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Climate Phenomena
Impact of El Nino on the Weather
Weather, atmospheric condition and climate must be clearly distinguished. Weather describes the current state of the atmosphere surrounding us in a certain place. That means that the weather may change by the day or even at hourly intervals, and that the weather on Earth differs considerably. Our Earth is surrounded by a thick envelope of air which is composed of different layers. This envelope of air is called atmosphere. The weather takes place in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere. Due to the Earth’s gravity, it is the densest part of the atmosphere because it contains 80 per cent of the air and almost all gaseous water, which is the moisture bound in the air. The driving force of all weather events and the constantly revolving masses of clouds and air in the troposphere is the sun. Through light and heat radiation the sun provides energy and is like an engine powering our weather. So the foundations of the weather are the warming sunrays, the water in its hydrological cycle and the air which surrounds us with its pressure balancing wind flows that mix and react with one another according to simple physical laws. When these components are available in various amounts, elemental weather phenomena such as fog, clouds, rain, snow, wind, frost and sunshine are formed. The weather often changes daily and sometimes even several times a day and is almost never the same everywhere. So weather is the momentarily perceptible state of the lower atmosphere, the troposphere, in a specific place at a specific time. In the course of a year, the large-scale weather pattern can also remain the same for some days or weeks. Typical characteristics of similar weather are called atmospheric condition.
Play trailerCurriculum-centred and oriented towards educational standards
Matching
Computer Games
This film covers the topic of computer games in a variety of ways and from many different angles. Apart from the fascina- tion of computer games for users, the historical development as well as the production of computer games are described. The established genres are introduced, the guidelines of the German BPjM are explained. In light of recent public discussions, a neutral overview of the pros and cons of playing computer games is given, and different kinds of player behaviour are outlined. In this film, the pupils will recognise many aspects of their favourite pastime that encourage an independent, constructive use of this medium and reinforce their media competency. The film and teaching material are very closely related to the real-life situation.
Internet Addiction
The film consists of two parts. The first part is the 15-minute short film “In the Net”. It describes the problem of excessive Internet use in a humorous way, in particular the risk of losing touch with reality when chatting. The second part illustrates with three real persons how Internet addiction can develop and the problems encountered by those who are afflicted. The authentic statements are commented by an experienced therapist. For many pupils, the issues addressed here are related to their everyday lives. What is a “sensible” use of the Internet, where does pathological addiction start? In contrast to addiction to alcohol, nicotine or drugs, the public seems to be largely ignorant of the problem of this addiction, which is not related to any substance abuse. The film provides material for discussion in the classroom (crossdisciplinary) and can be used as a basis for the formulation of prevention strategies.