Description
As your students complete the activities in this kit, they develop an understanding of the Coriolis effect and its influence on global air circulation. Students use a turntable and inflatable globe to explore how the rotation of Earth affects the apparent path of wind traveling in a straight line. They then relate their findings to the movement of air masses on Earth. Kit includes materials for 8 groups of students.
Unit Connection
This laboratory investigation correlates to Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources, topics 4.4: Earth’s Atmosphere, 4.5: Global Wind Patterns, and 4.7: Solar Radiation and Earth’s Seasons in the AP® Environmental Science Course and Exam Description.
Standards Connection
This kit addresses the following AP® Environmental Science concepts:
Big Idea 2: Interactions Between Earth Systems (ERT). The Earth is one interconnected system. Natural systems change over time and space. Biogeochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
- ERT-4 Earth’s systems interact, resulting in a state of balance over time.
- ERT-4.D Describe the structure and composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.
- ERT-4.D.1 The atmosphere is made up of major gases, each with its own relative abundance.
- ERT-4.D.2 The layers of the atmosphere are based on temperature gradients and include the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
- ERT-4.E Explain how environmental factors can result in atmospheric circulation.
- ERT-4.E.1 Global wind patterns primarily result from the most intense solar radiation arriving at the equator, resulting in density differences and the Coriolis effect.
Big Idea 1: Energy Transfer (ENG). Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes. Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere. As energy flows through systems, at each step, more of it becomes unusable.
- ENG-2 Most of the Earth’s atmospheric processes are driven by input of energy from the sun.
- ENG-2.A Explain how the sun’s energy affects the Earth’s surface.
- ENG-2.A.1 Incoming solar radiation (insolation) is the Earth’s main source of energy and is dependent on season and latitude.
- ENG-2.A.2 The angle of the sun’s rays determines the intensity of the solar radiation. Due to the shape of the Earth, the latitude that is directly horizontal to the solar radiation receives the most intensity.
- ENG-2.A.3 The highest solar radiation per unit area is received at the equator and decreases toward the poles.
- ENG-2.A.4 The solar radiation received at a location on the Earth’s surface varies seasonally, with the most radiation received during the location’s longest summer day and the least on the shortest winter day.
- ENG-2.A.5 The tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation causes the Earth’s seasons and the number of hours of daylight in a particular location on the Earth’s surface.
Time Requirements
Teacher Preparation (before class):
- Prelab: 45 minutes
- Investigation: 20 minutes
Class Time:
- Prelab: 45 minutes
- Investigation: Part 1, 20 minutes; Part 2, 20 minutes; Part 3, 20 minutes
- Free-Response Questions: 60 minutes
The times provided are estimates. The time required may vary based on your student population.
Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support instruction. Digital resources may include teacher manual and student guide, prelab activities and setup videos, simulations, and postlab analysis and assessments.
Prior Knowledge and Skills
Students should be familiar with the following skills or concepts:
- Latitude and longitude as they relate to locations on Earth
- The positioning of the earth’s axis at a tilt as it orbits the sun impacts climate of different regions on Earth
- The difference between weather and climate
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