In this activity students observe what happens when various amounts of water are poured into a black box and propose models to explain their observations. When water is poured into the funnel, students observe that sometimes water emerges through the outlet tube and sometimes it does not. Also, the amount of water that does emerge is not constant. Students share their initial ideas with others and ... Full description.

The exercises presented in this paper are part of a "minds on" rather than a "hands on" approach. They are intended to complement "hands on" activities and introduce students to another aspect of scientific inquiry. The exercises require students to analyze large sets of real data, to evaluate the data critically, to observe patterns and anomalies, to make inferences and predictions based on the data, ... Full description.

This activity leads students through the process of creating a geologic map and cross-section in a small area of horizontal sedimentary rocks that are exposed in a few locations. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, assessment ideas, references and topics covered. Full description.

This exercise has students use a simple physical model of the Earth, sun, and moon to understand why the moon changes phases from the perspective of Earthly observers. Students hold up balls representing the moon in a room with a single light source (representing the sun). As they turn relative to the sun, holding the "moon" out in front of them, they will see changes in how much of the side that ... Full description.

In this activity, students access and visualize world population data using the user friendly MyWorld GIS software. Data includes total population, population density, projected population, male and female population, and age specific population, etc. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, ... Full description.

This site from SERC's Starting Point describes how to develop site-specific maps that relate to lecture, discussion, lab, or exercise topics. The creation of site-specific maps can help students better understand spatial relationships. This page also provides links to a variety of GIS and map resources. Full description.

This guide provides instructions for educators on how to use sea ice data in the classroom. The data, from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), describe sea ice concentration and extent of coverage. Scientists use it to monitor changes in the concentration and coverage of ice in polar regions and to compare changes over time, such as loss of extent. Topics include temporal trends in sea ... Full description.

This guide instructs educators on the classroom use of earthquake data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program. The data consist of locations, magnitudes, and times of earthquakes around the world. It is used by emergency response organizations and by scientists seeking to determine how earthquakes effect an area and whether seismic data can be used to predict future ... Full description.

This guide introduces teachers to the use of Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data in the classroom. MOLA data is used to create global topographic maps of Mars and to provide information about properties such as surface roughness, elevation, cloud coverage, brightness, and water flow. This dataset consists of two years of altimetry data on Martian surface features; it can be used to teach Martian ... Full description.

This guide provides instructions for educators on the classroom use of the Geochemistry of Rocks of the Oceans and Continents (GEOROC) database. GEOROC provides chemical and isotopic data for rocks, minerals, and melt/fluid inclusions that are used by scientists for a variety of purposes, including analysis and classification of samples, comparison of similar rocks from different parts of the world, ... Full description.