This series of ten lessons has been developed to teach students about local and global water issues. They are based on NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission. The activities are done largely outdoors and include scientific data... (View More) collection and analysis and integrate technology. Many of the lessons involve data collected based on protocols from the GLOBE Program. Each lesson is designed to take one hour; the lessons build on each other, but can also be used independently. Each lesson topic includes a lesson plan, PowerPoint presentation, student capture sheet and capture sheet answer guide. (View Less)

In this activity, students will watch a short video on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, learn about the parts of the satellite, and then construct their own edible model of GPM. This lesson uses the 5E instructional model.

This activity's storyline is built around the real-life case study of Dr. Walt Meier, a Sea Ice Scientist from Boulder, Colorado. In the fictional story, the students of Churchill become concerned about wildlife in their region because polar bears... (View More) have become a nuisance in the town. According to the local elders, the sea ice patterns have changed. The students turn to Dr. Meier for his expertise in sea ice analysis. Dr. Meier then instructs the students in the use of ImageJ and guides them through the research process. This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET). Each EET chapter provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page. (View Less)

This activity is about symbiotic relationships. After reading deep-sea diving log entries, learners will discuss the observations of the relationship between two kinds of organisms, hermit crabs and sea anemones. Learners will perform research to... (View More) answer a set of questions related to this relationship and consider the benefits derived to each organism. Learners will be able to define and describe symbiotic, mutualistic, commensal, and parasitic relationships between organisms. Links to log entries and background material are available. This is the second of three activities in the "Impact of Climate Change on Hawaiian Monk Seals" section of the Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators. (View Less)

This activity is about underwater mapping and its importance in deep-water exploration. Working in groups, learners will use bathymetric survey data to create a two-dimensional topographic map. They will use that map to create a three-dimensional... (View More) cardboard model of landforms, such as an underwater volcano. The students will be able to interpret two- and three-dimensional topographic data and consider how they might plan for future diving missions based on the analysis of this data. Extensions to this activity are available. This is the first of three activities in the "Impact of Climate Change on Hawaiian Monk Seals" section of Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators. (View Less)

This activity is about the management issues posed by an endangered species whose habitat has commercial value and is being considered for exploitation. Learners will prepare and present a report on Hawaiian monk seals and deep-water precious corals... (View More) from one of the resources provided and will participate in a class discussion on the ecological relationships between them. They will describe why Hawaiian monk seals are endangered. They will also propose a management strategy for monk seals and precious coral resources and explain their rationale for selecting this strategy. Links to all materials and additional resources, as well as extensions to this activity, are available.This is the third of three activities in the "Impact of Climate Change on Hawaiian Monk Seals" section of the "Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators." (View Less)

This activity is about the process of transecting, by which researchers divide an area into smaller plots that can be investigated more closely for biotic and abiotic samples. Learners will be able to determine the presence of wildlife by recording... (View More) and analyzing observations from a transect. They will then consider what conclusions can be drawn about the entire area and what the limiting factors may be for that specific habitat. This activity should be performed outside, in a location suitable for spreading out and exploring. Student data sheets to guide the data collection are available. This activity is part of the "Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators." (View Less)

This activity is designed to introduce students to planetary geologic features and processes. First, students will use NASA satellite images to identify geologic surface features on the "Blue Marble" (Earth), and will explore the connection between... (View More) those features and the geologic processes that created them. Using that information, students will then compare and discuss similar features on images from other planets. Included are the following materials: teacher's guide (with reference and resource information), student's guide (with activity sheets), and multiple cards of planetary images. Note that the range of targeted grade levels is quite broad; however, explicit adaptations for younger students are highlighted throughout the teacher's guide. This lesson is part of the Expedition Earth and Beyond Education Program. (View Less)

Using weather data from both satellite and ground-based observations, this lesson challenges students to select a site location for a hypothetical mountain retreat. Students must determine and then justify a building site after gathering, graphing... (View More) and analyzing two sources of data on altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and relative humidity. To conclude the lesson, students defend their choice in a formal site recommendation letter to the "retreat developers." This lesson uses student- and citizen science-friendly microsets of authentic NASA Earth system science data from the MY NASA DATA project. It also includes related links, extensions, an online glossary, and data analysis tools. (View Less)

In this activity, student teams explore connections between parts of the Earth system, by examining a time series of environmental data maps. By examining scientific visualizations of a data pair in two time slices, they will see that the... (View More) environment is the result of the interplay among many processes that take place on varying time and spatial scales. This is one of six interrelated learning activities associated with the GLOBE Earth System Poster, Exploring Connections in Year 2007, which also includes a series of assessment and extension activities. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)