Air traffic (and therefore airplane contrails) was halted nationwide for nearly three days following September 11, 2001. Students will investigate whether that stoppage resulted in any changes to cloud cover, temperature and/or radiation. Using the... (View More) MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS), students gather satellite data on each of the three atmospheric parameters around that time frame. Working in teams, they read, compare and discuss two accompanying articles, then use the data from the LAS to create a PowerPoint presentation contending whether it was the lack of contrails or simply natural weather patterns at the time that was responsible for the increase in the range of temperatures. This lesson uses student- and citizen science-friendly microsets of authentic NASA Earth system science data from the MY NASA DATA project. It includes detailed procedures, analysis questions, teacher notes, related links, background information, lesson extensions, and a list of related AP Environmental Science topics. (View Less)

In this lesson students use climatograms from different U.S. locations to observe patterns in temperature and precipitation. After describing geographical features near these locations, they will use graphs to compare and find patterns in the... (View More) effects that mountains, oceans, elevation, and latitude have on temperature and precipitation. A research activity will then ask students to gather information on temperature and precipitation patterns around the world using the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server and other sources, with the goal of creating their own climatogram. This lesson uses the 5E instructional model. (View Less)

This investigation is based on the GISP2 H-core data collected in 1992 adjacent to the GISP2 Greenland summit drill site. Students examine the seasonal/annual nitrate record and use information from known volcanic eruptions to date the unique... (View More) signature of the Icelandic volcanoes. Data is also provided for known volcanic eruptions from other latitudes which can be used throughout the activity to date major conductivity spikes to further refine the time locations. Educators can use the investigation as an application of absolute and relative dating activity (a skill taught within many science disciplines). It can also be used as an application of the cryosphere and ice cores, atmospheric chemistry, meteorology and world-wide climate patterns, geophysics involving the polar regions and the Van Allen Radiation Belts, or astronomy and the impact of extraterrestrial materials on planet Earth. (View Less)

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to express their ideas through literature. Teachers will read a story on clouds to students, then take students outside to observe actual clouds. Students will create drawings of what they see,... (View More) identify different cloud types, and then pair their findings with other students to create a cloud presentation for the class. S'COOL engages students in making and reporting ground truth observations of clouds then comparing those observations with data from the CERES satellite instrument. (View Less)

This chapter describes the technique of preparing GIS-ready data and shows how to map that data and conduct basic analyses using a geographic information system (GIS). First, the user will download and format near real-time and historical earthquake... (View More) data from the USGS. Using latitude and longitude fields, they will then plot these data in a GIS. Next, they will analyze patterns by querying records and overlaying datasets. Finally, they will examine earthquake distributions, monitor current earthquake activity, and try to predict where the next big earthquake will occur on Earth. Includes teaching notes, step-by-step instructions, case study, tools and data, and going further. This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook, which 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)

In this activity, users download and graph modeled climate data to explore variability in climate change. Most people know that climate changes are predicted over the next hundred years, but they may not be aware that these changes are likely to... (View More) vary from region to region. Using data from the University of New Hampshire's EOS-WEBSTER, a digital library of Earth Science data, users will obtain annual predictions for minimum temperature, maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation for each of these 5 states: New York, Georgia, Colorado, Minnesota, and California. Data will span the years 2000 through 2100. Users will import the data into Excel and analyze it to see what, if any, regional variability exists. Finally, they will download data for their own state, compare these results with the results from the other 5 states and use their results to answer questions related to climate change. 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)

Emphasis is placed on preparing for severe weather events such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and blizzards. Following classroom discussion and internet research, students prepare and present a product (brochure, poster, video, etc.) on the... (View More) characteristics of one type of severe weather event and the appropriate preparation details. The Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) project engages students in making and reporting ground truth observations of clouds then comparing those observations with data from the CERES satellite instrument. (View Less)

Clouds serve as a theme in a series of linked introductory explorations in math, language arts, and science. After participating in a demonstration of cloud formation, students are directed to create an acrostic poem (a poem that uses the letters in... (View More) a word to start each line of the poem) and peer review and edit each other's work. The class collects atmospheric temperature and cloud cover data over a period of days and then construct graphs to assist in analysis. This lesson is supported by observation protocols, teacher resources, and a glossary of scientific terms. This activity is related to the NASA CERES Students Cloud Observations Online (S'COOL) project. (View Less)