In this engineering challenge, student teams are introduced to the engineering design process, and then construct and test an earthquake-resistant structure. The lesson plan includes teacher support, student worksheets, multimedia assets, and links... (View More) for students to conduct Web-based investigations. Authentic assessments, a multiple choice test, and rubrics are included. This is an optional extension activity associated with the resource, Flight Mission Challenge: Improving Earthquake Monitoring, a 3 part, multiple-day Earth science and engineering investigation. (View Less)

Assuming the role of a meteorologist, students will proclaim one month as "Thunderstorm season" for their chosen study area. This decision will be based on analysis of deep convective cloud data downloaded from the Live Access Server. This lesson... (View More) 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, and an online glossary. (View Less)

This is a hands-on lab activity about seawater density, specifically the relationship between density of fluid, weight of an object, and buoyancy. Learners will develop hypotheses and observe a demonstration of density to understand its role in... (View More) buoyancy. They will also examine the effect of salinity on density. Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities. (View Less)

This background chapter reviews the basic principles of meteorology that educators need to guide inquiry activities in the classroom. Topics include structure of the atmosphere, Coriolis effect, water cycle, greenhouse effect, cyclones,... (View More) anticyclones, and jet streams. This is chapter 2 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)

Accessing, graphing and analyzing data are skills emphasized in this lesson. Using the S'COOL (Students' Cloud Observations On-Line) website, students will download NASA data on cloud cover, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity to generate a... (View More) series of graphs. Those graphs will then be used by students to analyze data trends and answer accompanying questions. Three examples of graphed data are included as a reference. 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 and lesson extensions. (View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, students will study the action of a previous hurricane (Hurricane Andrew, 1992) in preparation for analyzing, tracking, and predicting landfall of the next hurricane to hit the United States during the school... (View More) year. This module is part of Exploring the Environment. (View Less)

This problem-based learning module focuses on the increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and its effects on the various spheres of the Earth system. More specifically, students will predict how these effects may impact the growth of... (View More) hard-red winter wheat in Kansas 50 years in the future. This module is part of Exploring the Environment. (View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, teams of students will be asked to forecast the weather up to 48 hours in advance of an outdoor event that is special to them. It may be a local or distant event. The activity is part of Exploring the... (View More) Environment. (View Less)

In this problem-based learning scenario, students are challenged to plan concert locations for their favorite musical artists, using TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) satellite data and other resources to locate regions at risk for extreme... (View More) weather. A math extension activity is included, along with a glossary, teacher notes, student worksheets, assessment rubrics, and an appendix about problem-based learning. (View Less)

In this kinesthetic activity, students observe the relationship between energy and the frequency of waves transmitted through a rope. A rope and a slinky are used in this activity. The resource is part of the teacher's guide accompanying the video,... (View More) NASA Why Files: The Case of the Mysterious Red Light. Lesson objectives supported by the video, additional resources, teaching tips and an answer sheet are included in the teacher's guide. (View Less)