Linking NASA & the Geography Standards

http://missiongeography.org

Mission Geography

Workshop• Introduce Mission Geography’s mission…• Model ___ investigations

• Geoarchaeology (Grades 5-8)• Physical and Human Made Features (Grades K-4)• Volcanoes (Grades 5-8)• ENSO (Grades 9-12)

• Introduce Mission Geography OnLine• Your feedback…

Geography for Life

• A vision of what geography education should be …

A geographically informed person…

• who sees meaning in the arrangement of things in space…

Can you identify London, Amsterdam, Rome, Moscow, and Berlin?

A geographically informed person…

• Who sees relations between

places

& environments

people

A geographically informed person…

• Who uses geographic skills…

• And who applies spatial and ecological perspectives to life situations.

A geographically informed person…

NASA’s Education Program & Evaluation Framework

Mission Geography• Curriculum support materials

that link the content, skills, and perspectives of Geography for Life with NASA’s missions and scientific findings.

• Three grade levels: K-4, 5-8, 9-12,

• Available on one CD-ROM, and• Supported by a websitehttp://missiongeography.org

Mission Geography• Use NASA research, data, and images

– To drive activities, – To develop key geographic skills, e.g.,

pattern recognition and map interpretation and analysis, and

– To model the work of NASA scientists and the methods they use to conduct research.

Mission GeographyUltimate goal:

To excite and educate learners about geography, about

NASA’s research and missions, and about the world in which

they live.

Mission Geography• Development Process

– Using the best teachers, scientists, geographers, NASA education specialists, and geography educators to create meaningful activities…

The Review and Critique TeamAlong with some of the Writing

Team

Editor

Evaluator

Graduate Assistants

Earth System Scientist

Jonathan Phillips

AESP

Patt Biggs

Teacher Consultants

Billie Kapp

Pat Robeson

Geography Educator

Osa Brand

K-4 Team

Earth System Scientist

David Butler

AESP

Steve Culivan

Teacher Consultant

Judy Bock

Geography Educator

Robert Morrill

5-8 Team

Earth System Scientist

Ron Dorn

AESP

Jim McMurtray

Teacher Consultant

Gary Miller

Geography Educator

David Hill

9-12 Team

Mission Geography

Co-directors

Sarah Bednarz

Pamela Mountjoy

Advisory Board

NSTANCTMITEAGENIP

Mission Geography• Subject matter focus:

– Seeing the World in Spatial Terms– Physical Systems– Environment and

Society

Mission Geography

Mission Geography• Module Fundamentals

– Must teach interesting and meaningful geography;

– Must model geographic thinking and problem solving;

– Must engage students in real world contexts and problems.

Module Components• Module Overview

– Linked to math, science, technology Standards

• Investigations– Linked in detail to

geography Standards

• Teacher’s Guide– Suggested strategies,

background, answers

• Student Logs and Supporting Materials– Everything needed for the

investigation

Review & Critique Workshop

Field Tests and Workshops

• Field tests of revised materials by a variety of teachers

• Feedback obtained at workshops• NCGE, NCSS, NSTA

• Summer 2001: Dissemination and professional development workshops

• Alliance teachers, science teachers, AESPers

Mission Geography• Modeling activities…

Natural Hazards• Volcanoes: Local hazard, global issue?

– NASA: Detecting change in Earth systems through monitoring signals.

– What role does volcanism play in the Earth system?

• Images• Data

Aerosols (atmosphere)

Hazard zones(lithosphere/biosphere)

Mission Geography Module

• Phase 1: Skill building and subject matter mastery.Case study of effects of volcanic eruption on Earth system, by sphere

• Investigation to clarify effects of volcanic eruption on different subsystems

• Image analysis to compare effects before/after• Develop concepts related to areal extent of

damage: buffer zone analysis

Mission Geography Module

• More skill building and subject matter mastery

• Case study of effects of volcanic aerosols on Earth system through three signal sensors: photographs from Space Shuttle, TOMS, & AVHRR– Profile & correlate temperature and aerosol index to

determine relationship

Mission Geography Module

• Phase 3: Problem solving task.Problem: Where is it safe to fly? Monitoring regions with aerosol hazards

Collect TOMS data. Map it. Develop a systematic categorization of world regions in which there is a potential hazard from volcanic ash and other aerosols.

Before the Eruption

May 1980Landsat Infrared

After the Eruption

June 1980Landsat Infrared

Pumice Plain

pumice

Mount St Helens Today

December 1999 Landsat 7 True color