What's the Purpose?

Last summer, the following tweet caught my attention:

"What's the purpose of school when all the content is available online? How do we make the time meaningful?"

These are worthy, powerful questions. What exactly is the value of public education in the instant-access world of our increasingly digital 21st century?

Here are a few of the high-impact skills and habits of mind that I believe we must teach and nurture in our classrooms (no matter what the content) so that our students can be successful and flexible lifelong learners:

• how to access content efficiently using an array of digital tools (Google, Siri, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc.)
• how to identify and access primary source content effectively (in science: NASA, NOAA, USGS, etc.)
• how to produce compelling content in a variety of analog and digital formats (infographics, multimedia presentations, etc.) 
• how to leverage creativity so that students can express their learning in meaningful and multi-faceted ways
• how to think independently/interdependently so that students can ask their own questions and pursue their own interests

In this rapidly evolving world, we have no idea exactly what kinds of opportunities will be available to our students when they graduate. Our main focus should be helping students to become active producers of knowledge and value—not just passive consumers of information—so that they can become nimble and flexible contributors to society. Otherwise, we're probably irrelevant and detrimental to their future.

Let's strive to make 2012 relevant and meaningful for our students...

Cherish the Pale Blue Dot

Wishing everyone on this pale blue dot a peaceful holiday season...

Pale Blue Dot - Animation from Ehdubya on Vimeo.

NASA Canceled the Space Program, Right?

NASA: The Blue Marble

Since the end of the shuttle program, my students have repeatedly expressed the notion that space exploration is done: "NASA canceled the space program, right?" While I know that's untrue, they do not — and that is very troubling (and eminently frustrating!).

In my classroom, I constantly use supplementary resources from NASA and other US government science organizations to help students understand that we are actively studying the Earth system, the solar system, and beyond every day. Earth science is not a collection of static facts and information, but is a dynamic and ever-evolving field of cutting-edge research. As educators, we need to help students make connections between what they are learning in the classroom and what is happening in the real world—it is not OK to just teach Earth science from a textbook. Like other scientists, NASA scientists are active explorers who continue to expand our knowledge of our own planet and beyond. The good news for us is that we can access a myriad of NASA resources right in the classroom and participate in the exploration:

• NASA's main website is the logical starting point for the latest news and information about Earth and space. In addition to general information, the site has sections specifically for educators and for students with links to lessons, images, videos, podcasts, simulations, grants, scholarships, and more. We (often) complain about government, but NASA's website has got to be one of the best damn uses of taxpayer money out there.
• NASA also has a huge variety of resources for iDevices at the NASA App Store. There are apps for exploring planets, finding out about the latest space missions, checking launch dates, and more. Oh, and all the apps are free. The NASA App HD for iPad is simply stunning.
• Want the latest on climate? NASA's Global Climate Change provides real-time vital signs of our planet. My favorite parts of this site are the links to evidence, causes, effects, and uncertainties. Not only do you have the latest climate data at your fingertips, but the process of climate science itself is eloquently and transparently deconstructed and explained.
• Need current events about planet Earth? NASA's Earth Observatory has fantastic articles, images of the day, global maps, and in-depth features about our home planet. Their weekly email digest is a must-have resource. Go subscribe today!
• Need even more up-to-the-minute information? NASA has a fleet of Twitter accounts that provide the latest news from space explorers around the globe and beyond, including live tweets from robotic pioneers in space. A few of my favorites include NASAVoyager and NASAVoyager2, NASAJuno, and NewHorizons2015.

There are tons more NASA resources out there for students, educators, and the curious alike. We need not lament the demise of the space program; it is alive and well, even during these challenging socio-economic times. However, to keep the reality and promise of Earth and space exploration alive and thriving, we need to give our students every opportunity to learn about it and participate in it.

If there is any question about the urgency of science literacy in the 21st century, Stephen Colbert and Neil deGrasse Tyson spend an hour-and-a-half discussing the importance of science and technology in this thoroughly enjoyable video.

Bathymetry in 3D

NOAA Portsmouth Harbor Bathymetry

Using depth data collected from sonar measurements, oceanographers create bathymetric charts showing physical features of the ocean floor. During our physical oceanography studies, students create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional bathymetric charts using depth data collected from "mystery boxes" containing models of various ocean features. During the lab activity, students complete the following tasks:

• Collect depth data in rectangular grid patterns across the mystery boxes
• Draw and colorize isobaths (lines of equal depth) to delineate areas of similar depth
• Identify names of the ocean features found inside the mystery boxes
• Create 3D surface charts from the data to finally "see" what's inside the mystery boxes

At the beginning of the lesson, students are rather daunted when I tell them they will be creating a 3D bathymetric chart. By the end of the lesson, they are quite proud of their accomplishments.

To create the final 3D bathymetric chart, students enter their data into Microsoft Excel and use the surface chart option to visualize a realistic model of their original mystery box. Just as we cannot lift the ocean to see the features below, students may never open the mystery boxes to see what's inside—they are reliant upon their data and 3D models to "see" the ocean floor.

