What is the course?

AMS Climate Studies is an introductory climate sciencecourse provided by the American Meteorological Society to undergraduate institutions for local offering. The course is prepared by meteorologists and climatologists nationally recognized in atmospheric science education. Development for this course was supported, in part, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Students are introduced to the many elements of Earth's climate system.

How can the course be implemented?

• As a NEW institutional course offering.
• To REVISE an existing course at your institution.
• To EXPAND an existing course by adding a laboratory component.
• As the FOCUS of an online course, or as individual directed study.

>>Go to the Options for Using Course Materials page to learn more.

Who can offer the course?

AMS Climate Studies can be offered by experienced science faculty or those new to teaching climatology. Collegial assistance is available to all new instructors.

We have large numbers of atmospheric scientists, geographers, geologists, and physicists successfully offering the course, as well as those from disciplines such as engineering and chemistry.

During course implementation and instruction, collegial assistance is available from faculty members who have already offered AMS Climate Studies. Also, AMS science educators will answer any questions on all aspects of course delivery and content. This course enables faculty members to expand and/or update their curriculum and join the ranks of colleagues teaching with the latest technology.

What are the course components?

Textbook - The full-color, hardcover, 15 chapter Climate Studies: Introduction to Climate Science text covers the fundamental principles in understanding Earth's climate system as a whole. The primary author of the text is Dr. Joseph M. Moran (University of Wisconsin - Green Bay and Associate Director, AMS Education Program), author of several leading meteorology, Earth and environmental science texts at the introductory college level. The textbook contains ten Review and ten Critical Thinking Questions per chapter.

At the instructor's option, the Climate Studies textbook may be used as part of the turnkey AMS Climate Studies course package (including the Investigations Manual and Course Website) or by itself. Textbook-Only users have access to a special Internet website that delivers the Daily Weather Summary, current climatological products, and Math Skills applications. A license is not required for this text-only option.

>>Go to the Climate Studies Textbook page to view the table of contents and a sample chapter.

Investigations Manual - A set of student learning investigations is coordinated with the text chapters. Each investigation (two per week) contains Introduction and Applications sections. The investigation can be completed using the two sections in the Manual or by using the Introduction section plus Current Climate Studies available on the Course Website. The Manual Applications section and Current Climate Studies are similar in format, topic, and length. Investigations lead the student through analysis and interpretation of current climatological data.

The Investigations Manual is designed to function as a self-contained course for those wishing to have all course material in their hands before the course starts, those wanting to preload all course material into their institution's e-learning course management system at the beginning of each term and/or those whose academic calendars do not match the AMS Climate Studies delivery schedule.

Learning investigations lead the student through the analysis and interpretation of real-world climatological data. The twice-weekly investigations are prepared by Dr. Robert S. Weinbeck (State University of New York - Brockport and AMS Education Program), and Dr. Ira W. Geer (Senior Education Fellow, AMS Education Program). Both have extensive experience teaching introductory meteorology courses and conducting NSF- and NOAA-funded faculty and teacher enhancement projects.

>>Go to the Climate Studies Investigations Manual page to to view the list of investigations and sample activities.

Course Website - The AMS Climate Studies Course Website includes the delivery of Current Climate Studies, weekly Math Skills, current weather maps, visible, infrared, and water vapor satellite imagery, composite radar displays, and surface and upper-air data, plus forecast maps for the U.S. and southern Canada. Meteorological data, formatted and delivered via NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) are updated hourly, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week, year-round!

To access the Course Website, a Login ID and Password are required by all licensed students and faculty. A special site is available for all faculty considering this course offering, where the course website and course delivery mechanisms may be previewed. Go to the Course Website Preview to view sample of the website components described below.

• Current Climate Studies - Challenging lab activities with real-time excitement! - Course investigations are self-contained in the Investigations Manual or may be completed using the Manual introductory section with Current Climate Studies delivered on the course website. Current Climate Studies investigations expand on important concepts using current or recent weather data and are delivered on the weekly schedule described below.
  
  
• Daily Weather Summary - A play-by-play of the weather today- A very useful Website feature is the daily weather discussion that appears during the fall and spring semesters, describing the current weather pattern nationwide. This weekday summary builds on course content as the semester progresses. For an example, follow the "Learning Files" link on the Course Website Preview. It is prepared by Dr. Edward J. Hopkins (University of Wisconsin - Madison), who has an extensive background in teaching meteorology.
  
  
• Weekly Weather/Climate News - Current events that affect our lives- This weekly feature contains links to the latest weather and climate news items. The news files are prepared by Dr. Edward J. Hopkins.
  
  
• Math Skills - Additional quantitative activities to engage and challenge your students at a variety of competency levels- The weekly Math Skills component contains exercises that correspond to each textbook chapter. Each Math Skills has parts A and B. Part A is a quantitative study of important chapter concepts that assumes knowledge of basic algebra. Part B is a more challenging section that explores meteorological concepts such as radiation laws, gas laws, energy conservation, and forces and winds.
  
