Research > Homework Center > Geography

Geography

Icebergs
Lightning
Magnetism
Maps
Mountains
Parks & natural wonders
Rivers
Temperature/precipitation
Time & calendars
Tornadoes
Tsunamis
Volcanoes
Water
Weather
Wind/air mass

Megasites

Explores!: http://www.met.fsu.edu/explores

Learn about global geography. Includes Classroom resources on physical geography of the World and weather satellites.
General Geography FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Index: http://geography.about.com/webapps/whereabout/geography.about.com/science/geography/
library/faq/blqzindexgeneral.htm

What is the Population of the world? How fast does the earth spin? Have you ever wondered about the answers to questions like these? Find out here.

Avalanches

Avalanche!: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/avalanche

NOVA Online and PBS present a behind-the-scenes look at avalanches: their beauty and destructive force. High graphics may lead to slow loading. Text version is available from the site.

Continents

The Ends of the Earth: http://www.batguano.com/polar.html

Take a journey to the Earth's Polar regions. Explore and discover what it's like to live in the coldest areas of Earth. Follow links to explore Polar Geography in a variety of ways: news, multi-media, games, and more!

Glaciers

All About Glaciers: http://nsidc.org/glaciers/

Learn about glacier history (past and present), view glacier photographs, and explore the science and data of glaciers through various publications, projects, and organizations. Includes a glacier Image gallery, and more. From the National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado.
Glaciers and Glacial Ages: http://www.uvm.edu/whale/GlaciersGlacialAges.html

What are glaciers? How do they form? What is their effect upon our Earth? Read about what glaciers are, present glacial areas of concern, how frequently they occur, and more. From the University of Vermont, Computing and Information Technology.

Icebergs

Icebergs of Newfoundland & Labrador: http://www.icebergfinder.com/

This website presents the beauty and sheer size of glaciers, specifically in Canada's province Newfoundland, and the city of Labrador, where there are the greatest glaciers in the world. View a map of where glaciers are located on the earth, visit the photo gallery, and learn about how satellites, computers and people find icebergs.
United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol: http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/iip/home.html

This website from the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Department of Homeland Security presents information about ice advisories, with a National Threat Advisory meter, and also presents the most recent information relating to glacial ice causing problems.

Clouds

The Cloud Case: The Beginning: http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/cloudless/

Learn about clouds by becoming a sky detective in your own detective story! Join with Detective Mike Breezy, and learn information about how clouds form and change, about water vapor, evaporation, condensation, and more!
Clouds and Precipitation: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/home.rxml

Read about cloud formation, development and precipitation, cloud types, and more! Includes general information about the different types of clouds and different forms of precipitation, and color photos. From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and WW2010 web-based project.

U.S. Temperature and Precipitation Trends: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/charts.shtml

Trend charts are available seasonally or annually. The website presents long-term temperature trends and changes as well as precipitation changes per decade.

Mountains

Mountain Voices: http://www.mountainvoices.org

Read about the lives of over 300 people whose homes are in mountainous or highly elevated areas. What are their lives like? Select a country from the listed options, or search by theme, with the "Theme Menu." Learn about agriculture, conflict, health, land, social change and more, with these stories.
Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia: http://www.peakware.com/

Look up locations of the highest points in the world, with an interactive map from Peakware, and Google Earth, and read interviews of residents. What are mountaineers' lives like? Search by theme, and and learn about a country or region, from a list of options.

Mt. Everest

Everest 50: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest (1953-2003): http://www.nationalgeographic.com/everest

Take a virtual climb via outtakes from National Geographic's anniversary documentary, "Everest." Read about the very first climb, news, and discussions. Good information to supplement what you'll find in books and encyclopedias.
MountEverest.net, by climbers: http://www.mounteverest.net/morenews.php

Read the latest news and past stories about Everest, and climbing expeditions. Learn about the pre-climb planning and ongoing process that made the ascent possible. From Explorers Web.
My Story: Edmund Hillary and Mt. Everest: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hillary/

Introducing Sir Edmond Hillary--the first man to reach the top of Mount Everest! Read an interview and facts about Mount Everest, and about World Famous Mountains. From Scholastic.
NOVA Online: Everest: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/

Examine the personalities, dangers, history, culture and lore surrounding the world's tallest mountain. Find out what has been discovered about the treachery of Mount Everest and the experience of the first man to attempt to scale it: George Leigh Mallory. Did Mallory make it to the top? Read about this mystery and more.