The process for creating a 3D surface chart in Microsoft Excel (2007 and 2010 versions) is outlined as follows:

1. Type in all of the bathymetry data (including grid numbers) and select it
2. Go to Insert tab on the ribbon
3. Click "Other Charts" and select "3D Surface Chart"
4. Move Chart to "New Sheet"
5. Right-click the vertical (value) axis and choose "Format Axis"
• Change Maximum to "Fixed" and enter the maximum data value
• Change Minimum to 0 (sea level)
• Change Major Unit to "Fixed" and enter a value of 5.0 (the isobath interval)
• Check the "Values in Reverse Order" box
• Close
6. Right-click the horizontal (category) axis and choose "Format Axis"
• Check the "Categories in Reverse Order" box
• Close
7. Right-click the chart and choose "3-D Rotation"
• Use the arrows and options to adjust the chart to a nice view
• Close
8. Click the entire legend ONCE to select it. Then click ONCE on an individual color in the legend to select it by itself.
• Right-click that color and choose "Format Band"
• Experiment with either the Solid Fill or the Gradient Fill to create a nice blend of colors from deep to shallow
• Close
9. Format the rest of the chart as necessary to include items such as a descriptive title, axis labels, and a well-written caption
10. Add clip art and images to create a unique, eye-catching final style for the 3D chart

See the results below...

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Water, Water Everywhere...

Image credit: the MorgueFile

When studying the water cycle, three basic questions frame our learning:

• Where is all the water?
• How is the water distributed across planet Earth?
• How does the water move through the Earth system?

Last week's post described data about global water distribution and techniques for graphing this data. The majority of water on planet Earth is contained in the oceans, bays, and seas (96.5%) with the rest of the water distributed (as either solid, liquid, or gas) among various fresh and saline reservoirs. Very little water is actually readily available for human use—an interesting point to discuss with students.

Water moves from reservoir to reservoir via various processes. There are numerous water cycle videos out there showing how water cycles around the planet. Almost any of these are good for helping students learn the basic terminology associated with the water cycle and visualizing how water moves. To take the learning deeper and go beyond simple rote memorization, I add a few more pieces to the water cycle puzzle.

Water Cycle Simulation Tank

Materials and ingredients:

• an aquarium tank
• wooden blocks
• various rocks and pebbles
• greenery (a few cuttings from house plants)
• water (of course)
• two thermometers
• extra wide roll of aluminum foil
• a glue gun
• tape
• two nested, quart-sized plastic zipper bags
• ice
• a pie plate
• an adjustable lamp

Recipe:

1. Set up the aquarium on a stable surface using wooden blocks underneath one end to angle the aquarium.
2. Arrange the rocks and pebbles to represent land on the higher side of the aquarium and tuck in the greenery.
3. Add a liter or so of water to the lower end to simulate the ocean.
4. Place the two thermometers inside the tank, one on the land, one in the sea.
5. Prepare two layers of aluminum foil for covering the aquarium, and add several dots from the glue gun to the underside of the aluminum foil that will be covering the land. These dots serve as condensation nuclei for the water vapor that will evaporate from the ocean inside the tank.
6. Cover the tank with the foil and seal with tape so that the tank is a closed system.
7. Fill the inner plastic bag with ice and seal, and seal the outer bag as well (minimizes leakage). Place the ice bags in a pie pan (a redundant leakage collector) on top of the aluminum foil so that they sit over the land side of the tank. The ice promotes condensation and precipitation.
8. Place the lamp on the water side of the tank so that it warms the water and drives evaporation.
9. Commence water cycling!

Water Cycle Simulation Tank

I usually set this up a day ahead of time and allow students to ponder what its purpose is. Soon, I overhear observations about radiation from the lamp, evaporation, condensation, raindrops collecting on the glue drops above the land, precipitation falling onto the leaves of the greenery, etc. Without much prompting other than "What do you think is happening?" students figure out the water cycle process pretty quickly on their own.

Water Cycle Diagrams

Both NOAA and USGS have some beautiful water cycle diagrams that can be used to match water cycle vocabulary to water cycle processes. These are good for students to work with during water cycle videos.

Water Cycle Research

Beyond the textbook basics, how do we continue to study the water cycle today? Is it constant or is it changing over time? What tools and technology do we use? To help students better understand current water cycle research, I tap into resources and data visualizations produced by NASA. Here are a few:

• NASA's Earth Observatory has an excellent, detailed discussion of the water cycle from the basics to current observations and research
• NASA's Molecule Max is a whimsical and informative video tutorial on how Earth's water cycle works and how NASA studies it using satellites in space
• NASA's Science Visualization Studio produces a number of high-resolution, global animations of various components of the water cycle

The water cycle is more than just a bunch of memorizable vocabulary terms. It is a dynamic Earth system process worthy of in-depth study and appreciation, especially as natural and anthropogenic forces strain and threaten our precious water resources.