  
• Critical Thinking/Diversity Component - Reasoned pathways to problem solving in atmospheric science and the real world- This component first defines Critical Thinking and its attributes, and then examines a specific critical thinking cognitive skill and an affective attribute that relate to each week's student learning investigations. The component then describes an activity that models some aspect of critical thinking. Each week's segment ends with the suggestion of ways in which critical thinking can be applied more generally to topics or issues that are not part of the science content of the course. The theme for these applications is diversity, a topic that impacts all of us and in which there are many ideas to explore. We do this because our society is becoming increasingly diverse and our educational process has the potential of benefiting significantly by being more inclusive.
  
  
• Investigations Manual Images - The website contains a link to electronic versions of Investigations Manual images. These will be helpful if the course instructor prefers to have students submit selected images they have marked or processed electronically (e.g., via e-mail or drop box on a course management system website).
  
  
• Investigations Manual Web Addresses - Internet addresses appearing the Investigations Manual can be accessed via the "Learning Files" section of the course website. Click on "Investigations Manual Web Addresses". Then, go to the appropriate investigation and click on the address link. We recommend this approach for its convenience. It also enables AMS to update any website addresses that were changed after the Investigations Manual was prepared.

Faculty Resource CD and Website- The CD contains the faculty manual, Investigations Manual answer forms compatible with course management systems, test bank questions, and textbook images. The faculty manual describes the course and its components and contains suggestions for course implementation in a variety of classroom settings. Included for each text chapter is an outline, summary, and learning objectives.

The CD Investigations Manual answer forms are files compatible with Respondus, test-generating software for which your institution may have a license. This program opens formatted files and converts them to various course management system files.

Test bank questions are available in a variety of formats, including Microsoft Word, text, PDF, and Respondus-compatible files. The CD also contains Investigations Manual answer forms and keys in Word, text, and PDF formats, and the electronic versions of textbook chapter Review and Critical Thinking Questions found in the textbook.

A secure faculty website delivers answers to chapter Review and Critical Thinking, Investigations Manual, Current Climate Studies, and Math Skills questions. The website includes Respondus-formatted answer forms for Current Climate Studies.

When are the real-time course components delivered?

The real-world case studies in the Applications section of the Investigations Manual allow the combination of manual and textbook to function as a full course. Many institutions offering the course during fall and spring semesters may choose to use the Introduction section of the Manual investigations with Current Climate Studies on the course website to expand on important concepts using current or recent weather data.

Current Climate Studies are delivered on a weekly schedule. Each week's Current Climate Studies "A" investigation is posted about Monday noon Eastern Time. The "B" investigation is posted about Wednesday noon ET. During fall and spring semesters, Current Climate Studies files accumulate in the "Archives" section of the course website as the semester progresses. "Current Climate Studies" activities for Chapter 13, 14, and 15, designed for use at any point during the course, are updated at the beginning of each fall semester and available year-round. Current Climate Studies answer keys and Respondus-compatible files will be posted to the faculty website on the same schedule.

How do I integrate this course with my Course Management System?

The Investigations Manual, Current Climate Studies learning investigations, and test banks can be ported into your system’s quizzing function for automated scoring and immediate student feedback. This feature allows for full integration into an e-learning environment. We provide course management system-compatible files in Respondus format, software for which many campuses are licensed.

>>Go to the Course Management System Integration page to learn about the easy three step process for porting our files into your system.

How do I host this course at my college?

If you would like to use the entire AMS Climate Studies course package, which includes the Textbook, Investigations Manual, and access to our Course and Faculty Websites, your college will need to have a completed license on file with the AMS Education Program. The semester-license fee is $149 per institution, regardless of number of sections or number of students; a 12-month annual license is $249.

If you would like to use the Textbook-Only Option, a license is not required, but please contact us to request instructor materials.

With an AMS Climate Studies license, your college receives:

• AMS Climate Studies full course use for the term(s) licensed
• One Faculty Resource CD and one current Text/Investigations Manual (provided AT NO EXTRA COST!)
• Instructor Access to AMS Climate Studies Course Website and Faculty Website
• Student Access to AMS Climate Studies Course Website for each enrolled student

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please visit our "Frequently Asked Questions" page or contact us at 1-800-824-0405.

To license the course:

1. Call us at 202-737-1043 or toll free at 1-800-824-0405 (ask for the AMS Climate Studies Coordinator)
2. Download the License Order Form and fax to us at 202-737-0445 or toll-free at 1-800-258-1176 or mail to us at
   AMS Climate Studies
   American Meteorological Society
   1120 G Street, NW, Suite 800
   Washington, DC 20005
3. Send us e-mail at onlineclimate@ametsoc.org