DATA: Soltrex Online Data. TOOL: Microsoft Excel. SUMMARY: Examine solar energy generation; explore websites that monitor and report solar energy production from panels at many different locations; and consider how much of a school's or home's energy needs could be supplied by solar power.

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DATA: GPS waypoints TOOL: GPS unit, Google Earth SUMMARY: Track litter in a park or public space with a GPS receiver. Then import the data into Google Earth and consider the ideal location for new trash receptacles.

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DATA: Seismic Wave Model Output. TOOLS: My World GIS, Microsoft Excel. SUMMARY: Examine seismic wave data in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Analyze wave velocities to infer the depth of the crust-mantle boundary.

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DATA: Student-collected GPS data and site characterizations TOOLS: MyWorld GIS, spreadsheet program SUMMARY: Follow a study of Urban Heat Islands as an example of map-based science research projects.

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DATA: MODIS Imagery. TOOL: ImageJ. SUMMARY: Examine images of the Aral Sea from 1973 through 2003. Use image analysis software to measure changes in the width and area of the freshwater lake over time.

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DATA: Pollen Viewer. TOOLS: Analyzing Digital Images, Spreadsheet. SUMMARY: Study the relationship between climate and the distribution of plants across North America, import data into spreadsheet and graph.

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DATA: Land Use and Land Cover TOOL: My World GIS SUMMARY: Examine land-use changes around Macclenny, Florida. Propose locations for future development that minimize impacts on wetlands.

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DATA: Forest Inventory Growth and Analysis data, TOOLS: Spreadsheet, My World GIS SUMMARY: Investigate forest biodiversity in Maine and consider the environmental factors that contribute to tree species diversity.

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DATA: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Images.
TOOL: ImageJ.
SUMMARY: Process and measure time-series SAR images to analyze the rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Produce a color composite image showing the oldest to most recently deforested areas.

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DATA: Forest Inventory and Analysis data, TOOLS: isee Player, Spreadsheet application. SUMMARY: Compare field collected data with results produced by a forest biomass model to understand the process and challenges scientists face when doing terrestrial carbon cycle research.

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DATA: North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR). TOOL: FieldScope GIS. SUMMARY: Use an online GIS from the National Geographic Society, to investigate the relationship between precipitation, evaporation, and surface runoff.

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DATA: Ocean Buoy Data, MODIS Images TOOLS: GoMOOS Online Graphing Tool SUMMARY: Learn about conditions that influence the spring phytoplankton bloom. Use an online graphing tool to predict the date of the bloom.

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DATA: Topography, EQs, volcanoes, seafloor ages. TOOL: Browser, Learning with Data CD-ROM. SUMMARY: Examine and interpret images to write a paper supporting the Theory of Plate Tectonics.

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This is a classroom activity in which students develop understanding of the rock cycle using wax crayons to model the processes that form the 3 types of rock; sedimentary, igneous & metamorphic.

Formative assessment questions using a classroom response system ("clickers") can be used to reveal students' spatial understanding.
Students are shown this diagram and instructed to "Click within the layer that is entirely liquid."

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This activity is based around Macintosh software that I wrote to display near real-time seismograms in classrooms with projection systems and internet communications. I use the display in courses at all levels, from large non-science courses to advanced graduate courses in seismology. In my introductory course, I have been fortunate to have a room with two projectors and large screens. That allows me to display the seismic monitor on one screen and use the other for that day's material. In smaller advanced courses I often project the real-time display on one screen while I use the chalk board during that part of the class that I use to cover new material. Although you might think that it's rare that an earthquake would occur during any given class, that's not true (have the students estimates the odds using the Gutenberg Richter relation if you doubt it). If needed, you can load specific earthquake signals (say from the night before) to talk about it at the beginning of a class period. Activity that occurs during class often leads to interesting discussions of earthquakes and tectonics.
This activity uses online and/or real-time data, has minimal/no quantitative component, and can be used to address student misconceptions.

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Earth Observation is an activity where students observe and patterns in datasets of the different Earth spheres. Correlations between datasets are examined to stimulate student thinking of the interrelations in the Earth system. This activity is connect to process and concepts covered later in the class.

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This is a writing assignment intended to get to students to think about the relevance of Earth Science to their everyday lives. Students are asked to read a short news article, selecting 1 of 3 articles provided as choices, that discusses a specific earth science topic. Students write a 1-page report summarizing the article and use the write-up to summarize their familiarity with the topics presented. Students will re-evaluate their understanding of the article and associated earth science topic at the end of the course.

This is a series of three lessons that focus on two and three dimensional thinking, modeling, and earth structure. The main goal of the lessons is to develop a sense of two- and three-dimensional models of earth's surface, pros/cons and accuracy of those models, and a sense for why accuracy (and understanding inaccuracies) is important. The lessons were developed for upper-level elementary students, and include suggestions and/or links to other related resources for scaling up to middle or high school levels.

Lesson 1: Earth Surface Models in 2- and 3-Dimensions (globes vs maps)
Lesson 2: Visualizing and Modeling Earth Structure in 2- and 3-Dimensions
Lesson 3: Understanding Wave Motion in 2- and 3-Dimensions

Rationale: Three-dimensional thinking is difficult for students from the elementary through the college level. Introducing activities that incorporate spatial models in the elementary levels helps to create a foundation for lessons in spatial awareness and modeling.

These lessons were developed as part of NSF CSEDI grant #1458184, awarded to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2014-2017, in collaboration with Abigail Christensen and Alexis Miller (UWW education students, 2016-17).

The Eemian age was the last time the Earth is believed to have been warmer than today. However, this warm period occurred with Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere that were similar to those during the pre-industrial era. Students will use a simplified climate model and with Eemian orbital conditions to try and reproduce this previous warm period. Students will then use modern orbital forcing but elevated greenhouse gas concentrations to look at the modern and future climates. Students will try and understand the differences between these two contrasting warm climates.
Eemian and modern warm climates (Acrobat (PDF) 241kB Nov10 16)

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