Workshops, Institutes, and Courses
GRACE: Tracking Water From Space
June 30, 2012
GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) is a NASA mission that uses a pair of satellites to measure Earth's gravitational field. By regularly measuring changes in the gravitational field, scientists can indirectly track the motions of large masses of water. The GRACE satellites began orbiting in March 2002. They orbit once every 90 minutes, taking 30 days to cover the entire Earth. Since the movement of water can be detected on this time scale, GRACE's ever-growing data set is revealing long-term changes in Earth's water and its relationship to changing climate.
Scientists are just beginning to analyze the data that GRACE has gathered, but climate change unfolds over decades, centuries and millennia. Scientists need three to five decades of this kind of information to truly understand the behavior of Earth's water. While GRACE's satellites probably won't last that long, climate scientists hope the mission's successors will keep the water data flowing. This information will become ever more critical to the world's growing population as climate change continues.
The workshop provides strategies for how to use data visualizations and data sets from secondary research. Teachers will examine satellite data from GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) for Greenland and Antarctica to better understand the impact of climate change on ice sheets. Teachers will engage in activities to increase their ability to teach about climate change and use GRACE data with their students.
The resources linked below are designed to support middle and high school science teachers' use of GRACE data in the classroom.
Science Bulletins Feature Video
Antarctica and Greenland
Central Valley (California)
India
Australia
Lena Basin (Russia)
Credits
Support for these resources is provided by NASA under Award No.NNX09AL93G.
More in this Series:
Exploring the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to a Modern, Globalized World
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Join us for a professional development day for social studies teachers that will provide content background for teaching the Silk Road and Asia as well as new approaches to teaching contemporary cultural concepts.
Investigating the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
July 16, 2013 - July 17, 2013
During this two-day workshop teachers will work to analyze and interpret data sets that help us understand the evolutionary theory that explains the development of antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus.
Using Educator’s Guides to Teach Secondary Earth Science
July 23, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the revised Educator’s Guide for the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth. This hall presents amazing objects for examining essential questions about Earth Science.
Using Educator's Guides to Teach about Meteorites
July 24, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the Educator’s Guide for the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites.
Analyzing Earthquake Data to Explore Plate Tectonics
July 24, 2013 - July 25, 2013
During this two-day workshop teachers will work to analyze and interpret data sets that indicate the location and frequency of earthquakes and tsunami hazards and identify patterns that allow for forecasts of the likelihood and locations of future events.
TRUST Summer Institute: Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity
July 29, 2013 - August 9, 2013
A ten-day institute designed to strengthen science teachers' content knowledge of evolution, ecology, and biodiversity and to prepare teachers for using Museum resources and exhibits with their students.
Using Educator’s Guides to Teach Secondary Space Science
July 30, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the revised Educator’s Guide for the Cullman Hall of the Universe. The hall presents exhibits for examining essential questions about Space Science.
Using Educator's Guides to Teach about Meteorites
July 31, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the Educator’s Guide to teach about the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites.
Using Educator’s Guides to Teach Secondary Earth Science
August 6, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the revised Educator’s Guide for the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth. This hall presents amazing objects for examining essential questions about Earth Science.
Using Educator’s Guides to Teach Secondary Space Science
August 7, 2013
In this one-day workshop, middle and high school teachers will explore ways to use the revised Educator’s Guide for the Cullman Hall of the Universe. The hall presents exhibits for examining essential questions about Space Science.
Hudson River Ecology and Invasive Species
August 12, 2013 - August 13, 2013
Two-day workshop for Middle and High School teachers that explores Hudson River ecology through a case-study of the invasive Zebra mussel.
Investigating the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
August 14, 2013 - August 15, 2013
During this two-day workshop teachers will work to analyze and interpret data sets that help us understand the evolutionary theory that explains the development of antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus.
Designing a Museum Learning Experience for K-5 Students
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