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MysteryImagesfromSpaceEducator’sGuide

Summary:StudentslearncoreconceptsinEarthsciencebyexploringphotographstakenbyastronauts.Thisweb-basedprogrampresentstheimagesasmysterystories,withhelpfulmaps,hintsandsparkingquestions.Theimagesareorganizedintothemeslikerivers,weather,glaciersandaurora.Teacherscanuseindividualimagesasabrieflesson,orusethethemestocovermajortopics.

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Topic:EarthscienceGradeLevels:middleandhighschoolTime:30min/image;40+imagescurrentlyavailableWebsites: Mysteryimages:http://spacestationexplorers.org/explore/earth/training/ SpaceStationExplorers:http://spacestationexplorers.org WindowsonEarth:http://www.windowsonearth.orgEarthsciencethemes: 1.BeautyoftheEarth 2.ScottKelly’stweets 3.Cities 4.Rivers 5.Land 6.Islands 7.Agriculture 8.Clouds 9.AuroraLearninggoals: Earthsystemscience •Earthasadynamic,globalsystem •Interactionsamongland,ocean,atmosphere,life •Weather,cloudsandstormsystemsinunprecedented?? •Planetarystewardshipfromaglobalperspective Humangeography •HumanpresenceonEarth •Urbandevelopmentasrevealedthroughnightlightimages •Agriculturalpatterns •Wateruseandchallenges Scientificthinking •Imageanddataanalysis •Patternrecognition •Recognizingchangeovertime Spacescience •InternationalSpaceStationasplatformforEarthobservation •AstronautsasessentialtoEarthobservation&photography

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Astronautstakehundredsofphotoseveryday

AstronautsontheISShavetakenover2,000,000photos.TheyrevealtheincrediblediversityofEarth,fromthevastSaharatothedeepaquacolorsoftheBahamas,eruptingvolcanoes,spectacularHimalayas,gorgeousaurora,andthehumanpresencerevealedinthelightsofcitiesatnight.Wecan’toverstatethevisualappeal,engagingmysteriesandeducationalpoweroftheseimages–andhowtheyhelpusrethinkhomeplanetEarth.Evenfromourground-basedviews,weseeEarthisanendlesslychanging,amazinglyvariedenvironment.Fromabove,astronautsgetapanoramicviewrevealingnewinsightsintotheplanetandourhumanimpactonit.WeseeourselvesasoccupantsofthisoneEarth;aplanetfloatinginSpace.Thesephotosalsogainpowerfromthehumanityofthephotographer–thatanastronaut’sheartandmindsawanamazingview,framedandcomposedthepictureandpickedthedecisivemoment.Theseimagesserveassparksforcuriosity,illustrationsoffundamentalprinciples,evidenceofEarth’sinterconnectedness,imagesforcreativeexpression,andinsightsintohumanhistoryanddevelopment.Astronautsknowthetransformativepowerofthisperspective.Theytakehundredsofphotoseverydaytocapturetheirawe.Thepoweroftheseimagescanbevisuallystunningandintellectuallyengaging.Weseethebeautyofcolor,textureandshapes;weseethebrightlightsofourcities;weseevolcanoeserupting;lightningstrikes;forestfiresburning,smokespreadingacrosstheland.Everyimageisunique,andeachhasvaluebothasanimageandasasourceofdata.Theastronautsarehumanity’sdesignatedrepresentativesinSpace.TheylookoutthecupolaatplanetEarthandtakethesemarvelouspictures,rightfromtheheart.Throughthistreasuretrove,theastronautsinviteustoSpace,joiningthemonthisjourneyofexplorationanddiscoveryabouthomeplanetEarth.

