Simulators / APES Unit 4 / Topics 4.4 and 4.7
Weather Balloon Run
Pilot a weather balloon from the ground to 120 km, collect real temperature and pressure data in each layer, then use photon and tilt explorers to explain sun angle, latitude, and the seasons. About 40 minutes. Free, with no login.
Open the game in its own tab (best on phones)
Take it to class
Weather Balloon Run, free on TpT
Download the game file to upload to your own Canvas or Google Classroom, plus the teacher guide with the answer key and a 12-question Canvas quiz that mirrors the game.
Four layers
Students predict, then fly through the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere and read the data themselves (Topic 4.4).
Sun angle and seasons
Photon spreading, latitude landings, and a tilt explorer show that seasons come from axial tilt, not distance (Topic 4.7).
Completion code
Students finish with a flight report and a code they paste into your assignment. Teacher tools check it.
Data: U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA / NASA / USAF), rounded, and the NASA Earth Fact Sheet. Photos are public domain and credited inside the game.