The teaching demonstration is intended to inspire student questions from which they can design an investigation regarding ocean's carbonate buffer system, how changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may affect ocean pH, and how biological organisms that depend on calcification. Using synthetic seawater low concentrations and dry ice, students are introduced to Le Chatelier's Principle, buffered solutions, and the Carbonate Bjerrum Plot.

Digital media of minerals and rocks are increasingly available in online environments. However, the mere availability of these resources does not address a number of critical pedagogical issues: Are the resources optimized for learning through different client devices? How should online resources be integrated into the instructor's existing course? What are the instructor's learning objectives, and are they achievable? I created a website for the student to study unidentified minerals through text, images and short videos of typical tests (e.g., Mohs hardness, streak, acid reaction, etc.) that students would otherwise perform by handling physical samples. Observing video tests engages student attention required for interpretation of results needed for mineral identification. My primary motivation is to provide online resources for students who miss a face-to-face laboratory session. An additional motivation is to foster discussion within the geoscience education community to clarify and address unresolved pedagogical issues (above) and to provide alternative pathways for teaching and learning the identification of minerals. The website is designed as building block or tool instructors may use in different ways to accommodate different learning objectives. The website may also be useful for the teaching of mineral identification only in the online environment.

Weather impacts us everyday, yet the science surrounding weather phenomenon can be difficult for students to comprehend. The University Corporation of Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is proud to share a new free NGSS-based unit about the science of weather for 6th-8th grades. GLOBE Weather is a five-week curriculum that includes investigations of weather phenomena through activities, demonstrations, data collection, and data analysis. This Teaching Demo will focus on Lesson 13: "Why is it hotter at the equator than other places on Earth?" and will give attendees an opportunity to explore what happens when sunlight strikes the Earth's surface.

Where in the World is Vladimir Koppen? is a board game designed for college-level introduction to the Koppen Climate Classification System. The activity is designed to work in groups of 4-12, with students competing either individually or in pairs. One round of the game can be completed in ~10 minutes, allowing students to play multiple times within one class period. Players move around a world map examining climate data, collecting clues to the whereabouts of climate scientist Vladimir Koppen, and using climographs to deduce the answer. This game incorporates recognition of spatial patterns, interpretation of numerical evidence and graphs, and problem solving to reinforce Koppen Climate Classification learning objectives. After playing the game, students will be able to read and interpret climographs (temperature and precipitation), assign Koppen classifications based on climograph data, describe the prevalence and spatial distribution of climate types around the world, and compare climates between locations.