This Starting Point webpage is a summary of a role-playing resource called Worldwatcher Project: Global Warming Project. In this exercise, students role-play advisors to various heads of state on the subject of global warming. The web site offers a short curriculum to help the students become experts on global warming. It offers lab activities, computer visualizations (using free WorldWatcher software), ... Full description.

This webpage shows the extent of global tundra on a map of the world. The map is part of the Windows to the Universe, a user-friendly learning system covering the Earth and Space sciences for use by the general public. The goal of the Windows to the Universe project is to build an internet site that includes a rich array of documents, including images, movies, animations, and data sets, that explore ... Full description.

ESRI is a GIS and mapping software company offering products and services, support and solutions for GIS users. GIS is computer software that links geographic information with descriptive information. Unlike a flat paper map, where "what you see is what you get," a GIS map can have many layers of information. This product site offers a wide variety of software, data, books, education and training, ... Full description.

This site provides nationwide real-time stream flow data from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS). These data are typically recorded at 15-60 minute intervals, stored onsite, and then transmitted to USGS offices every 4 hours. Recording and transmission times may be more frequent during critical events. Data from real-time sites are relayed to USGS offices via satellite, telephone, and/or radio ... Full description.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory, Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases (CCGG) group makes ongoing discrete measurements from land and sea surface sites and aircraft, and continuous measurements from baseline observatories and tall towers. These measurements document the spatial and temporal distributions of carbon-cycle gases and provide essential ... Full description.

Contour Basics is an exercise designed to introduce students to contour plots. The Contour Activity is a great on-line resource that starts slowly and increases in difficulty. It teaches students basic techniques for generating contours, introduces students to the subtleties of generating contour plots with sparse data, provides many opportunities for students to assess their own progress and understanding ... Full description.

This website contains eight maps showing human population density starting in 1 AD. Maps can be viewed as large single maps or as an animation of population change through time. The maps are from a Social Contract article by John H. Hanton, 'End of the Migration Epoch.' Full description.

Visualizing Topography is an instructional tour illustrating visualizing topography in 3D. The exercise contains Quick Time movies and questions that help students visualize two-dimensional topography in three dimensions. The web site developed by Steven Reynolds at Arizona State University is an exercise illustrating visualizing topography. Full description.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers a variety of data on their Real-time Weather Data website. The Surface data page provides an interface so that users can retrieve weather data in raw format or they may choose to translate data to a more user-friendly format, such as gif images. The site contains temperature, precipitation, snow, wind, pressure change data and more. Data is ... Full description.

This commercial website offers weather data from throughout the country. This section focuses on Midwest Temperature. Users can click on weather contour maps and find local weather forecasts. Data also includes wind-chill, humidity, dew point, visibility, snow, jet stream and visible satellite maps. Health maps, UV forecast, flu activity and air quality are also available. From this site users can ... Full description.