Libraries -- photos, illustrations, animations, and video footage to illustrate your atmospheric and Earth science presentations are easily accessed via our digital library resources.


		Web Weather for Kids -- this website, created at UCAR, helps elementary and middle school students learn what makes weather wet and wild. Throughout the website are hands-on activities to try at home or in the classroom.


		Windows to the Universe -- a popular and extensive educational site available in both English and Spanish covering the Earth and space sciences and exploring the historical and cultural ties between science, exploration, and the human experience. Be sure to review the Teacher Resources on the site.

K-16 Educational Resources & Professional Training