Parks & natural wonders

Weather

Weather megasites

KOIN.com Weather: http://www.koinlocal6.com/weather/default.aspx

Portland-area and Northwest forecasts by KOIN-TV.
Cities Around the World: http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/cities.html

Find out what the weather is like in another city anywhere in the world. Click on a city name and then zoom in to see a real-time image of the city.
Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtempcf.htm

USA Today weather provides a gradual scale as well as the formula to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius.
MyCast Weather: http://www.my-cast.com/

Free personalized weather imagery, forecasts, storm-path projections and National Weather Service alerts for the locations you choose. Email account needed to sign up.
FEMA for Kids: http://www.fema.gov/kids/index.htm

Federal Emergency Management Agency helps youth prepare for and learn about natural disasters, such as tornadoes and floods, and what to do if a disaster occurs. Click on the colored images, and begin learning about and exploring weather phenomena!
Interactive Weather Information Network: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/iwdspg1.html

Stay up-to-date with this site, from the National Weather Service! Click on an interactive map to explore active weather watches and advisaries, and short-term forecasts in the lower U.S. 48 States. Page will automatically refresh every 5 minutes. Select a state or area, and click on it to view its current weather activity!
Making a Weather Station: http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/weatherstation.html

Make your own weather station! Click on the interactive image, and learn about the weather conditions that indicate a concern for hurricances, or other big storms.
Meteorology: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml

Learn about air masses, fronts, clouds, el nino, hydrolic cycles, optics, and more!
National Severe Storms Laboratory: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov

Includes weather research, news and media, and more. Follow the "Education" link at the top of the page to learn about a series of coloring books for children. These pages can also be printed off the web to be used for classroom activities!
Reading Weather Maps: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/home.rxml

Learn how to read weather maps here! From the University of Illinois.
Remote Sensing: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/rs/home.rxml

How do radars and satellites help predict the weather? Fhe target audience is high school and undergraduate level students, however K-12 teachers, undergraduate and graduate level have teachers have included this site in teaching and classroom activities.
USA Today Weather: http://asp.usatoday.com/weather/weatherfront.aspx

Search for current weather conditions by any city, or zip code, in the United States. From USA Today.
USA Today Weather Topics Index: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wresources.htm

Look up weather for travel plans, find out data on past weather, read weather news, learn about weather and climate with animated graphics, and more! From USA Today and The Weather Channel.
Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com

Discover a city's current dewpoint, humidity, heat index, wind, pressure and weather history. Register to receive daily weather reports and other weather-related information.
weather.com: http://www.weather.com

Read weather news, planning for vacations, that experience different weather patterns and seasons, Traffic Reports, Holidays, Sports & Recreation, Climate, and more!
World Meteorological Organization: http://www.wmo.int/pages/index_en.html

Read World Climate News, become a member, participate in e-learning with an e-learning database for training in metelorology, hydology and associated sciences, explore weather and climate by theme, and much more! From World Meteorologicial Organization.
World Weather: http://www.weather.com/common/welcomepage/world.html
?from=globalnav

View weather in any part of the world! Simply type in the location where you want to look: zip code, country, city name or town. From the Weather Channel.
WW2010: The Weather World 2010 Project: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/home.rxml

Information on the most recent weather and storms in a collection of multimedia, meteorological instructional modules, and remote sensing tools. Includes history, publications, a user's guide, and lots of potential for projects and classroom activities.

Climate

Climate: http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/climate/

What is climate? What is the difference between weather and climate? Learn here! Also, take an online quiz to test what you've learned, and visit the Activities Page for climate-related activities you can do with or without this site. Great home and classroom activities!
National Weather Service: Climate Prediction Tables: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/new_climates

Learn about temperature average and limit, precipitation average and limit, for US cities, by month, and use this data to follow weather patterns over time, and/or predict climate or weather changes. From the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Climate Change - What You Can Do: http://epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/index.html

25 easy steps you can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce air pollution, increase energy independence and save money. From US Environmental Protection Agency.
Climate Change/Global Warming: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html

Questions and answers to frequently asked questions about global warming. Also, view graphs of changes comparing the Northern Hemispehre and Southern Hemisphere patterns, and Global patterns, shown over time.
Climate Change/Global Warming for Kids: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/

What is a climate system? What is climate change? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presents a fun and resourceful page for younger students and teachers learn the basics of climate change. Become a climate detective! Learn what you can do to help! Games, Links, teaching resources and more!
Climatologist's Toolbox: http://whyfiles.org/021climate/

When we are sick, we get our temperatures taken. How can we take the Earth's temperature? How do we fix the problem of climate change and the declining environment of our Earth? Can ice caps help us? Read about actions and steps you can take to help the environment. Lots of information about climate change, and the specifics of climate change.
Get/View Online Climate Data: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html

Get climate data for the day from an Online Climate Data Directory! View weather charts, climate maps of the US, view hourly and 15 minute Precipitation Data for the US, Climate maps for the US, Weather Charts and more! From NOAA, NESDIS and National Climatic Data Center.
National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html

Learn about climate extremes and weather events, and more.
Regional Climate Centers: http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/

Climate problems tend to be regional in scale. That is, climate anomalies such as droughts, heat waves, and blizzards typically affect an area larger than one state but not the entire country at one time. Explore regional climate trends with the interactive map.
United States Climate Page: http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html

Click on a state, then select a city, and view climatology graphs for that location. View a graph for Daily Mean Maximum Temperature and extremes, Daily Mean Minimum Temperature and Extremes, Daily mean Precipitation and Snowfall.
World Climate: http://www.worldclimate.com

Type in a city or town name, and data results for that location is returned. Use the Longitudal and latitudal coordinates to locate the town or city on a classroom map! Find out the average temperature and rainfall, average high and low temperatures, Sea-Level position, and more.

