Resources: Lesson Plans, Media, and Collaborative Research
The Earth's climate is dynamic, changing many times during the planet's history. These changes were caused by natural cycling and large, periodic events such as massive volcanic eruptions and shifts in the Earth's orbit. However for the past 200 years, human activity has created a sustained and growing impact. The burning of fossil fuels and deforestation has changed the temperature and composition of the atmosphere and the ocean and therefore very likely are influencing the Earth's climate. Below are several links to information and activities about climate change, the causes and impacts of climate change, the impacts and role of the ocean in climate change and the impact on the environment.
The world we live in is increasingly characterized by data. In oceanography, the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and other efforts are spurring advances in sensor technologies and cyberinfrastructure that are changing the way oceanographers conduct research and share their results with the world. As we look to train the next generation of scientists, it is imperative that students have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to collect, analyze and understand data.
The Aquarius mission is brimming with educational content that hits all four areas of STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The design and engineering of the satellite, the science of ocean observing, the technical specifications for the mission and the importance of understanding global processes through data can all be illustrated using Aquarius as an example.
In this poster, NASA’s education and outreach team illustrates their multi-pronged approach to creating educational products and opportunities for educators to utilize information and data about Aquarius.