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RichEducationalPower

Teachersandstudentsusetheseimagesinsomanyways.Topicsincludingclimatechange,geography,atmosphericscience,geography,oceanography,urbanplanning,anthropology—thelistisnearlyendless.Theycancovermultiplelearninggoals,forelementary,middle,highschool,collegeandadultlearners.Throughthisarchive,educatorsandstudentshaveacontinuouslyevolvingresourceforexploringcities,agriculture,glaciers,aurora,flooding,volcanoes,weatherpatterns,andamultitudeofotherthemesaroundearthlyandatmospherictopics.TheyalsolearnhowphotosaretakenaboardtheISS,downloaded,reviewedandmadeavailabletoviewandshare.Studentsexploretheseimagesusingtwoweb-basedtools: 1.MysteryImages–selectedimageswithannotations,mapsandquestions 2.WindowsonEarth–thefullarchiveofimages,updateddailyStudentsusetheMysteryImagesystemtoexploreselectedimagesthathighlightkeyfeaturesandthemesinEarthscience.Newimagesandthemesareaddedthroughouttheyear.StudentsusetheWindowsonEarthsystemtoextendtheirlearningandexploration,withamoreopen-endedaccesstothefullarchiveofimages,includingdailyupdates.StudentsmeetsomekeylearninggoalsintheNextGenerationScienceStandards: 1.CoreIdeas–manytopicsinEarthsystemscience 2.Science&EngineeringPractices–suchasworkingwithimagesandtechnology 3.Cross-cuttingConcepts–suchasEarthasasystem,andinteractionofsystemsStudentsachievethesegoalsbyengagingininquiry,explorationanddiscovery.Thisembodiesadrivingvisionofeducation–thatwealllearnbestwhenwe’reactive,curiousandengaged.Thesephotosprovidethatengagingcontext,andbringtolifethebasicconceptstheylearninmiddleandhighschoolEarthscienceclasses.

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Three-phaseProcess“MysteryImagesfromSpace”hasathree-phaseapproach.Theactivities:1)hooklearnerswithclearandengagingentrypoints,2)usemapsandhintstohelpstudentsfigureoutthelocationdepicted,and3)providepromptingquestionstoexplorefurther.Thiscombinationenableslearnerstostartatthelevelmostappropriatefortheirknowledgeandexperience,revisitformoreactivities,andcontinuetheirlearningwellbeyondthebase.0.SelectImages

Theimageaboveontheleftshowsthehomepage,highlightingafeaturedimage.Studentscansimplyclickonthatimagetoproceedtothenextsteps.Alternatively,studentscanselectathemefromthesidebar.Foreachselectedtheme,studentsseeseveralimages,asinthe“Rivers”exampleontherightabove.Studentsthenselectoneofthoseimages.1.ExamineClosely

Inthisfirstphaseoftheimagereview,studentslookcloselyattheimage.Theytrytofigureoutwhatfeaturesitshows(suchasrivers,lakes,mountains,valleys,cloudsintheimageabove).Theyshouldspendafewminutesstudyingit.Theymayhaveanideaofthelocation,butfornowfocusoncloselyexaminingtheimage.Youcouldevenhavestudentsdrawittohelp.

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2.Whereisthis?

Tocontinue,studentsclickon“2-Whereisthis?”atthetopofthepage.Thistakesthemtophase2:locationanalysis.Determiningthelocationistricky,becausethepicturecanshowalmostanywhereintheworld!Theyseealargeinteractivemapcenteredonthatlocation.Studentsusetheplusandminussignsonthelowerrighttozoominandout.Intheleftsidebar,theycanrequesthints.Select“locationonmap”andtheyseeamarkerontheworldmap.Click“nightlights”tooverlaythelightsofcities.Click“imagewithlabels”andtheyseetheanswer(imageontherightabove).Click“OpenGooglemaps”andtheyopenanewwindowshowinggooglemapscenteredonthatlocation.Allofthislendsitselftodeeperdiscussionaboutthelocationshown,thatregionoftheworld,anduseofmapsandatlases,bothprintandonline.Notethattheimagemayormaynothavethefamiliarorientationofnorthup,sinceastronautscanpointthecamerainanyorientation.3.ExploreMore

Forphase3,studentsclickon“3-ExploreMore”.Theimagenowincludessparkingquestions,like“HowlongdidittaketofillLakePowell?”Somequestionscanbefiguredout(byasmartandinquisitivestudent)bylookingcloselyattheimage.Otherwillrequireabitmoreresearch.

