The UCAR Center for Science Education@UCARSciEd

Connecting educators, students, and the public to Earth science research conducted at @NCAR_Science and @UCAR_News. #NSFfunded

 Boulder, CO, USA
scied.ucar.edu/
Joined November 2011
1,079 Photos and videos
#Teachers, our free virtual field trips are still available this semester! We drop into your classroom for 30-60 mins to run cloud experiments, talk about STEM careers, or give a 360° virtual tour of the Mesa Lab! Sign up for our award-winning field trips: scied.ucar.edu/visit/virtual…
Two educators virtually standing in front of the Mesa Lab during a 360° virtual tour.

ALT Two educators virtually standing in front of the Mesa Lab during a 360° virtual tour.

A person pointing at a bubble on the open end of a plastic bottle. The other end of the bottle is submerged in hot water.

ALT A person pointing at a bubble on the open end of a plastic bottle. The other end of the bottle is submerged in hot water.

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The UCAR Center for Science Education retweeted
CLEAN@ClimateLit
16 Jan 2025
Join @ucarscied's teacher professional development team for their Jeff the Yeti for Teaching With SkySci For Kids! The event will be Thursday, January 23, 2025 @ 04:00 PM-05:00 PM (MST). This is an event you won't want to miss! Register today at ➡️ buff.ly/40zkhC9
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The UCAR Center for Science Education retweeted
Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration@cilcorg
12 Jan 2025
Did you know a typical #cumulonimbus #cloud can weigh 105.8 MILLION pounds?! Find out how it stay up in the sky with #educators @UCARSciEd as they #explore how the sun affects the #Earth’s weather with an #interactive #experiment. Book today: bit.ly/428DfR1
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Yesterday was the latest sunrise of the year! Starting today, sunrises will finally begin getting earlier again. It's a subtle shift but a sure sign that brighter mornings and warmer weather are ahead!
Sunrise over the library on Gonzaga's campus

ALT Sunrise over the library on Gonzaga's campus

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You may be familiar with the water cycle, but that's not the only Earth system cycle🌊 Elemental atoms, like carbon and nitrogen, also cycle between living and non-living things. The same atoms are recycled over and over, known as a biogeochemical cycle. scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone…
A graphic of the carbon cycle that shows a variety of reservoirs, where carbon is stored, and fluxes, how carbon moves.

ALT A graphic of the carbon cycle that shows a variety of reservoirs, where carbon is stored, and fluxes, how carbon moves.
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🎵Frosty, ol' Mesa Lab🎵 Bring your holiday guests up to learn about @NCAR_Science, and to 🎵laugh and play, just the same as you and me🎵 The Mesa Lab will be open for holiday hours on Dec 25 and Jan 1 from 9am - 4pm, with no noon tour. Plan your visit: scied.ucar.edu/visit/ncar?ut…
A photo of a frost-covered pine tree with the Mesa Lab in the background.

ALT A photo of a frost-covered pine tree with the Mesa Lab in the background.

A photo of frost-covered wild grass with the Mesa Lab in the background.

ALT A photo of frost-covered wild grass with the Mesa Lab in the background.

A photo of frost-covered twigs with the bridge to the back of the Mesa Lab in the background.

ALT A photo of frost-covered twigs with the bridge to the back of the Mesa Lab in the background.
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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a career in STEM? Many people who work at @NCAR_Science are scientists, but just as important are the engineers, administrators, facilities staff, educators and more. Check out our digital trading cards: scied.ucar.edu/explore/caree…
A kid looking at the STEM trading cards on the table with three staff members smiling at her.

ALT A kid looking at the STEM trading cards on the table with three staff members smiling at her.
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Batnado isn't the next spin-off series🦇 It's a unique phenomenon for Texas locals. The Bracken Cave bat colony is so dense that when they awake at night weather radar incorrectly identifies them as a storm! Meteorologists have to adapt their forecasts to account for this event.
A close up screen showing a weather forecast and other pop ups. There are clearly a group of bats that have been added on top of the radar as a joke.

ALT A close up screen showing a weather forecast and other pop ups. There are clearly a group of bats that have been added on top of the radar as a joke.

A scientist looking at a screen that is displaying a weather forecast.

ALT A scientist looking at a screen that is displaying a weather forecast.

