Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data for Atmospheric and earth science for Teachers and Amateurs (MY NASA DATA) is a project to enable K-12 teachers and students, as well as citizen scientists, to explore the large volumes of data that NASA collects about the Earth from space. A main goal of the MY NASA DATA project is to remove the barriers (such as file size and format, and complicated computer tools) that prevent the use of authentic NASA Earth System Science data in the classroom or by the interested public.

Students use scientific inquiry and math skills as they access and display microsets of the Earth System. A microset is a small amount of data – perhaps a single parameter for the whole globe; or a time series for a single location – extracted from a much larger data file. It is in a simple format, such as plain text, or accessible through a user-friendly tool. In addition to the microsets, the MY NASA DATA website offers a collection of lesson plans to help you get started with data exploration.

How to participate:
* Use the Live Access Server to discover data to help teach concepts in your curriculum
* Contribute a lesson plan you develop or submit student projects
* Interact in the e-Mentor network
* Give feedback on the website, lesson plans, data microsets and tools

Project owners + coordinators:
Dr. Lin Chambers, principal investigator
Carrie Phelps, web developer
Penny Oots, database administrator
Susan Moore, education specialist
Erica Alston, curriculum developer
Joyce Fischer, administrative assistant
Dennis Diones, web developer

To learn more, visit: http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov

An open source 3D interactive world viewer created by NASA’s Learning Technologies project, released in mid-2004. It is now developed by NASA staff and open source community developers. World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there.

World Wind provides geospatial visualization technology via extensible and modular components that can be incorporated into any application. World Wind spurs innovation by involving the world community in advancing this cross-platform Java-based technology.

Project owners + coordinators:
Patrick Hogan, project manager
Randy Kim
Chris Maxwell
Tom Gaskins
Bruce Lam

To learn more and participate, visit:
http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov

To stay up-to-date on this project:
• join forum.worldwindcentral.com
• explore worldwindcentral.com/wiki

A NASA education program that provides unique, high quality photographs of our planet taken by middle school students. Using the web to direct a digital camera on space flights and the International Space Station, select middle schools request images based upon their classroom investigations. Teachers, school administrators, and other youth organization leaders are allowed to sign up for ISS EarthKAM with their group of students.

The program enables students, teachers and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. The image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities are extraordinary resources to support classes in Earth science, space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications and even art. Since the program’s inception in 1996, the ISS EarthKAM camera has flown on five Space Shuttle flights and taken almost 5000 images. Currently, the camera resides on the International Space Station.

Project owners + coordinators:
Karen Flammer, advisor
Liz Kain, curator

To learn more and register to participate as an educator, visit: http://earthkam.ucsd.edu/public/educators/registration.shtml

A contest for secondary school students (grades 9-12) demonstrating, via a written report, the best use of geospatial technologies or data to study Earth. Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS). Geospatial technologies and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from archaeology to interactions among the Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. The main focus of the project must be on the application of geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth’s environment. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams.

Project owners + coordinators:
Theresa Schwerin, associate director – education
Dan Stillman, science communications manager

THE DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT HAS PASSED.

To learn more and participate by April 6, 2009, visit: http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=scholars&sub3=scholars2009