Readers of this journal article can learn about data sent back to Earth by NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft, which indicates the presence of water in the form of ice at the Moon's north and south poles. Materials presented include an estimate of how much water exists, where and in what form it might occur, and what its economic value as a resource for human exploration might be. Full description.

Climate is the long-term weather conditions for a region, generally determined by 30 or more years of records. Climate zones can be defined using parameters such as temperature and rainfall. In this lesson, students will make climatic diagrams called climographs which will relate weather and climate for a particular location. Monthly average values of weather data such as temperature and precipitation ... Full description.

The onset of winter in higher latitude regions of North America brings snow to the area around the Great Lakes. The amount of snow is dependent on many variables. One of the most significant factors determining snowfall amount in the Great Lakes drainage basin is the surface temperature of the lakes. In this lesson, students will extrapolate information from selected MY NASA DATA and NOAA websites ... Full description.

Clouds are a collection of water droplets and small ice crystals that are suspended in an atmosphere. Clouds form when moisture rises, cools, and changes to water or ice. It is important to take into consideration exactly how clouds affect the world around us. Clouds are an important determining factor in climate in any region around the globe. In this lesson, students will plot and analyze data for ... Full description.

The type of climate present in a particular location depends on several variables, including surface temperature and annual precipitation. One indicator of a locale' s climate is the vegetation present, a relationship used by the Koeppen system of climate classification. Using a microset of satellite data to investigate vegetation of a particular climate zone, students will identify factors that influence ... Full description.

The seasons on Earth are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it revolves around the Sun. The differences in climate along similar latitudes can be explained by local variations in heat transfer, such as sea and land breezes. The absorption of solar radiation by different surface materials also contributes to variations in temperature along similar latitudes. Students will learn to correlate ... Full description.

This article from Astrobiology Magazine reports on the discovery of water in "cold" regions of space. Using data from the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory, astronomers have determined that water is abundant in these cold, or quiescent regions of space where there are no stars, and that the majority of it occurs as ice with a small amount of water vapor. It is thought that these cold ... Full description.

NASA Investigators working with Mars Odyssey data may have discovered remnants of snow packs that have created a system of gullies in crater walls and other, more unusual places such as ridge crests, sand dunes, and hilltops. Readers of this journal article can learn about the snow packs and their potential to collect and shelter water beneath themselves, possibly providing a favorable environment ... Full description.

This resource is part of the Science Education Gateway (SEGway) project, funded by NASA, which is a national consortium of scientists, museums, and educators working together to bring the latest science to students, teachers, and the general public. This activity introduces students to planetary research. Using some of the most famous and interesting images of the Solar System, students learn to focus ... Full description.

This web based story tells of Tutangiaq (nicknamed 2T), a Canada Goose, who flies across the remote state of Alaska looking for his family. As he flies, he tells children about this fascinating 49th state of the US. Children learn how Alaska was purchased from the Russians, and other amazing facts about the state. They compare Alaska to other states that they may be living in or visiting. 2T takes ... Full description.