El Nino

Tracking El Nino: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino

Next to the seasons, El Nino is the most powerful force driving global weather! Find out what scientists are learning about this mysterious weather phenomenon, and its reach through space and time. From PBS and NOVA Online.

Hurricane

Hurricane Center: http://www.accuweather.com/wx/school/hurricane.htm

Check out the anatomy of a hurricane to help you understand the forces of air pressure and temperature at work, creating the tremendous, almost catastrophic strength! Read about hurricane facts, development, and predictions for future names. You can even view hurricane tracking maps for primary hurricane locations! From AccuWeather, Inc.
Hurricanes: Online Meteorology Guide: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml

Learn what defines a hurricane, about its movement, how names are selected, development stages, global activity, public awareness and more! From the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Urbana-Campaign, University of Illinois.
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Find out information about present and past hurricanes from this site. From the National Weather Service, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, National Hurricane Center, and Tropical Prediction Center.
Typical Northern Hemisphere Hurricane: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/whurwhat/whurwhat.htm

Type in a city or zip code, to display an up-to-date weather forecast, brought to you by The Weather Channel, and USA Today. View a clear and easy-to-understand diagram of a typical Northern Hemisphere hurricane. Scroll over the diagram to view the wind activity and direction. Learn what makes a hurricane, and more.

Lightning

Lightning: the Shocking Story: http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/lightning.html

Read about human encounters with lightning including survivor stories of being struck by lightning. Take a lightning quiz! Links to other National Geographic pages are included, for other sujects. They include stories, videos, games, activites and more!
Lightning: The Shocking Story: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/lightning

National Geographic explores the science of lightning.

Rainbows

About Rainbows: http://www.eo.ucar.edu/rainbows

What is a rainbow? How do rainbows happen? Learn about rainbows from this page created by The National Center for Atmospheric Research & UCAR Office of Programs. by Beverly Lynds of the Unidata Program Center in Boulder, CO.

Snow

Blizzard Attack: http://weathereye.kgan.com/expert/blizzard/

Play an interactive game to experience and survive a blizzard, with all your tools and resources provided, including some guidance. How do you prepare for a major winter storm or blizard? Learn about the dangers of winter storms, how to prepare, and see if you make it through the blizzard alive!
Blizzards: http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/blizzard.html?

What is a blizzard? How does it form? Find out at this website from the Weather Channel.
Blizzards of 1996: http://nsidc.org/snow/blizzard/

Learn about the some of the most recent, worst blizzards in the United States, from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Learn why blizzards can be very dangerous. Satellite images and maps are included, showing the blizzards of 1996. You can also read about other Notable Storms.
All About Snow: http://nsidc.org/snow/

This site from the National Snow and Ice Data Center presents detailed infromation about snow and ice. Why is snow white? How big can snowflakes get? The National Snow and Ice Data Center answers these and addresses other topics relating to snow.

Temperature & Precipitation

Tornado

The Fujita Scale: http://www.tornadoproject.com/fujitascale/fscale.htm#top

Basic information about the intensity of tornadoes and how they are rated. "The Fujita Scale is used to rate the intensity of a tornado by examining the damage caused by the tornado after it has passed over a man-made structure."
Inside a Tornado: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/tornado/tornado.html

What is it like to be inside a tornado? How did we discover this? Find out here.
Tornado Project Online: http://www.tornadoproject.com/intro.htm

Information on tornadoes, tornadoes of the past, top ten tornadoes, storm chasing, tornado myths and stories, the futjita scale (rates tornado intensity), tornado safety and more.
Tornado Safety Tips Brochure: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/tornadoes.shtm

From the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this website explains what to do before, during and after a tornado hits.

Tsunami

Savage Seas: http://www.thirteen.org/savageseas/neptune-main.html

This website from PBS Online explores tsunamis, trade winds, and freak waves. Use the Wave Machine to create your own wave (requires the Flash plug-in).
Tsunami: http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/intro.html

Everything you want to know about tsunamis.

Wind & Air Masses

Air Masses and Fronts: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/home.rxml

Discover warm and cold fronts and where they originate from and how they are modified.