Sea and Ice Salinity Activity Source: NASA Aquarius Mission and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, 2007. Activity adapted with permission from UCLA Marine Science Center’s OceanGLOBE. Background What is sea ice? It is simply frozen ocean water. Why is sea ice important? While it occurs mainly in polar regions, sea ice influences our global climate. Changing amounts of sea ice can affect ocean circulations, weather patterns, and temperatures around the world. [Read More]

Sea Level and the Terrapin Activity Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Adapted with permission. The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only North American turtle fully adapted to life in brackish water (mix of saltwater and freshwater). Its home is in coastal salt marshes of estuaries along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Although they can live 40 years or more, most turtles do not make it to their first birthday, because they are prey for foxes, otters, raccoons, skunks, and birds. [Read More]

No Child Left Inside Activity Sky and Cloud Windows Grade Level: K-8 Earth Science and Art Activity Source: The Weather Channel. Adapted with permission. Background Is today sunny or overcast? Is there wind, rain, or snow? No matter where you live, weather shapes your life. What’s happening in the sky can determine how you dress, what you eat, where you spend your time, and when you work—or play. The science of the sky encompasses Earth and space science (from the solar system to the water cycle), physical science (from heat and energy to motion and forces), and science in personal and social perspectives (from the environment to global climate change). [Read More]

Soil Color and Redox Chemistry Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America. Adapted with permission. Are soils like M&Ms™? Yes! Typical soil colors are red, brown, yellow, or black. These colors are often not the color of the minerals in the soil but coatings of iron oxides (Fe203, FeOOH, and so on) or organic matter on particles. The minerals beneath are often quartz or feldspar, which are grey. To see how coating affects soil color, consider red M&Ms™. [Read More]

Solar Desalination Activity Source: NASA Grade Levels: 3-10 Background Desalination is the process of removing salt from water. The process of desalination can serve as a vital tool to bring fresh water to people and communities that may not have reliable access to safe drinking water. Solar stills have been used since ancient times to treat saltwater. In this activity, you will create a simple solar still, and can do calculations of the energy required for the process. [Read More]

Splish Splash Activity Source: National Geographic Expeditions Overview Crucial to our existence, water sustains all life on Earth. Following the old adage, “What goes around comes around,” water moves continuously through the stages of the hydrologic cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation). How does our drinking water fit into this hydrologic cycle? Where did the water we drink fall as precipitation? Did this water percolate down into the ground as part of a groundwater system, or did it remain on the surface as part of a surface water system? [Read More]

Step by Step Weather Observations Activity Source: National Weather Service, 2006. Adapted with permission. Background We can read about, hear, or see weather reports every day on the radio, television, Internet, or newspapers. Some of this information includes current air temperatures and highs and lows for that day. As a citizen scientist, you can take your own air temperatures with an outdoor thermometer and compare your readings to the official ones from the National Weather Service. [Read More]

No Child Left Inside Activity Streams and Water Quality Grade Level: 9-12 Earth and Life Science Activity Source: Developed by the American Geosciences Institute for the first No Child Left Inside event in 2008. Background Hydrogeologists and environmental scientists often study streams and lakes to determine the quality of the water. Water quality depends on several factors including sediment load and pH (level of acidity). Water quality in these environments is important, because this is where many people get their drinking water. [Read More]

The Great Ocean Conveyor Activity Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. In January 1992, a container ship headed to Tacoma,Washington, from Hong Kong, China, lost 12 containers during severe storm conditions. One container held a shipment of 29,000 bathtub toys. Ten months later, the first of these plastic toys began to wash up onto the coast of Alaska. Driven by the wind and ocean currents, these toys continued to wash ashore during the next several years, and some even drifted into the Atlantic Ocean. [Read More]

Water: A Never-ending Story Activity Source: Live From Earth And Mars Approximate time frame: 2 weeks. Background Water on earth is used over and over. The water cycle, the continuous movement of water from ocean to air and land then back to the ocean in a cyclic pattern, is a central concept in meteorology. In the water cycle, the sun heats the Earth’s surface water, causing that surface water to evaporate (gas). [Read More]