Digital Library for Earth System Education
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The Cosmic Distance Scale
No full textThis resource gives an impression of how immense our Universe is by employing a method used many times in "Power of 10" films - that is, starting with an image of the Earth and then zooming out towards the furthest visible reaches of our Universe. This is not, however, an exercise in "powers of 10" - on the contrary, the goal is to show astronomical distances without scientific notation. It focuses on the large number of zeros that are in astronomical distances which are then measured with a familiar unit like the kilometer. The number of zeros increase with each zoom, though not at a constant rate. This resource was written because many people do not realize how spectacularly far away the "nearest" astronomical objects are. Educational levels: Middle school, High school, Undergraduate lower division, Informal education
MY NASA DATA: Comparing the Effects of El Niño and La Niña
No full textIn this lesson, students use the Live Access Server to obtain real sea surface temperature data, to create maps and line graphs, and to make comparisons and conclusions about the effects of El Nino and La Nina. Detailed Procedure and Materials, Vocabulary linked to an On-line glossary, and Teacher Notes are provided. Educational levels: Middle school
Impacts of a Warming Arctic
No full textThis resource examines the evidence for changes in ice cover at the Arctic and explores why climate changes at the poles are so important to the rest of the climate system. This module includes STEM resources that will increase educator’s knowledge of climate change concepts and can be used directly with students. Embedded educational videos, interactive simulations, assessments and data sets support the module objectives. Educational levels: General public, High school, Middle school, Intermediate elementary
Linkages between Surface Temperature and Tropospheric Ozone
No full textThis lesson is designed to help students gain knowledge in using the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) to obtain a microset of data, in using Excel to graph the data, then using the graphs to investigate the relationship between surface temperature and tropospheric ozone. They will also analyze changes in tropospheric ozone and then hypothesize about the consequences of these changes. The measurements are taken over Chattanooga, TN. Students are provided content-related activities to enhance background knowledge, and then are provided detailed instructions on how to download data from the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) and to use Excel to graph the data. The lesson provides detailed procedure, related links and sample graphs, follow-up questions and extensions, and Teacher Notes. Educational levels: High school
Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations
No full textThis lesson is designed to help students gain knowledge in using the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) to specify and download a microset of data, then to use the data to determine the seasonal cloud coverage and the occurrence of different cloud types, by percent, in the North Carolina (or their local area). Students will identify different cloud types and determine their seasonality. They will graph the data and explore whether there is a correlation between season, cloud cover and type of cloud most prevalent during each season. The lesson provides detailed procedure, related links and sample graphs, follow-up questions and extensions, and Teacher Notes. Educational levels: High school
Scope It Out!
No full textThis online Flash game is hosted on the James Webb Space Telescope Web site. Because the Webb Telescope is unusual in appearance, it doesn't look like a telescope - but it actually does have a lot in common with simple tube-shaped telescopes. "Scope It Out!" includes an introduction to reflecting and refracting telescopes and four levels of matching games, where you compare a simple reflecting telescope to the Webb and Hubble. The information contained in a level will help one solve the puzzles in the next round. Educational levels: High school, High school
Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum Booklet
Get PDFThis booklet introduces electromagnetic waves, their behaviors, and how scientists visualize these data. Each region of the spectrum is described and illustrated with examples of NASA science. It is a companion piece to the video series under the same title. Educational levels: Informal education
What is a Planet
No full textUsing 3D animation, this video was created to better illustrate the history behind the discussion defining "What is a Planet?" and to outline some of the traits that may be associated with the definition of a planet. (Length: 7:54 minutes) Educational levels: General public
Comment on Paleomap Project
No full textThis site provides useful animations for use in teaching students how the current positioning of continents and other land-bodies were formed. I would suggest that educators teaching in the classroom produce these animations on a projector screen, as they are provided in small dimensions which are easy to navigate but hard to see on the average size computer screen. It may be the case that superior Java skills would allow a more proficient user to change these settings.
The Oz Machine: An Interactive Exercise in Geological Well Log Interpretation
No full textThe Oz Machine is a Java applet that provides an interactive exercise in the interpretation of lithology (rock type) from a suite of geophysical well logs. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, Graduate or professional