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Ontheright,studentsseeadiscussion,morequestions,andsomehotlinksthatcanhelpthemfigureouttheanswers.Asuccessfulinvestigationisabeginningnotanend.TheseimagesrevealinsightsaboutEarth,andyetalsosparknewquestions–notjustthequestionslabeledontheimages,butnewquestionsthatemergefromlookingattheimageandlearningmoreabouttheregion.Forexample,intheimageabove,studentsmightwonderwhythewholeareaiscoloredbrown,redandorange?OrtheymightwonderwhythePowellDamwasbuiltinthatspecificlocationontheColoradoRiver?Orwhatimpactthisdamhasonfishandotherlifeintheriver,bothaboveandbelowthedam?Theseimagesshouldinspireandengagestudentstopursuethesefurtherexplorations.TheyalsohelptheteachermakeconnectionsacrosstheEarthsciencecurriculum.Studentscanfurtherexplorethedesignatedimages–orexploremorethroughtwowebsites:http://WindowsOnEarth.orgwithitsfullarchiveofimages,includingdailydownloads.http://SpaceStationExplorers.orghasmanymorewaystoexploreEarthandtheISS.

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ThemesTheimagesareorganizedbytheme.Tohelpstudentslearnandexplorethemes,eachhasimages,ideas,questionsandresourcelinks.Theyshowhowtheimagelocationandfeaturessupportlearningaboutthattheme.Theseexamplesjustscratchthesurfaceofwhatispossible!ExploreWindowsonEarthtofindotherimagestohelpyouachieveyourlearninggoals.1.BeautyoftheEarth

TheseimagesillustratebeautifulviewsofEarth,helpingstudentsbeginwithaweandappreciationforourhomeplanet.2.ScottKelly’stweets

AstronautScottKellytweetedover1,000photos–herearesomeofthemostpopular(bypublicvote).Theyillustratethediversity,andhelpstudentsconnectwiththeindividualastronautwhotookthephoto.3.Cities

Citiesrevealedatnightbytheirspectacularlights,andinthedaybytheirgreycolor.Inbothcases,theyhelpstudentslearnaboutthescaleanddiversityofcities,andhelpstudentsthinkaboutwhycitiesarelocatedandgrowinthecontextofthelandandfeaturesaroundthem–aswellastheculturesofthepeoplewholivethere.

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4.Rivers

Riverssculpttheland,andareanessentialpartoflifeonEarth.Thesephotosshowtherangeofrivers,varyingbylocation,shape,colorandsculptingprocess.5.Land

Landisabroadcategory,andthesefourimagesjustgetstudentsstarted.Studentsseevolcanoes,mountains,islands,valleysandsomanyotherfeatures!6.Islands

Islandsformintheoceanthroughvolcanicandtectonicsprocesses,coralreefs,glacialdepositsandmanyotherways.Studentsdevelopanalysisskillstofigureouthoweachislandformed.7.Agriculture

Whatanincrediblediversityofagriculturalpatternsaroundtheworld.Pivotirrigation,smallpersonalfarms,largeagri-businesses...allembodyaseriesoffactorsofland,water,government,financeandsoon.

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8.Clouds

Someoneoncesaid“Cloudsareskypoems”.CloudsarethemostdynamicfeatureonEarthchangingconstantly,revealingatmosphericdynamics,stormsystems,andinteractionsofland,surfacewaterandtheatmosphere.9.Aurora

Astronautslovetophotographaurora,andtheseimagesshowwhy.Suchabeautifulshimmeringdanceoflightsinthesky!Studentscanlearnwhatcausesthesegloriouslights.Earthisanamazingplanet,andastronautshavethebestwaytoenjoyandexploreit.Weareallsoappreciativethattheyphotographandsharethisglobalperspectivewithus.WhatagreatwayforyourstudentstoseeEarthwithneweyes!