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Compass Deviation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and describe the difference between the magnetic north pole and true north. They consider why sailors could not steer a straight course to the New World from the Old.
Lesson Plan
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Chart Making for Navigators

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss the importance and function of nautical maps for sailors. They, in groups, take soundings of a simulated bay in a shoebox and develop a nautical chart that enable them to navigate the shoebox safely.
Lesson Plan
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Upwelling - Cold One Day, Warm Another?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Discuss with your oceanographers what forces cause nearshore upwelling and downwelling. Display a line of wind vectors alongside a graph of the temperatures so that they can discover whether or not they are related. Discussion questions...
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You Decide

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders, who live on a Native American reservation, investigate how land management is addressed at Tribal Council meetings. They participate in a simulation of a meeting as the discover the workings of tribal government. They...
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Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use authentic satellite data to produce plots and graphs of sea surface temperature as they explore the seasonal changes of the Gulf Stream.
Lesson Plan
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Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the importance of the Gulf Stream. Using a NASA satellite images, they examine the sea surface temperature. Students collect the temperature at various locations and times. Using spreadsheet technology, they graph the...
Lesson Plan
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When is Dinner Served? Predicting the Spring Phytoplankton Bloom in the Gulf of Maine (College Level)

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students are able to explain the ecological importance of phytoplankton. They describe the components that influence a phytoplankton bloom. Students interpret satellite images in order to correlate buoy data.
Lesson Plan
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Using My Nasa Data To Determine Volcanic Activity

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students use NASA satellite data of optical depth as a tool to determine volcanic activity on Reunion Island during 2000-2001. They access the data and utilize Excel to create a graph that has optical depth as a function of time for the...
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Volcanic Wrath

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students observe volcanic action using an internet Web site of satellite photographs. Stuents create a portfolio of observable features.
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Remote Sensing

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research the Earth's ocean systems. They examine the impact of global warming on the oceans and the world as a whole.
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
Lesson Plan
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Wolves: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study wolves and their habitat in Yellowstone.  In this environment and behavior lesson students create an interactive map of wolves in Yellowstone.
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Making Thunderstorms

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate the causes of thunderstorms and create the sounds of a thunderstorm.
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SURFACE CURRENTS

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify five major ocean currents and identify the correlation between ocean circulation and prevailing winds.
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Maintaining Strong Fisheries

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners play a game about the life cycle of a blue crab in order to witness the causes of changes in the crab population and discuss what a resource manager could do to keep a stable crab population. Students then create a game titled...
Lesson Plan
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Snow Cover By Latitude

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils create graphs comparing the amount of snow cover along selected latitudes using data sets from a NASA website. They create a spreadsheet and a bar graph on the computer, and analyze the data.
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Deer Tracks

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students use satellite images to track to movement patterns of deer and examine deer behavior. They write stories about a day in the life of a field scientist.
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Two Ways About It

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students take an imaginary hike in two opposite directions along a lake. They view and interpret satellite images and discuss the pros and cons of hydroelectric dams.
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CURRENT AND CLIMATE

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study currents and how they have been used to plot courses for travel. They examine the ocean currents in both the Atlantic and Pacific and discuss their effect on local weather.
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Geography: Snow Cover on the Continents

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students create maps of snow cover for each continent by conducting Internet research. After estimating the percentage of continental snow cover, they present their findings in letters, brochures or Powerpoint presentations.
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Natural Hazards

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers evaluate the hazards of naturally occurring events. After watching a video concerning safety hazards, students work in groups to discuss the safety issues involved in taking a trip to a mountainous region. ...
Lesson Plan
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Circle the Earth - Explore Surface Types on a Journey around Earth

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students use CERES percent coverage surface data with a world map in locating landmasses and bodies of water at Earth's Equator.
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Ocean Color

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine NASA's SeaWiFS Project Web site to explore how the SeaWiFS Project monitors environmental and climatic changes in the oceans and atmosphere. They answer questions and write a summary in support of continued funding for...
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THE GULF STREAM

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore how to describe the Gulf Stream, how Benjamin Franklin charted it, and correctly plot it on a map.