Education: Developing and Using Models

Developing and Using Models A practice of both science and engineering is to use and construct models as helpful tools for representing ideas and explanations. These tools include diagrams, drawings, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations. Click on the icons (below right) to view other standards.
   Asking Questions and Defining Problems Developing and Using Models Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Analyzing and Interpreting Data Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Engaging in Argument from Evidence Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information


Block diagram of the water cycle
A New View on the Water Cycle (00:05:17)  
Dr. Raymond Schmitt discusses the role that heat plays in warming the ocean and fueling the water cycle, making the case for a more globalized view of the water cycle.
North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Earth's Rotation Influences Ocean Currents (00:07:31)  
In this clip, Julius Busecke discusses how the interactions between atmospheric circulation and the rotation of the earth interact to produce large scale gyres in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Graph of brightness temperature vs. sea surface temperature
Historical Challenges of Measuring Salinity From Space (00:07:43)  
Dr. Yi Chao explains how satellite technology has evolved throughout the years to deal with the challenge of measuring ocean salinity from space.
Freshwater budget in the SPURS area
Linking Freshwater Flux with Variations In Ocean Salinity (00:04:51)  
In this clip, Dr. Tom Farrar describes his research with surface seawater fluxes and what it means to create a salinity "budget" for the SPURS study site.
Weather forecast map
Mesoscale Eddies: The Weather of the Ocean (00:05:26)  
In this clip, Ph.D student Julius Busecke explains that through his research, he is trying to determine how freshwater is carried throughout the ocean and how mesoscale eddies in the ocean are affecting properties like ocean salinity.
El Niño diagram
Natural Variability In Ocean Salinity (00:02:53)  
Using the El Niño event that occurs off the west coast of South America, Dr. Gary Lagerloef explains what natural salinity variability in the ocean looks like.
Global ocean currents
Teaching High Schoolers About Ocean Currents and Heat Capacity (00:05:09)  
Ted Taylor, a high school earth sciences teacher at Bangor High School, walks through a concept map aimed at presenting ways he has incorporated ocean science topics into his classroom.
Sea surface salinity for the SPURS region
The Aquarius Satellite and SPURS (00:02:50)  
Dr. Fred Bingham talks how using both satellites and in-situ equipment is creating a more accurate picture of processes occurring in the salty Atlantic.
Global water reservoirs and fluxes
Why Worry About the Ocean? (00:01:05)  
In this clip, Ph.D student Julius Busecke walks us through why we should be concerned about the ocean, due, in part, to evaporation and precipitation. Although we think of these processes as largely land-based phenomena, they actually take place on a much larger scale over the ocean.