As a high school or undergraduate Physics or Earth Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to help you in teaching about Coriolis Force, the Coriolis Effect, and how the Coriolis Effect influences climate (trade winds and upwelling).
This lesson plan allows students to understand the Coriolis Force, and the effect of the Coriolis Force on weather and climate. The videos and activity explain how the Coriolis effect determines the direction of trade winds and upwelling in the oceans.
Coriolis Effect
Questions
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
- 1. What is the Coriolis Effect?
- 2. How does the Coriolis Effect affect the direction of motion in the northern hemisphere?
- 3. How does the Coriolis Effect affect the direction of motion in the southern hemisphere?
- 4. How does the Coriolis Effect influence the direction of trade winds on Earth?
- 5. What is upwelling? How does the Coriolis Effect affect upwelling in the oceans?
Upwelling
About Lesson Plan
| Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
| Discipline | Physics, Earth Sciences |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | • Physics : Coriolis Force and Coriolis Effect, • Earth Sciences: Coriolis Force, Coriolis Effect, Trade Winds, Upwelling |
| Climate Topic | Climate and the Atmosphere, Climate and the Hydrosphere |
| Location | Global, |
| Languages | English |
| Access | Online , Offline |
| Approximate Time Required | 40-50 min |
Contents
| Micro-lecture (video)
(~8 min) |
A micro-lecture (video) that introduces the Coriolis Effect. |
| Classroom/ Laboratory activity
(10 – 15 min) |
A hands-on classroom/laboratory activity to explain the Coriolis Effect. |
| Micro-lecture (video)
(~6 min) |
A micro-lecture (video) that introduces the topic of upwelling in the oceans, and how the direction of motion of water is influenced by the Coriolis Effect.
|
| Micro-lecture (video)
(~6 min) |
A micro-lecture (video) that introduces the topic of trade winds, and how the direction of these winds is influenced by the Coriolis Effect. |
| 1.Introduce the topic through a micro-lecture (video) |
|
| 2. Conduct a classroom/laboratory activity |
|
| 3. Play a micro-lecture (video) |
|
| 4. Play a micro-lecture (video) |
|
Use the tools and the concepts learned so far to discuss and determine answers to the following questions:
- • What is the Coriolis Effect?
- • How does the Coriolis Effect affect the direction of motion in the northern hemisphere?
- • How does the Coriolis Effect affect the direction of motion in the southern hemisphere?
- • How does the Coriolis Effect influence the direction of trade winds on Earth?
- • What is upwelling? How does the Coriolis Effect affect upwelling in the oceans?
The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:
- • describe the Coriolis Effect
- • compare the influence of the Coriolis Effect on the direction of motion in the northern and southern hemispheres of Earth
- • discuss the influence of the Coriolis Effect on the climate of a region
If you or your students would like to explore the topic further, these additional resources will be useful.
| 1 | Micro-lecture (video) | A micro-lecture (video), “The Coriolis effect”, from Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/nova/clouds/v/hurricanes |
| 2 | Reading | A reading, “Coriolis effect”, from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/coriolis-effect/ |
| 1 | Micro-lecture (video), “Coriolis Effect” | Prof. Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland (content developed for the TROP ICSU project, at the Science Media Center, IISER Pune) |
| 2 | Classroom/Laboratory activity, “Coriolis Effect Activity” | Laura Reiser Wetzel, Eckerd College, available on the Teach the Earth Portal at SERC Carleton |
| 3 | Micro-lecture (video), “Upwelling | Prof. Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland (content developed for the TROP ICSU project, at the Science Media Center, IISER Pune) |
| 4 | Micro-lecture (video), “Trade Winds” | Prof. Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland (content developed for the TROP ICSU project at the Science Media Center, IISER Pune |
| 5 | Additional Resources | Khan Academy; |
| 6 | Images | https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/currents/05currents1.html |
All the teaching tools and images in our collated list are owned by the corresponding creators/authors/organizations as listed on their websites. Please view the individual copyright and ownership details for each tool by following the individual links provided. We have selected and analyzed the tools that align with the overall objective of our project and have provided the corresponding links. We do not claim ownership of or responsibility/liability for any of the listed tools.