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1. Introduce El Niño and have students brainstorm possible effects.
Explain to students that El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures. Ask students to brainstorm what negative effects they think would be likely to accompany the rise in temperature, including any global natural disasters. Prompt students to think about the impact on weather and marine life, and to include such events as droughts, floods, mudslides, hurricanes, typhoons, and wildfires.
2. Show students the National Geographic video “El Niño.”
Show students the National Geographic video “El Niño.” Then check students’ comprehension. Ask:
- What is El Niño? (an unusually warm ocean current, accompanied by heavy rains and flooding)
- When does El Niño usually happen? (every few years around Christmas)
- What is La Niña? (another weather phenomenon that includes unusually cold ocean temperatures that push warm surface water farther west than usual, creating the opposite effects of El Niño—drought where El Niño brought floods and floods where El Niño brought drought)
- What did you learn about the El Niño and La Niña phenomena that surprised you?
3. Have students map the patterns of El Niño and La Niña in the world's oceans.
Divide the class into small groups and distribute blank outline maps of the world. Invite a volunteer to point out the Equatorial Pacific. Then have students use NOAA’s El Niño Page and the blank maps to illustrate the patterns of El Niño and La Niña in the world's oceans. Have them use different colors to represent warmer and cooler water, and arrows to represent the direction the water is moving.
4. Have a whole-class discussion about the benefits of accurately predicting the next El Niño or La Niña.
Have students look at NOAA’s El Niño page to see when the next predicted El Niño or La Niña will occur. Explain to students that scientists currently use a variety of tools—such as satellites and buoys—to monitor changes in the Pacific Ocean. Ask: How could accurate forecasts of a future El Niño or La Niña benefit people? (There would be less damage due to natural disasters with advance warning. Farmers could plan crops based on expected weather conditions. Countries could conserve water and energy.)
Subjects & Disciplines
- Earth Science
- Geography
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- identify the effects of El Niño on people and the environment
- explain the El Niño and La Niña phenomena
- map the patterns of El Niño and La Niña on a world map
- describe the benefits of accurately predicting the next El Niño or La Niña
Teaching Approach
- Learning-for-use
Teaching Methods
- Brainstorming
- Discussions
- Hands-on learning
- Visual instruction
Skills Summary
This activity targets the following skills:
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Critical Thinking Skills
- Analyzing
- Understanding
- Geographic Skills
Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices
National Geography Standards
- Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information
- Standard 15: How physical systems affect human systems
National Science Education Standards
- (5-8) Standard B-3: Transfer of energy
What You’ll Need
Materials You Provide
- Colored pencils
- Markers
- Paper
- Pencils
- Pens
Required Technology
- Internet Access: Required
- Tech Setup: 1 computer per classroom, Projector, Speakers
- Plug-Ins: Flash
Physical Space
- Classroom
Grouping
- Large-group instruction
- Small-group instruction
Background Information
El Niño is an unusually warm ocean current accompanied by heavy rains and flooding. La Niña includes unusually cold ocean temperatures that push warm surface water farther west than usual, creating the opposite effects of El Niño. People are learning to forecast these weather patterns in an attempt to protect themselves from the worst of these effects.
Prior Knowledge
- None
Recommended Prior Activities
- None
Vocabulary
irregular, recurring weather system that features a warm, eastern-flowing ocean current in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
an event occurring naturally that has large-scale effects on the environment and people, such as a volcano, earthquake, or hurricane.
Websites
Funder
This activity is made possible by a generous grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program.
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Climate
Climate describes the average weather conditions of a particular place over a 30 year period . All places on earth have their own climates. Some climates are small in scale, like the climate of a local region or the microclimates within an ecosystem, and some are much larger, such as the climates of entire continents, or the world’s oceans. Different from weather events, which are short-term and temporary phenomenon, climates are usually steady and predictable, and shape how organisms and human civilizations evolve and adapt in any given region. However, climates are not always permanent, and can change drastically due to human activity. Explore the world's climates and how they affect local regions and the planet with this curated collection of resources.
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Ocean Currents
Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings. This abiotic system is responsible for the transfer of heat, variations in biodiversity, and Earth’s climate system. Explore how ocean currents are interconnected with other systems with these resources.
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Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years. Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources.
-
La Niña
La Nina is a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean water along the tropical west coast of South America.
-
El Niño
El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
-
The Galápagos Bellwether
As El Niños hit the Galápagos Islands with increasing frequency and intensity, due to climate change, the islands' iconic species are under threat.
-
Climate
Climate describes the average weather conditions of a particular place over a 30 year period . All places on earth have their own climates. Some climates are small in scale, like the climate of a local region or the microclimates within an ecosystem, and some are much larger, such as the climates of entire continents, or the world’s oceans. Different from weather events, which are short-term and temporary phenomenon, climates are usually steady and predictable, and shape how organisms and human civilizations evolve and adapt in any given region. However, climates are not always permanent, and can change drastically due to human activity. Explore the world's climates and how they affect local regions and the planet with this curated collection of resources.
-
Ocean Currents
Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings. This abiotic system is responsible for the transfer of heat, variations in biodiversity, and Earth’s climate system. Explore how ocean currents are interconnected with other systems with these resources.
-
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years. Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources.
-
La Niña
La Nina is a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean water along the tropical west coast of South America.
-
El Niño
El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
-
The Galápagos Bellwether
As El Niños hit the Galápagos Islands with increasing frequency and intensity, due to climate change, the islands' iconic species are under threat.