This set of three videos illustrates how math is used in satellite data analysis. The videos feature NASA senior climate scientist Claire Parkinson. Parkinson explains how the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice covers are measured from satellite data and how math is used to determine trends in the data. In the first video, she leads viewers from satellite data collection through obtaining a time series of monthly average sea ice extents for November 1978 – December 2012, for the Arctic and Antarctic. In the second video, she begins with the time series from the first video, removes the seasonal cycle by calculating yearly averages, and proceeds to calculate the slopes of the lines to get trends in the data, revealing decreasing sea ice coverage in the Arctic and increasing sea ice coverage in the Antarctic. In the third video, she uses a more advanced technique to remove the seasonal cycle and shows that the trends are close to the same, whichever method is used. She emphasizes the power of math and that the techniques shown for satellite sea ice data can also be applied to a wide range of data sets.

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them. Ecology also provides information about the benefits of ecosystems and how we can use Earth’s resources in ways that leave the environment healthy for future generations. The many specialties within ecology provide us with information to better understand the world around us. This information also can help us improve our environment, manage our natural resources, and protect human health.

These lecture notes present a discussion of mineralogical classification of granitic rocks, definitions of hypersolvus and subsolvus granites, tectonic and chemical classification, and depth of emplacement of granites. Other topics include pegmatites, continental rhyolites, origin of large volumes of silicic magma, continental flood basalts, continental rift valleys, evolution of rock suites, and peralkaline rhyolites. The notes are in outline format and contain instructional figures, including ternary diagrams. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

This set of lecture notes discusses the occurrence and tectonic settings of igneous rocks near convergent plate margins. A discussion of petrography includes major element composition, calc-alkaline trends in ternary diagrams, trace element variations, isotopes to distinguish magma sources, and the origin of igneous rocks at convergent margins. The lecture notes include helpful illustrations, maps and phase diagrams. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

These lecture notes introduce magmatism and petrology as they relate to the oceanic lithosphere. The notes cover ophiolite sequences and types of volcanic settings found in ocean basins. A section about basalt includes discussion of location, composition and origin of mid-ocean ridge basalts. Ocean island basalts are further discussed with regards to occurrence, composition and origin. These notes include graphs, maps and phase diagrams. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

This is a booklet containing 11 problem sets and 9 "Extra for Experts" challenges. Learners use provided textual information to determine the scale (e.g., kilometers per millimeter) for images of the lunar surface, Mars, planets, stars and galaxies and then identify the smallest and largest features in the images according to their actual physical sizes. These problems involve measurement, dividing whole numbers, decimal mathematics, and scaling principles. Each set of problems is contained on one page. This booklet can be found on the Space Math@NASA website.

This is an activity about using solar arrays to provide power to the space station. Learners will solve a scenario-based problem by calculating surface areas and determining the amount of power or electricity the solar arrays can create. This is mathematics activity 1 of 2 found in the ISS L.A.B.S. Educator Resource Guide.

This site consists of an introductory lecture on crystal symmetry and symmetry operations. It provides the definition of a mineral and then covers topics including different types of rotational symmetry, mirror symmetry, the center of symmetry, different types of rotoinversion, and combinations of symmetry operations. Drawings help illustrate the concepts presented in the lecture.

These lecture notes provide an introduction to igneous rocks. The notes cover information about characteristics of magmas, plutonic rocks, volcanic rocks, and textures of igneous rocks. There are several illustrations within the text. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

This Introduction to Petrography homepage from the University of Houston contains a variety of instructional materials. Topics covered include tectonics, the rock cycle, mineralogy, sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic petrology, classification, phase diagrams, and magmatic differentiation. There are also links to 5 virtual field trips; Central hill country of Texas, Mohawk Valley field trip, virtual climb Stromboli, Big Bend, and Ring Mountain. There are comprehensive lecture notes, self quizzes, exercises and labs included on the page. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

The Maryland Science Center is working with formal education providers in local underserved schools around a combined project including an interactive exhibit, a Davis Planetarium program and associated Educator Workshops, and will provide outreach to the informal science education community to explore the subject of Astrobiology. Topics covered in both the exhibit and the Davis Planetarium program will include Earthly extremophiles (organisms that survive in extreme conditions), potential other life in the Solar System, locations on nearby worlds where life may exist, the search for exoplanets, the techniques used to discover them, and the NASA missions engaged in the hunt. With an engaging, interactive approach, the exhibit will detail the challenges, questions and techniques of the search for exoplanets, especially Earth-like worlds. The exhibit will help visitors understand the scale of both the Milky Way galaxy and the Universe, and by doing so comprehend the difficulty in searching for other worlds, especially smaller Earth-like worlds.

Using three images from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission, students measure and analyze infrared light from objects to identify Brown Dwarfs and Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs). The lesson includes a teacher’s guide, student worksheet and PowerPoint presentation (which contains the three images to be analyzed).

This set of lecture notes covers a number of topics including magmatic differentiation, chemical variation in rock suites, partial melting, fractional melting, crystal fractionation, Bowen's reaction series, and magma mixing. Graphs discussed include oxides vs. SiO2, and MgO vs. SiO2. The notes are arranged in outline form and contain many informative diagrams. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

This is a lesson about magnetism in solar flares. Learners will map magnetic fields around bar magnets and investigate how this configuration relates to magnetic fields of sunspots. This activity requires compasses, bar magnets, and a equipment for the instructor to project a PowerPoint or pdf lecture presentation. This is Activity 1 in the Exploring Magnetism in Solar Flares teachers guide.

This set of lecture notes covers factors affecting the mineral assemblages in metamorphic rocks. Topics covered include the phase rule in metamorphism, progressive (prograde) metamorphism, and retrograde metamorphism. Ternary diagrams and chemical reactions are used to explain progressive metamorphism. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

These lecture notes cover types of metamorphic reactions. Topics discussed include univariant and divariant reactions, mineral compatibility diagrams (AFM ternary), metamorphic reaction mechanisms, and metamorphic field gradients. The notes contain many ternary diagrams and graphs illustrating the relationship between pressure, temperature, and mineral composition. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

These lecture notes discuss metamorphic textures and the mechanisms that create them. A discussion of foliation covers types of stress and the development of foliated rocks from slate to gneiss. Five modes of metamorphic differentiation are introduced including preservation of original compositional layering, transposition of original bedding, solution and re-precipitation, preferential nucleation, and migmatization. There are a number of helpful instructional diagrams included in the notes. This resource is part of the Teaching Petrology collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology03/index.html

In this activity, students learn about the changing configuration of the continents over geological time resulting from plate tectonics. Using a map pair, students measure the difference in distance between continents 94 million years ago and today, and calculate the speed at which the plates have moved. The resource includes the images and a student worksheet. This is an activity from Space Update, a collection of resources and activities provided to teach about Earth and space. Summary background information, data and images supporting the activity are available on the Earth Update data site.

This is a lesson about the solar wind, Earth's magnetosphere, and the Moon. Participants will work in groups of two or three to build a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system. They will use the model to demonstrate that the Earth is protected from particles streaming out of the Sun, called the solar wind, by a magnetic shield called the magnetosphere, and that the Moon is periodically protected from these particles as it moves in its orbit around the Earth. Participants will also learn that the NASA ARTEMIS mission is a pair of satellites orbiting the Moon that measure the intensity of solar particles streaming from the Sun.