This hands-on demonstration of the communications path between scientists and the NASA Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Satellite shows how scientific data are downloaded from the satellite. The same demonstration can also be used to illustrate how the instruments on the satellite are commanded by scientists on Earth. It gives students a feel for the dynamics of satellite communications and orbital ... Full description.

This site allows teachers to use data from ocean drifting buoys to integrate ocean science into their classroom science and math instruction. It offers educational activities and curriculum materials developed and tested by teachers. Lesson plans on currents, moving water, building and tracking drifters are also available. Alternatively, educators may opt to use only the data, background information ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the Center for Educational Resources (CERES), a series of web-based astronomy lessons created by a team of master teachers, university faculty, and NASA researchers. Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the Martian polar ice caps from different times to measure and compare the changing Martian and Earth poles. This lesson contains expected outcomes ... Full description.

This six-day unit has students investigate the challenges of living and working in Antarctica and how researchers prepare for them, and then evaluate the insulating properties of a variety of fabrics, collecting their findings in a portfolio. The comprehensive curriculum materials at this site include an online activity in which students review the preparation materials given to researchers before ... Full description.

This web page provides high-resolution, detailed imagery of significant environmental events. Links are available to images on the following subjects: current events, dust storms, fires, floods, icebergs, ocean, severe weather, snow cover, storms, tropical cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons, unique imagery, and volcanoes. Links are also included to the Satellite Services Division, Total Ozone Mapping ... Full description.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is a joint mission between NASA and the National Space Development Agency (NSDA) of Japan. It is designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall and the associated release of energy that helps to power the global water cycle. The satellite can greatly enhance our understanding of the interactions which produce changes in global rainfall and ... Full description.

This site focuses on the subject of hurricanes (typhoons and cyclones). Designed as an electronic tour, it guides the user through different web sites as stops, providing a comprehensive overview of hurricanes. Specific topics include how hurricanes form, preparing for hurricanes, hurricane season, storm data, and tracking instruments. It outlines teaching objectives, concepts covered, and new vocabulary. ... Full description.

This is a collection of Java applets that can be run through web browsers. Each applet is designed to present a concept generally related to atmospheric science and is highly interactive to encourage discovery. Topics include satellite image interpretation, the formation of contrails, a hurricane model and solar radiation intensity as it varies with latitude and time of year. Full description.

This website integrates video footage and information with lesson plans and activities to teach students about how floods work and why they cause so much damage and destruction. Using a stream table, students are able to observe the processes that lead to flooding and the effects of floods on human-made structures. This unit contains lesson plans, student worksheets, instruction sheets, and links ... Full description.

This site describes the planetary swing-by or slingshot effect of boosting the energy of a space vehicle using a close encounter with a planet or other body. The author uses an analogy of a ping-pong ball and paddle to simplify the math involved and goes on to cite several examples of the planetary swing-by, including the Voyager and Pioneer missions. He then explains how these gravity assist maneuvers ... Full description.