Curriculum for the Classroom > Convection Connection

Convection Connection

During November 2000, the University of Colorado at Boulder and KCNC NEWS4 teamed up to bring this exciting educational program to schools throughout Colorado. Convection Connection, designed for grades four through six, was a series of science demonstrations that addressed the basic principles behind convection and how it affects Earth's systems.

The program featured NEWS4's Larry Green with CU Boulder's Dr. Mike Dubson from the physics department and Dr. Alex Weaver from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES).

The demonstrations originally aired weekdays, November 6–17, 2000, during NEWS4's First News at 4:00 p.m.

Convection Connection Activity Guide

The Convection Connection activity guide is available here at no charge. Hands-on activities in the guide provide students with the opportunity to investigate for themselves the concepts of convection:

• Explores the physics of convection by looking at density, heat, air pressure and buoyancy;
• Ties it all together on a ride in a hot air balloon; and
• Applies convection to Earth systems: the atmosphere, the oceans, the sun, and Earth's mantle.

Click here to download Convection Connection Activity Guide (pdf format)

For more information or to order the video or activity guide, contact Science From CU at 303-492-8640 or by email at sfcu@colorado.edu