 |
|
 |
Resources of InterestContributed by the DLESE community |
Each month we present one or more resources that a community member has suggested for inclusion into the library. Your contributions are what make DLESE a community-owned project. Please do contribute by suggesting your favorite sites. More about selecting the Resource of interest.
| Also see... |
|
Globe at Night is an annual 2-week campaign in March that helps to address the light pollution issue locally as well as globally. This year the campaign is March 3-16, 2010. You are invited along with everyone all over the world to record the brightness of your night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars. You then submit your measurements on-line with your date, time and location. A few weeks later, organizers release a map of light-pollution levels worldwide.
NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, unravels the physics, biology, chemistry, materials science and math behind the Olympic Winter Games. A series of 16 free videos have been produced that focus on a variety of sports including ski jumping, figure skating, and snowboarding as well as the design of the equipment and clothing that contribute to athletes speed and performance. Lesson plans and classroom activities that utilize the videos are provided by Lessonopoly; accessed by "flipping" the video window and clicking on "Links."
The Education and Outreach groups of IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), the University of Portland, and UNAVCO have developed a set of 'Teachable Moments', Power Point and .pdf presentations which provide a short summary of major tectonic events that can be used by educators to incorporate discussions of earthquakes and volcanic events, and resulting hazards. The presentations, generated by seismologists, geodesists, and educators, are available within a few hours to one day after the earthquake. The presentations include a variety of content allowing educators to customize the information for their classes. Common elements include US Geological Survey earthquake and volcano information, GPS time series from the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) network, plate tectonic and regional tectonic maps and summaries, computer animations, seismograms, photos, and other event-specific information.
Understanding Science gives users an inside look at the general principles, methods, and motivations that underlie all of science. This project has at its heart a re-engagement with science that begins with teacher preparation and ends with broader public understanding.
Each year, Earth Science Week focuses on a different facet of Earth science
to help people gain a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world. "Understanding Climate", is the theme for Oct. 11-17 2009; promoting the scientific understanding of a timely, vital topic: Earth's climate. AGI's website provides information about ways for classrooms to integrate Earth Science Week into their curriculum including ways to involve the community, contests, and grade-level appropriate activities surrounding the year's theme. The site also includes a list of theme-based educational resources to help you get started.
The Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) and its participants lead the way in the celebration of the Year of Science 2009 (YoS09) - a national, year-long celebration of science to engage the public and improve public understanding about how science works, why it matters, and who scientists are. As they develop programs for 2009, participating organizations share program ideas, register them in the COPUS registry, and collaborate with others to celebrate science.
A number of events in April focus on personal and community involvement in protecting our global environment. This year, Earth Day is preceded by National Environmental Education Week (April 12-18), which increases the educational impact of Earth Day by creating a full week of educational preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums. Other suggestions for Earth Day activities can be found at Earth Day Network, an international alliance working to promote a healthy environment and a peaceful, just, sustainable world; the EPA's Earth Day website; and Earthday.gov, a cooperative effort across the entire U.S. government that offers links to volunteer opportunities as well as ideas on how you can take action at home, in the classroom, and at work.
Arctic Climate Modeling Program
The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) is a research-based weather and climate curriculum for K-12 classrooms. ACMP comprises hands-on, inquiry-based classroom lessons, an interactive multimedia DVD, engaging lectures from Geophysical Institute and International Arctic Research Center scientists, and a Student Network for Observing Weather (SNOW), enabling students around the world to study Alaska's weather.
The Hurricane Education site from NOAA provides teachers with curriculum materials, multimedia visual information, an archive of previous hurricane seasons and several posters. By knowing what actions students can take, they can reduce the effects of hurricane disaster. These activities for grades 7-12 focus on storm surge, one of the most damaging components of a hurricane.
For up-to-date hurricane information and images, visit NASA's Hurricane Resource Page.
Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth
Global Climate Change presents the latest climate information from NASA's Earth monitoring missions and research. Historical and current information help explain the vital signs of the planet. A Climate Time Machine tracks changes in global conditions such as ice melt, sea level, CO2 emissions and average global temperatures over time. Earth Science Missions from over a dozen spacecraft/instruments in orbit studying all aspects of the Earth system (oceans, land, atmosphere, biosphere, cyrosphere) are profiled. A Vital Signs Widget download is available for keeping track of the latest climate change data on your desktop.
Project BudBurst invites citizen scientists to join in a field campaign to study the timing of life cycle events of native tree and flower species across the country. This valuable information can be compared to historical records to illustrate the effects of climate change. Last year's inaugural event drew thousands of people of all ages taking careful observations of the phenological events. As a result of the pilot field campaign, data collected can be used by scientists to learn about the responses of individual plant speciesto climatic variation locally, regionally, and nationally. The 2007 campaign garnered enthusiastic response and robust participation.
Data Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience Education (DIGS) recently completed and released two problem- and inquiry-based modules on Climate Change and Understanding Earthquake Activity Along Plate Boundaries. These modules offer educators materials that provide models for performance assessments in concert with inquiry-focused learning. They also offer models of how the interpretation and analysis of geoscientific data sets can be scaffolded through age-appropriate tasks that facilitate high-quality student inquiry. DLESE offers this list of additional resources that can support educators teaching and assessing students’ inquiry-based learning.
The selection process for the Resource of interest considers the following factors, in order:
