This weeks 11 December 2004 "Earth Science Sites of the Week" feature*********************************************************** For problems with ISTATALK-L, please contact listadmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for assistance.
1) Arctic warming,
2) GIS data,
3) interactive mapping ,
4) wildlife management,
5) mass wasting.
Features:
1) Animations: lunar phases tool
2) Teaching Tip: investigative cases in geoscience
3) Neat Pictures: blue sky sunset on Mars and impact crater on earth
4) Good Read: climate change verified by scientific literature
5) Good Quotes: from John Ruskin and Harry Truman
6) Humor: humorous statements on exams
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SITES OF INTEREST
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1) IMPACTS OF A WARMING ARCTIC: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, (suggested by Becky Remis, Schenectady, NY) find the policy report from the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) that evaluates knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet radiation. The site is especially rich in climate change related graphics, graphics that dont just focus on the Arctic region. These (PDF) files include links to the individual graphic files, which are available for public download in two alternative resolutions (72 and 150 dpi).
http://amap.no/acia/
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2) GIS DATA MAP STUDIO, USGS, (suggested by Joseph Kerski, USGS), find a public web map service, including hazards distribution, elevation data, high-resolution orthoimagery, and much more.
http://gisdata.usgs.net
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3) BUILDING THE DIGITAL EARTH, Cornell University, (suggested by Cheryl Dodes, Port Washington, NY), this site allows access to various geospatial data sets on a variety of earth phenomena. The Java applet requires Netscape (version 4.07 or later) and/or Internet Explorer (version 4.0 or later). The site allows dynamic interaction with large volumes of organized digital data sets allowing the creation of customized world maps.
http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/
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4) WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR TEACHERS, National Park Service, (suggested by Holly Devaul, DLESE), this collection of wildlife management activities for high school students was developed by teachers in Michigan. It includes lesson plans and activities for investigating a wide range of topics, including ecosystem biodiversity, population growth, habitats, environmental sustainability, land use, estimating wildlife abundance, native wildflowers, and contamination in Michigan waters. Additional teacher resources include a basic overview of wildlife and wildlife management, a listing of other educational curricula and reference material, and information about a free video tape that offers guidance in the implementation of outdoor educational activities.
http://www.nps.gov/piro/wl_lesns.htm
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5) LANDSLIDE OVERVIEW MAP OF THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES, USGS "The accompanying landslide overview map of the conterminous United States is one of a series of National Environmental Overview Maps that summarize geologic, hydrogeologic, and topographic data essential to the assessment of national environmental problems. The map delineates areas where large numbers of landslides exist and areas which are susceptible to landsliding. It was prepared by evaluating the geologic map of the United States and classifying the geologic units according to high, medium, or low landslide incidence (number) and high, medium, or low susceptibility to landsliding. Rock types, structures, topography, precipitation, landslide type, and landslide incidence are mentioned for each physical subdivision of the United States" The map promised in the title is found by clicking on the (see pl. 1)within the document. Alternatively, access a similar map at http://landslides.usgs.gov/html_files/landslides/nationalmap/national.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1183/
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FEATURES
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1) ANIMATION: Lunar Phases Interactive, Prentice Hall, this interactive Flash animation shows how the positioning of the moon, earth, and sun result in different moon phases. The date within a month and the time of day can be manipulated in order to see the resultant change in moon phase. The moon itself can even by grabbedwith the cursor and moved to different positions in order to see resulting changes in moon phase. By following the monthly path of the moon around the earth, the meaning of such terms as waxing gibbousand waning crescentbecomes more meaningful. Another advantage of the animation is the position of the student standing on top of the earth. This allows a field of view that can show why the moon and the sun can both be viewed during daylight hours. Access the animation by scrolling to the Lunar Phases Interactive" link.
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072482621/student_view0/interactives.html#
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2) TEACHING TIP:
Using Investigative Cases in Geoscience (suggested by John McDaris, SERC), Investigative cases are useful for lifelong learning because they are open-ended and draw from a broad range of situations in which scientific reasoning can be applied. Investigative cases necessarily shift the focus of student learning beyond the facts to include using scientific knowledge to frame questions and to answer them. This Starting Point resource explores the use of investigative case-based learning to teach Geoscience, providing pointers and examples.
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/icbl/index.html
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3) NEAT PICTURES:
Blue sunset on Mars, NASA, Dust gradually obscures the Sun during a blue-sky Martian sunset seen in a sequence of newly processed frames from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.(Dated from Feb., 2004)
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=13745
Gosses Bluff, NASA, (suggested by Virginia Malone, Hondo, TX),note a faint white concentric circle that extends beyond Gosses Bluff. Streams radiation toward the bluff are seen in the whitish area and streams leading off of the bluffs merge into a few major streams leads out of the area. The crater is located just south of MacDonnel Ranges in Australia.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16676
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4) GOOD READ:
The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change, Naomi Oreskes, Policy-makers and the public who are not members of the relevant research community have had to form opinions about the reality of global climate change on the basis of often conflicting descriptions provided by the media regarding the level of scientific certainty attached to studies of climate. In this Essay, Oreskes analyzes the existing scientific literature to show that there is a robust consensus that anthropogenic global climate change is occurring. Thus, despite claims sometimes made by some groups that there is not good evidence that Earth's climate is being affected by human activities, the scientific community is in overwhelming agreement that such evidence is clear and persuasive. The 928 papers were divided into six categories: explicit endorsement of the consensus position, evaluation of impacts, mitigation proposals, methods, paleoclimate analysis, and rejection of the consensus position. &..Of all the papers, 75% fell into the first three categories, either explicitly or implicitly accepting the consensus view; 25% dealt with methods or paleoclimate, taking no position on current anthropogenic climate change. Remarkably, none of the papers disagreed with the consensus position.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/306/5702/1686
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5) GOOD QUOTES:
compiled from Quotes for Teachers, Richard D. Zakia, Rochester Institute of Technology,
Education...is a painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,... by praise, but above all -- by example.
--John Ruskin
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
--Harry S. Truman
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6) HUMOR:
humorous answers on exams "water is cold because it is a polar molecule" (suggested by Dan Brownstein, Hastings, NY)
"What is a light year?" as "A light year is a year with fewer than 365 days." (suggested by Rick Marshall, Massena, NY)
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I am grateful for the weekly site contributions of Virginia Malone (VM), educational Consultant, Hondo, TX; Cheryl Dodes (CD), Port Washington, NY science teacher; John McDaris, Project Manager for the Science Education Resource Center (SERC), Carleton College; Holly Devaul of the Digital Library for Earth Systems Education (DLESE) Program Center; and Joseph Kerski, of the USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center.
The "Sites of Interest" links are archived at RESOURCES FOR EARTH SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY INSTRUCTION at http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi . The links are organized around the sequence of topics typically taught in an introductory earth science or physical geography class. Links are also, available for environmental science, earth science/geography education, career opportunities, and more. The sites selected are based on image quality, ease with which lesson plans can be developed,organization, authenticity, scope, and format. Please contact me at Mark.Francek@xxxxxxxxx to remove yourself from the mailing list, add a new subscriber, or suggest a site to be listed.
Mark Francek
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