This 12-page educational comic book introduces readers to the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Using the Japanese anime art style, the comic book explains the satellite technology and the mission goals and applications. Supplemental... (View More) materials to support the story include an overview of the GPM mission, a description of the satellite and its instruments, examples of the data it collects, descriptions of some of the constellation partners, and a glossary of science terms used in the comic. Links are provided to additional related resources, including a template for learners to create their own comic. The Japanese anime/manga style of art was chosen because the GPM mission is a collaboration between NASA and JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. (View Less)

Students simulate the process of remote sensing by using common materials to represent Earth’s different ground coverings and a light meter to represent satellite instruments. The concept of albedo and its importance in Earth’s radiation budget... (View More) are introduced. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and is part of the book, "Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum." (View Less)

This interactive, web-based tool allows you to calibrate your eye by practicing cloud cover estimation using images on the computer.

In this interactive tutorial, learners can explore the physics of contrail formation in the atmosphere and develop the ability to recognize the several types of contrails that form under varying atmospheric conditions. Practice classifying the type... (View More) and abundance of contrails. (View Less)

This interactive, web-based tool asks a series of questions to help the learner narrow down the type of cloud they are observing. It can be used both for practice and in the field to identify clouds. This resource is part of The GLOBE Program... (View More) Atmosphere Protocol eTraining for Clouds. (View Less)

A collection of nine atmospheric science and geography activities that guide students in developing the skills used to analyze GLOBE environmental data. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on,... (View More) K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

Fresh water resources- their quantity, location and distribution- are briefly discussed in this two-page article. The article can be used as a "reading to be informed" activity in a stand-alone fashion or can be incorporated into a lesson plan.

The basic chemistry of water, along with a brief glimpse into water's origin on Earth, are discussed in this two page article. The article can be used as a "reading to be informed" activity in a stand-alone fashion or can be incorporated into a... (View More) lesson plan. (View Less)

A Hovmuller plot is a diagram that visibly displays data patterns from a selected latitude or longitude over a time period. Through a storyline and several samples, students are introduced to a Hovmuller plot of temperature data along a longitude in... (View More) the eastern United States. Students then create salinity and precipitation plots using data from the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server. (View Less)

This unit consists of five activities, all of which focus on the response of plant life-cycle events to climate change. Students participate in discussions, field observations, data collection and analyses, plant identification, seed dispersal... (View More) comparisons, and graphing and analyses of plant phenology (timing of life-cycle events). Project BudBurst, a citizen science project which studies the impact of climate change on phenology, is integrated into this unit. The unit is one of four under the Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum entitled, "Climate Change in My Backyard." (View Less)