This interactive resource from NASA provides satellite imagery and data displayed on a 3-D animated image of the Earth.
It provides information such as air temperature, carbon dioxide, sea level, soil moisture, water vapor, and ozone.
Students can select the data and date range they are interested in exploring.
Teaching Tips
Positives
You can animate the data over the time period selected and the satellites are orbiting the Earth in real time.
Students can accurately see the continents and oceans without the distortion of 2D maps.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be able to read a map.
A solid internet connection will make the images load faster.
Differentiation
Cross-curricular connections can be made with geography classes when considering the effects of temperature, sea level, and water vapor on where human populations may be most at risk from climate change.
Students can select a satellite, research its mission, and present their findings to the class.
This resource can be used as guidance for student to create their own satellite mission proposal to answer a question they have about the Earth.
This resource offers up-to-date global maps of air temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and several other vital signs of the planet. Additionally, it offers real-time locations of satellites in orbit, including the International Space Station. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
4-ESS2-2 Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
Social Studies
Geography
Geography 1: Students understand the geography of the community, Maine, the United States, and various regions of the world by explaining that geography includes the study of Earth's physical features including climate and the distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
