---
title: "SES5: Solar Energy and Earth's Climate (Georgia Science standard)"
code: SES5
cite_as: Georgia Standards of Excellence, Science, SES5
subject: science
grades:
  - high-school
language: en
canonical_url: https://georgiahomeroom.org/standards/code/SES5
md_url: https://georgiahomeroom.org/standards/code/SES5.md
alternate_language_url: https://georgiahomeroom.org/es/standards/code/SES5.md
source_url: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p1/CFDocuments/27a08dc6-416e-11e7-ba71-02bd89fdd987
source_last_changed: 2025-05-29
data_built: 2026-09-18
publisher: Georgia Homeroom, a free public-interest project of Georgia Civic Data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Department of Education or any school district.
up: https://georgiahomeroom.org/standards/science/high-school.md
index: https://georgiahomeroom.org/standards/index.md
---

# SES5: Solar Energy and Earth's Climate

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the interaction of solar energy and Earth's systems to produce weather and climate.

- Subject: Science
- Appears in: High School, https://georgiahomeroom.org/standards/science/high-school.md

## Expectations

- **SES5.a**: Develop and use models to explain how latitudinal variations in solar heating create differences in air pressure, global wind patterns, and ocean currents that redistribute heat globally.
- **SES5.b**: Analyze and interpret data (e.g., maps, meteograms, and weather apps) that demonstrate how the interaction and movement of air masses creates weather.
- **SES5.c**: Construct an argument that predicts weather patterns based on interactions among ocean currents, air masses, and topography.
- **SES5.d**: Analyze and interpret data to show how temperature and precipitation produce the pattern of climate regions (zones) on Earth.
- **SES5.e**: Construct an explanation that describes the conditions that generate extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms) and the hazards associated with these events.
- **SES5.f**: Construct an argument relating changes in global climate to variation to Earth/sun relationships and atmospheric composition.

## Georgia Milestones coverage

No Georgia Milestones blueprint cites this standard.

Source: Georgia Standards of Excellence, published by the Georgia Department of Education at case.georgiastandards.org.