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🌅Ever wondered how the sky paints itself in stunning colors during sunrise and sunset? It's all about light scattering! Check out our Appearance of the Sky article to learn how tiny molecules create those breathtaking pinks, oranges, and purples 🌇✨scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone…
A pink and lavender sunset over corn fields

ALT A pink and lavender sunset over corn fields

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Sign up for our FREE K-12 newsletter to have a selection of our resources sent to your inbox during the school year! Past newsletters have included Preventing Air Pollution, Exploring Energy Sources, and more. scied.ucar.edu/newsletter?ut…
A photo of bubbles in the shape of an infinity with Pollution Prevention in the bottom left corner

ALT A photo of bubbles in the shape of an infinity with Pollution Prevention in the bottom left corner

Examples of newsletter content from the September 2024 edition: Air Pollution, Name that Air Pollutant, Modeling Smog, and A Solvable Problem!

ALT Examples of newsletter content from the September 2024 edition: Air Pollution, Name that Air Pollutant, Modeling Smog, and A Solvable Problem!
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Raise your hand if the snow yesterday made you excited for winter 🙋 Winter coming means more snow and potentially blizzards! So, what is the difference between a snowstorm and a blizzard? Head to the Learning Zone to find out! scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone…
A snowy day in the mountains looking out over a ski run with Fraser Valley in the background

ALT A snowy day in the mountains looking out over a ski run with Fraser Valley in the background
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The UCAR Center for Science Education retweeted
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research@NCAR_Science
26 Nov 2024
Explore why geography matters at our next Explorer Series lecture! 🗺️ On Wed., Dec. 4, NSF NCAR scientists Olga Wilhelmi and Jennifer Boehnert will discuss how geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can help scientists understand weather risks. bit.ly/3Z55gWu
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With holiday breaks approaching, it's a great time to check out our STEM at Home activities, like these Atmosphere Lanterns! This fun, hands-on activity explores our atmosphere and creates a cool night light! For this activity and more: scied.ucar.edu/stem-at-home?… 📸: EUREKUS
18 glowing atmosphere lanterns of many colors, created by kids during a summer program in 2021

ALT 18 glowing atmosphere lanterns of many colors, created by kids during a summer program in 2021
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Family in town and looking for something fun? Come visit the @NCAR_Science Mesa Lab for a free public noon tour on Monday and Wednesday! The Mesa Lab is open all week for self-guided visits, but there will not be a guided tour on Friday. For more info: scied.ucar.edu/visit/ncar-to…
A group of people standing in an atrium of the Mesa Lab surrounding the architectural model of the building

ALT A group of people standing in an atrium of the Mesa Lab surrounding the architectural model of the building
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You may have heard about the bomb cyclone that hit the West Coast earlier this week, but what makes a bomb cyclone? It has to do with a process called bombogenesis! Check out our Animated Atmosphere video to learn how this happens scied.ucar.edu/video/what-ma…
Weather warnings on a radar map

ALT Weather warnings on a radar map
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When there is a severe weather event, news outlets carry weather stories in different ways from the daily weather report. Help your students gain media literacy skills with our Weather in the News classroom activity: scied.ucar.edu/activity/weat…
A scientist being interviewed by a weather reporter (and his daughter) outside the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building.

ALT A scientist being interviewed by a weather reporter (and his daughter) outside the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building.
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Have you played our games and simulations recently? All of these fun interactives are even more accessible. All actions that previously involved dragging movements now include a point-and-click or keyboard navigation to play. Cheers to including everyone in STEM learning!

ALT A gif of the Layers of the Earth's Atmosphere simulation which shows the user tabbing through the buttons with keyboard navigation.

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scied.ucar.edu/interactive?u…
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While most depictions of raindrops are tear-shaped (like this emoji 💧), they aren't really that shape when they fall! Want to know more? Visit the Learning Zone scied.ucar.edu/video/shape-r…
A macro view photo of rain splashing on water

ALT A macro view photo of rain splashing on water
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Thank you Boulder for another superb Super Science Saturday! We lucked out with perfect weather and got to greet 1,750 of you up at the @NCAR_Science Mesa Lab. We'll be sharing a folder with all the official photos of the event in a few weeks, but for now, enjoy this quick recap!
A family smiling curiously at a tornado in a bottle.

ALT A family smiling curiously at a tornado in a bottle.

An NSF NCAR Wizard in a purple robe and wizard hat holding her hand above a wooden board covered in candles.

ALT An NSF NCAR Wizard in a purple robe and wizard hat holding her hand above a wooden board covered in candles.

The Jeff and Paige band performing to a group of children outside.

ALT The Jeff and Paige band performing to a group of children outside.

Two staff members standing behind a table and smiling at the camera.

ALT Two staff members standing behind a table and smiling at the camera.
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