Name ___________________________
Lesson 7 and Inquiry 7.1 – Ocean Currents and Global Climate
1. Look at the class globe and the clamp lamp. Make a prediction. How do
you think the light from the lamp will affect the temperatures of different
parts of the globe? ______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What are the starting temperatures?
Equator _______
Middle latitude _______
North Pole _______
3. While the light shines on the globe for a few minutes answer the following
questions then discuss with the class.
a. Examine the equator and the poles. How are they alike? ___________
___________________________________________________________
How are they different? _______________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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b. How do you think these factors affect the temperature of air and water
at the equator? ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
How do you think they affect temperatures at the poles? ____________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. What are the ending temperatures?
Equator _______
Middle latitude _______
North Pole _______
What do the results tell you about global hearing of the earth? __________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
How do you think the sun’s energy causes convection currents in both the
atmosphere and the oceans on the earth? __________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. Brainstorm what you know and want to know about ocean currents. Then
answer these questions.
A. You know what causes convection currents in the air. What do you
think causes currents in the ocean? ___________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
B. How do you think ocean currents affect global weather? _________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Reflecting On What You’ve Done (p.87)
A. How does temperature affect the way water moves? The hot water stayed
at the top. The cool water sank.
Circle which is denser – (in red)
Hot water
cold water
What evidence do you have to support your answer? In our beakers the
cold water sank to the bottom while the warm water stayed on top. This is
convection.
B. Think of your globe and how light reached it. How might the uneven
heating of the earth cause ocean currents? Ocean temperatures are higher
at the equator. This causes water from the equator to rise and flow
towards the poles. The poles are cold so that water sinks and flows toward
the equator.
C. What happened to the cold water (with purple dye) when you blew across
the beaker? Surface winds (you) blew the warm water aside causing the
cooler water at the bottom to rise to the top. This is an upwelling.
Why do you think this happened? Trade winds blow warm water aside
forcing cold to rise bringing up rich nutrients from the ocean bottom.