Digital Library for Earth System Education
Digital Library for Earth System EducationNot a member yet
13995 research outputs found
Sort by
Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter: Using GLOBE Data to Study the Earth System
No full textThis chapter from the Earth Exploration Toolbook guides users through the process of locating and graphing Web-based environmental data that has been collected by students who participate in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. Basic concepts in Earth system science are explored as students investigate a specific case study. The GLOBE Graphing Tool is used to superimpose four different environmental data sets as a single graph to show otherwise hidden relationships. Seasonal changes in soil moisture are highlighted, as are the concepts of a reservoir, the flow or flux of moisture between reservoirs, and the role of solar energy as a driver of this flux. Additional investigations can be performed using this tool, methodology, and the GLOBE data set. Educational levels: Middle school, High school
Space Place: Make Asteroids You Can Eat
No full textThis hands-on, food preparation activity is designed to familiarize children with asteroids: what they are, where they orbit, how they formed, what they look like (making mashed potato mixture look like an asteroid), and why we care about them. Introduces NASA's Deep Space 1 mission that flew very close to Asteroid Braille. The Space Place is an educational NASA site for children and adults with activities and facts related to the exploration of space—past, current, and future. Some activities are computer-interactive and many are real-world-interactive. Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Middle school
Earth Observatory
No full textThis Web site includes shares the images, stories and discoveries that emerge from NASA Earth science research, including its satellite missions, in-the-field research and climate models. View global maps of NASA data, check out the Image of the Day and images of current events, and read feature articles and blogs. Also includes special collections of NASA images, including the World of Change series, which documents how our planet’s land, oceans, atmosphere and Sun are changing over time. Educational levels: High school, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, Graduate or professional, Informal education, General public
ImageJ Activity Booklet
No full textThis is a PDF guide on how to use ImageJ image processing software to understand and manipulate astronomical images. The guide begins with instructions on how to download ImageJ, plus some additional astronomy-related plugins, followed by directions on how to install everything correctly. There are three lessons that will help the user get oriented with some of the most basic image processing skills needed for analyzing astronomical images. There are questions throughout the lesson to help guide thinking. After the lessons is an explanation for how to create a color picture using three different gray scale images. Educational levels: Informal education
Changing Planet: Withering Crops
No full textSince humans and animals depend on crops for food, many social problems can be expected to arise due to the impact of climate warming on crops, and the societies that depend on them. Droughts accompanied by increased temperatures can lead to famine, and eventually social and political disruptions. Scientists are studying these problems, and are helping with early identification of drought that might trigger food shortages. Educational levels: Middle school, High school
Ocean Acidification:The Chemistry is Less than Basic!
No full textIn this lab experiment students will use a pH indicator solution to detect the presence of carbon dioxide and changes in acidity, In addition, they will be able to explain the cause and effect relationship between lower pH levels of seawater and carbonate ion availability for shell formation in marine organisms. Educational levels: Middle school, High school
Space Place: Cosmic Colors
No full textThis interactive, web-based viewer lets student select a celestial object (planet, galaxy, etc.), then select a EM wavelength range to view it (e.g., visible, ultraviolet, infrared). Images are from various ground- and space-based telescopes. Also, background info is provided on the electromagnetic spectrum and different types of telescopes. Educational levels: Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school, Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school, Informal education, General public
LEGO Model of Kepler Planet-finding Method
No full textThis model aims to help illustrate the purpose and methodology of NASA's Kepler mission. It includes (1) a hand-cranked or motorized orrery (moving model of a planet system) made of LEGO parts, (2) a light sensor representing the Kepler photometer, (3) computer software for graphing light curves, representing Kepler Science Office - data analysis. A light bulb at the center of the orrery represents a star, and as planets in the model pass between the star and the light sensor, dips in the computer graph light curve happen in real time. Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school, Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school
Contrail Education Website
No full textThis website, developed to support the GLOBE Contrail Protocol, contains the latest information pertaining to contrails, including the history and science of contrails, and their importance to society. It also contains examples of imagery available from satellites in a contrail gallery. It provides learning resources for teachers like the crossword puzzle, word search and contrail ID chart. Lastly it contains a glossary and a frequently asked questions site, which can be used to ask questions to the experts at NASA. Educational levels: Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school
Earth System Science Online Courses and Modules for K-12 Teachers
No full textThis Web site includes over 50 individual Earth system science modules that faculty can select from to use in their courses or directly with their students. Online courses for school teachers are offered by colleges and universities across the United States as part of the NASA-NOAA-NSF-funded ESSEA Program (Earth System Science Education Alliance). The courses are structured as a collaborative experience and modeled so that teachers will learn to use science as inquiry from the student's perspective and then be able to model this teaching approach in their own classrooms. Specifically, teachers evolve their own knowledge about Earth system science and their skills in thinking systematically about specific events. Modules are on wide-ranging topics, with many on current environmental and climate-related topics, including: Gulf Oil Spill, Abrupt Climate Change, California Climate: Pacific Ocean Connection, Dust World, Hurricane Katrina, West Nile Virus, The Case of the Disappearing Salmon, Ice Core: Frozen Time Machine, The Camanchaca: Fog in the Earth System, The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt, and many more. Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Graduate or professional, Undergraduate upper division, Graduate or professional, Middle school, High school