In this lesson students investigate the effects of black carbon on arctic warming and are introduced to a mechanism of arctic warming that is not directly dependent on greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: black carbon deposition on Arctic snow and... (View More) ice. It can also be used to introduce the concept of albedo. Prerequisite knowledge: students understand the concepts of absorption and reflection of light energy. This lesson is designed to be used with either an Earth/environmental science or chemistry curriculum. It may also be used as an enrichment activity in physics or physical science during a unit on energy. Includes suggested modifications for students with special needs and low technology option. Requires advance preparation, including freezing ice samples overnight. (View Less)

The Picture Post Network involves individuals, schools, organizations and communities in a systematic monitoring project of their local environment, especially vegetation health. Digital photographs - taken from the same location and positioned in... (View More) the same direction and orientation - allow individuals, schools, organizations, communities and scientists to monitor a variety of environmental parameters, including plant health, growth, and phenology; erosion and deposition; water levels; and cloud and canopy cover. Participants study change over time in their local area, view NASA satellite imagery on the same days as the pictures, and contribute towards improving their own communities. The website provides instructions for participating, including planning and installing a picture post, monitoring projects, and taking and uploading pictures, and a repository of images. Picture Posts may be added by anyone interested in monitoring a particular location. Currently, Picture Posts sites are active at science centers, schoolyards and gardens, local parks, and nature reserves. (View Less)

In this field activity, students observe clouds, and are introduced to dichotomous key to classify cloud types. Students also make weather observations of current weather and record and track changes in weather over time. Materials/equipment needed... (View More) include weather instruments (thermometers and barometers) and graph paper. A student self-assessment rubric, vocabulary linked to an on-line glossary, a list of elementary level trade books on weather, and teacher notes and class management suggestions are provided. This hands-on activity is related to NASA CERES Students' Cloud Observations Online (S’COOL) project. (View Less)

In this activity, student teams design small-scale physical models of hot and cold planets, (Venus and Mars), and learn that small scale models allow researchers to determine how much larger systems function. There is both a team challenge and... (View More) competition built into this activity. Experimental findings are then used to support a discussion of human outposts on Mars. The resource includes an experimental design guide for students as well as a handout outlining a method for the design of controlled experiments, and student data sheets. Student questions and an essay assignment are provided as classroom assessments. This is Activity A in the second module, titled "Modeling hot and cold planets," of the resource, "Earth Climate Course: What Determines a Planet's Climate?" The course aims to help students to develop an understanding of our environment as a system of human and natural processes that result in changes that occur over various space and time scales. (View Less)

In this laboratory activity, students are introduced to the different particle sizes of soil and their properties. Using sieves, students remove organic materials and pebbles, and separate sand, silt, and clay. Students experiment by combining sand,... (View More) silt and clay in different combinations, make a brick, and let it dry. Based on visual observations, they suggest which combination created the best brick. This is a learning activity associated with the GLOBE soil investigations and is supported by the Soils chapter of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide. (View Less)