Simscience is a website devoted to areas of science where computer simulations are at the forefront of discovery. This interactive activity aids students in understanding structures (particularly dams), fracture mechanics, engineering, hydraulics and geotechnology. This site emphasizes analytical thinking, iterative design, multiple solutions and teamwork. Learning in this activity is mostly collaborative, ... Full description.

Scientists have studied the physical properties of clouds and have developed instruments onboard satellites to characterize the types of clouds they see below. Some satellites have instruments that allow them to measure rainfall as well. For this lesson, students will hypothesize what types of clouds they believe will create the most precipitation (rainfall) over Nashville, TN. Students use the Live ... Full description.

One of the most studied and important ocean currents of the world lies along the eastern coast of the United States and is called the Gulf Stream. It derives its name from its source region of warm water in the Gulf of Mexico. For the past two decades, scientists have been collecting sea surface temperature (SST) data from satellites, buoys and ships in the Gulf Stream and Atlantic Basin. In this ... Full description.

Corals feed on algae that thrive in the sunlit water surrounding a reef. However, when water temperatures get too warm, the algae food source dies and corals turn a whitish color. Through scientific observation, it has been determined that coral bleaching may occur when sea surface temperature (SST) exceeds 30C or 86F for a week or longer. During late 2005, a major coral bleaching event occurred when ... Full description.

Watersheds are those land areas that catch rain or snow and drain to specific marshes, streams, rivers, lakes, or to ground water. This site allows users to locate their watershed by city, county, state, or region. Links provide information about stream flow, water use, conservation efforts, demographics, forest riparian habitats, science in your watershed, water discharges, and assessment of watershed ... Full description.

This site provides the user an opportunity to explore storm clouds and climate change through the use of NASA climate research data obtained through satellite imaging. The user is challenged to investigate actual scientific research data on clouds and storms, and make observations and interpretations available to NASA research scientists for review. Topics addressed by these investigations include ... Full description.

A phase diagram shows the preferred physical states of matter at different temperatures and pressures. This phase diagram shows these states for water. Critical points, triple points, and ice phase processes are defined and illustrated as a function of pressure and temperature. The diagram is accompanied by a set of tables that give detailed thermodynamic data for the triple points and structural/crystallographic ... Full description.

This PowerPoint is a resource for museum educators that highlights the major mission information and science background for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Mission, a Small Explorer Earth-orbiting spacecraft that is designed to map the distant boundary between the solar wind from our Sun and the interstellar medium. This PowerPoint supports a full-length planetarium show about the IBEX mission ... Full description.

This interactive demonstration explains how the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft uses its particle detectors to collect and sort particles that come from the boundary of the Solar System. Full description.

This booklet includes 11 problems of increasing difficulty that explore the properties of black holes. Students learn about the relationship between black hole size and mass, time dilation, energy extraction, accretion disks, and what?s inside a black hole by working with a series of math problems that feature simple algebra, scientific notation, exponential functions, and the Pythagorean Theorem. ... Full description.