The USGS and Science Education

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• Learn more about earth science, earthquakes, environmental science, geology, hydrology, meteorology, topography, volcanoes, and weather.

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The whole Earth portal from the United States Geological Survey. Here is a sampling:

• Earthshots: satellite images of environmental change (Comparative images of selected sites with commentary.)
• Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future (Lots of images, text, and some diagrams.)
• The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands (Teachers’ guide with objectives, info, and activities.)
• Volcanoes

The resources available from government agencies are so deep and rich in content that they almost need their own “portal” for effective access. Some agencies have realized the problem and offer their own solutions. The USGS and Science Education from the United States Geological Survey is an excellent example of an effective educational portal to Earth Science information.

Resources are grouped according to the role of the user: Student, Teacher, or Explorer. The Student page includes project ideas for examining real-life water-related environmental problems. There’s homework help in the areas of Geology, Biology, Geography, and Hydrology, and a glossary of terms and concepts in all areas of Earth and Biological Sciences. The Teacher page links to teaching packs like Map Adventures (grades K-3), covering basic concepts for visualizing objects from different perspectives and how to understand and use maps, and Geologic Age (grade 7-12) which investigates radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time. The Explorers page is a mixture of research, special topics, and fun stuff geared to the curious of all ages. Opportunities to explore USGS-authored and other credible Web-based sources are categorized by subject on the bottom of the navigation menu to the right. The Explore These section includes Earth Hazards, Water, Plants and Animals, Maps and Images, Rocks and Images, and Real-time Info collections. Imagine up-to-the-minute volcanic activity reports, volcano-cams, satellite images, and other natural disaster information available for your class to use daily! Students have access to the same information used by professionals: “Real-time information helps to ensure that the critical information needed by emergency forecasters and managers during extreme events is available when it is most needed from the locations where it is needed.” Also available on the navigation menu are a variety of activities labeled Fun Stuff. Playtime Wizard, Image Wizard, Map Wizard, E-Cards, and Wallpapers are the categories. Interactivity is the common element in these sites, from finding a satellite image of their home by address on TerraWeb for Kids to Tracking Drifter Buoys from the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, students will be active and involved in the Fun Stuff sites.Ask USGS provides an Earth Science Information service and is clearly linked from the menu bar. Site map and search features, including a very user-friendly search wizard, are also available from all pages in the menu bar. Throughout the site, if material is generated by a non-USGS organization, links are clearly labeled as to who is responsible for the information.