In this learning activity, students will construct a soda-bottle thermometer, which is similar to the thermometer used by GLOBE schools. Both are based on the principle that most substances expand and contract as their temperature changes. This... (View More) experiment also demonstrates the principle of heat transfer. The resource includes an activity and data sheet for student use. This resource is in the Atmosphere chapter of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide, and is supported by GLOBE atmosphere field protocols. (View Less)

In this activity, students observe and sketch clouds, describing their forms. They will initially generate descriptions of a personal nature and then move toward building a more scientific vocabulary. They correlate their descriptions with the... (View More) standard classifications using the ten cloud types identified for GLOBE. Each student develops a personal cloud booklet to be used in conjunction with the GLOBE Cloud Chart. This learning resource is part of the Atmosphere chapter of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide, and is supported by the GLOBE Cloud protocol. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

The effects of volcanoes on both the environment and people are the focus of this investigation. Students are introduced to the term "buffer" and are tasked with creating a possible buffer zone around Mount St. Helens. Students begin by assigning 32... (View More) pre-written statements related to volcanoes into categories of cause, effect and human responses. The chart, along with true-color and false-color LandSat images from 1980 and 1999, are used to study the eruption of Mount St. Helens to determine that possible buffer zone. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. As the first investigation in this module entitled, "Volcanoes- Local Hazard, Global Issue," the teacher's guide will begin with a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. This is Investigation 1 of three found in the Grades 5-8 Module 1 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the three investigations in Module 1, while related, can be done independently. (View Less)

Satellite images of Mercury and Mars are used to illustrate craters and generate a discussion about their cause. After comparing those images with one of Earth, students explore the reason for the lack of visible craters on our planet. The abundance... (View More) or lack of water becomes the focal point of this investigation. The role that water plays in obliterating craters is investigated through an activity using sand, marbles and water. The crater discovered beneath Chesapeake Bay is used to illustrate the fact that Earth's oceans conceal impact craters. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 2 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 2 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 2, while related, can be done independently. Please see Investigation 1 of this module for a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. (View Less)

This investigation requires students to locate several major U.S. cities using four different sources: an outline map, a nighttime lights image, an atlas map, and a space shuttle image. After analyzing and comparing the information from those... (View More) sources, students will offer explanations for establishing cities in particular locations. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 4 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 3 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 3, while related, can be done independently. Please see Investigation 1 of this module for a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. (View Less)

The impacts of natural disasters are described in imaginary pen pal letters from peers who reside in the pathways of four authentic natural disasters: a volcanic lava flow in Hawaii, a volcanic ash cloud in Russia, a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico... (View More) and flooding in the Midwestern U.S. Students must answer questions posed in the letters (included in the lesson), locate the impacted areas on a map, examine images of the disaster, research the Earth science processes involved and write back to the pen pal. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 4 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 4 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 4, while related, can be done independently (View Less)

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects weather, climate, and, consequently, humans and their activities. In this investigation, students review and analyze ENSO background info, data and satellite images in preparation for a game. Acting as... (View More) policy makers for Peru, students determine the details of an ENSO event based on information from climate specialists, and then allocate money to manage disaster preparedness and minimize impacts on agriculture and fishing. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 1 of three found in the Grades 9-12 Module 3 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the three investigations in Module 3, while related, can be done independently. (View Less)

This investigation introduces students to the phenomena of urban heat islands, areas of higher then normal temperatures associated with populated areas. Using Atlanta, Ga., as the study site, students begin by analyzing the population growth and... (View More) geographic expansion of the area over a 24-year period. Students then use surface images from Landsat, thermal data from aircraft instruments, and land use maps to compare and contrast the distribution of vegetation, variations in daily temperatures, and diversity of land usage types around the city. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 3 of four found in the Grades 5-8 Module 3 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 3, while related, can be done independently. (View Less)

In this introductory global change investigation, students gather and record visual and written data from their surroundings, and through analysis, show how the sampling window chosen for examination can affect an outcome, sometimes resulting in... (View More) false conclusions. Connections between their observations and the study of climate change using imagery and data sets is discussed. Use of a camera is suggested for this activity. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices. (View Less)