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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

NASA Earth Observatory

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

Provider: NASA


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One of NASA’s featured sites, the Earth Observatory provides a wealth of resources and information about various projects involving satellite observation of the Earth. It’s not all about mapping, either - these projects address hot topics such as climate change, urbanization, hurricanes, and environmental disasters.

This site provides evolvong satellite imagery and scientific information about earth. It focuses on Earth’s climate and environmental change. Users can monitor regional and global changes continously on the planet. Users can explore, along with NASA scientists, the causes and effects of climatic and environmental change through the use of real satellite data.

A project of particular interest to many North Carolinians uses satellite data on nightime light emissions to map the growth of cities. The project covers the entire globe, but the consequences of urban growth into farmland and the loss of natural resources will resonate with students in many parts of the state. Look for Bright Lights, Big City (part 1 of 3) and Reaping What We Sow (part 2).

This site fits perfectly for observaation and analysis of practices such as land use and urban growth that affect the use, availability, and management of natural resources. On a local scale, use the site to explore the consequences of urban growth into farmland. What is the impact on rural communities and local economies? How will humans continue to feed themselves in the future? The satellite images also bring home the incredible extent of urban areas in North America, Europe, and Japan and the comparative lack of cities in central Africa and much of South Africa. The maps might raise questions about, for example, the equitability of the current distribution of resources around the world.

The site includes a glossary of terms, data and images, current and planned missions, Earth observatory experiments, and more. Sign up for a free newsletter. Subscribers will receive a short notice from the Earth Observatory informing readers about the latest stories, data, and other points of interest that have been added to the site.