This monthly bulletin and animation provides regular and reliable visualizations of world …
This monthly bulletin and animation provides regular and reliable visualizations of world weather and climate events of the previous month using NOAA data. Archives are available from October 2011 to present.
Free online Earth and Space Science Textbook by Jeffrey Bennett. Jeffrey Bennett …
Free online Earth and Space Science Textbook by Jeffrey Bennett. Jeffrey Bennett holds a B.A. in Biophysics from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He specializes in mathematics and science education, writing for and speaking to audiences ranging from elementary school children to college faculty. He is a well known author of science textbooks and children's books. Promo: Are you satisfied with your textbook for Earth and Space Science? We didn’t think so. Now, imagine an online “textbook” that • contains everything you need to teach your course, including activities and assessments, and resources to help you meet the needs of students with varying levels of background. • meets all your state and NGSS standards for middle school Earth and Space Science, and can also be used for many high school courses. • is fully up-to-date with the latest science, all presented in an engaging and scientifically accurate manner. • is designed for a course that is “teacher driven” and that can be used in person, online, or even for independent learning. • is filled with extensive Teacher Notes that will help you both to effectively engage your students and to understand subtleties of the science for yourself. • is written by the award-winning author of college textbooks in four subjects (astronomy, astrobiology, mathematics, and statistics) and of numerous science books for the public, including 6 children’s books that have all been read from orbit on the International Space Station for the Story Time From Space Program • and it is completely FREE, posted to a web site online. Now you can stop imagining, because this “textbook” is here and ready for you to use! Explore it at www.grade8science.com, use it with your students, and share it with others. You may send feedback direct to the author at jeff@bigkidscience.com.
This short video uses animated imagery from satellite remote sensing systems to …
This short video uses animated imagery from satellite remote sensing systems to illustrate that Earth is a complex, evolving body characterized by ceaseless change. Adapted from NASA, this visualization helps explain why understanding Earth as an integrated system of components and processes is essential to science education.
Students chose a room where they spend a significant amount of time. …
Students chose a room where they spend a significant amount of time. Next, they assess the room for earthquake hazards, create a map depicting where these hazards are located, and finally, describe what would happen during an earthquake for a given intensity.
This interactive visualization adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey illustrates …
This interactive visualization adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey illustrates the concept of albedo, which is the measure of how much solar radiation is reflected from Earth's surface.
In this activity, students are guided through graphs of surface air temperature …
In this activity, students are guided through graphs of surface air temperature anomaly data and Vostok ice core data to illustrate how scientists use these data to develop the basis for modeling how climate is likely to change in the future.
Students perform a lab to explore how the color of materials at …
Students perform a lab to explore how the color of materials at Earth's surface affect the amount of warming. Topics covered include developing a hypothesis, collecting data, and making interpretations to explain why dark-colored materials become hotter.
Hands-on laboratory activity that allows students to investigate the effects of distance …
Hands-on laboratory activity that allows students to investigate the effects of distance and angle on the input of solar radiation at Earth's surface, the role played by albedo, the heat capacity of land and water, and how these cause the seasons. Students predict radiative heating based on simple geometry and experiment to test their hypotheses.
A computer animation on the reason for the seasons. Voice-over describes the …
A computer animation on the reason for the seasons. Voice-over describes the motion of Earth around the sun to show how the sun's light impacts the tilted Earth at different times of the year, causing seasonal changes.
This highly informative site explores five different ecosystems and the public health …
This highly informative site explores five different ecosystems and the public health issues that have arisen in each. Students can explore the different ways that ecosystem services that address air quality, heat hazard mitigation, recreation and physical activity, water hazard mitigation, and water quality impact many health conditions.
Being able to step voltages to a higher value and step voltages …
Being able to step voltages to a higher value and step voltages down to a lower value is one of the benefits of alternating current. This book will explain how this is possible through transformers with a focus on single phase.
The ecological autobiography is a multi-stage reflective and written exercise that draws …
The ecological autobiography is a multi-stage reflective and written exercise that draws on students' personal history and experiences as they consider the ecological context of some period of their lives. The goal is to individually and collectively explore how the landscapes and ecological communities we have inhabited influence us as individuals, set the context of our lives, and influence our expectations of landscape.
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This video focuses on the conifer forest in Alaska to explore the …
This video focuses on the conifer forest in Alaska to explore the carbon cycle and how the forest responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Topics addressed in the video include wildfires, reflectivity, and the role of permafrost in the global carbon cycle.
This textbook is designed for introductory environmental studies and science students. The …
This textbook is designed for introductory environmental studies and science students. The goal is to teach essential ecological concepts by linking them to key environmental issues. The hope is that students can easily understand how firm grounding in these concepts can help them appreciate and hopefully address the biggest environmental threats of our time. After an initial section on the nature of science and an overview of ecology, the textbook is divided into four sections, each addressing a key environmental concern: global climate change, eutrophication, biodiversity loss and food supply and security. After a brief introduction to the environmental concern, the book addresses ecological concepts relevant for understanding the issue. Each section wraps up with a return to the environmental concern and insight into how the ecological concepts learned can be applied to the environmental issue.
Students are charged with thinking about what it takes to 'do science'. …
Students are charged with thinking about what it takes to 'do science'. They are introduced to the science of dendrochronology and learn how tree-ring science is executed.
In this activity, students select an argument of a climate skeptic, research …
In this activity, students select an argument of a climate skeptic, research it, and write up a mock dialog that portrays a back-and-forth discussion between the skeptic and a non-skeptic, while presenting a scientific argument that counters the false claim.
This video illustrates how atmospheric particles, or aerosols (such as black carbon, …
This video illustrates how atmospheric particles, or aerosols (such as black carbon, sulfates, dust, fog), can affect the energy balance of Earth regionally, and the implications for surface temperature warming and cooling.
This set of five activities focuses on how climate change can affect …
This set of five activities focuses on how climate change can affect agriculture, including crop production and ranching. The activities in this guide are appropriate for both formal and informal settings and all student handouts, instructor guides, and supporting files are included. The curriculum is designed for five days of activities that build on one another, but can also be used individually.
This video shows 15 years of data obtained via Polar-orbiting satellites that …
This video shows 15 years of data obtained via Polar-orbiting satellites that are able to detect subtle differences in ocean color, allowing scientists to see where there are higher concentrations of phytoplankton - a proxy for the concentration of chlorophyll in the ocean.
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