Workshop at the 2007 NSTA National Conference in St. Louis

NSTA National 2007 Interactive Simulations workshopWindows to the Universe staff presented a workshop titled "Interactive Simulations and Hands-on Activities across the Earth and Space Sciences" at the NSTA National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, from 5-6 PM on Friday, March 30, 2007.

This workshop combined hands-on activities with computer-based interactives and animations. The bulk of the workshop dealt with three topics of potential relevance to Earth science teachers:

  • Annual and Long-term Variations in Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic and Antarctic
  • Magnetism, Geomagnetism, and Space Weather
  • Paleoclimatology - Tree Rings and Dendrochronology

Below are links to the resources (write-ups of hands-on activities and accompanying student worksheets, interactive simulations, animations, images, and web pages with relevant background information) used or referred to during this workshop:

  1. Magnetism & Space Weather
    1. Hands-on activities
      1. Magnetometer (in Spanish)
      2. Magnetometer Extensions [Ore Deposits & Seafloor Spreading] (in Spanish)
      3. Terrabagga (in Spanish)
    2. Computer-based interactives
      1. Bar magnet & compass
      2. Earth's magnetic field
      3. Earth's North Magnetic Pole
    3. Background info on site
      1. Planetary magnetosphere pages
        1. Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
        2. Detecting Planetary Magnetism
      2. Basics of magnetism pages
        1. Magnetic Field, Magnetism, The Force of Magnetism
  2. Paleoclimateology - Dendrochronology
    1. Dendrochronology Interactives
      1. "Build a Tree" Dendrochronology Activity
      2. Align Tree Ring Cores Activity
    2. Project Learn activity page
      1. "Time & Cycles - Dendrochronology" activity
      2. Student guide
    3. Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide activity - "Trees: Recorders of Climate Change"
  3. Sea Ice Extent Graphing Activity
    1. Activity: Graphing Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic and Antarctic
    2. Interactive Image Viewers (compare sea ice maps side-by-side)
      1. Compare Images of Arctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
      2. Compare Images of Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
    3. Animations
      1. Animation of Annual Variation in Sea Ice Extent in the Northern Hemisphere
      2. Animation of Annual Variation in Sea Ice Extent in the Southern Hemisphere
Last modified March 27, 2007 by Randy Russell.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA