Virginia Earth Science Standards of Learning addressed in this
activity include:

ES.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which:

• Technologies, including computers, are used to collect, analyze, and report data and to demonstrate concepts and simulate experimental conditions;
• Scales, diagrams, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and profiles are constructed and interpreted
• A scientific viewpoint is constructed and defended.

ES.2 The student will demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic by:

• Analyzing how science explains and predicts the interactions and dynamics of complex Earth systems;
• Recognizing that evidence is required to evaluate explanations;

ES.13 The student will investigate and understand that energy transfer between the sun, Earth, and the Earth's atmosphere drives weather and climate on Earth. Key concepts include:

• Prediction of weather patterns; and
• Weather phenomena and the factors that affect climate.