Teacher Resources

Welcome to the Teacher Resources section of Windows to the Universe, where we try to collect resources of our own, as well as of partner organizations that we think you will be interested in. We regularly update this section with information about our web seminars, workshops and new classroom activities. We also provide links, below to several of our key resources, including motivational quotes, Earth science literacy frameworks, materials from our professional development workshops, our Teacher Opportunities calendar (Members Only), and a link to our free monthly Earth and Space Science Educator Newsletter. Windows to the Universe and its educational resources have been reviewed by NASA's Office of Space Sciences and Earth Science Enterprise, receiving exemplary status.

Teachers - Become an Educator Member of Windows to the Universe for special benefits and opportunities, including information about valuable special offers for classroom grants, professional development with travel and/or stipends, research grants, and more!

Windows to the Universe is now offering on-site professional development workshops for teachers. Find out more about this opportunity here. Information about our upcoming workshops and events at the NSTA conference in Indianapolis is available under 2012 on our Teacher Resources/Workshops page.

Scientists are concerned that melting Arctic sea ice will increase the amount of fresh water in the <a href="/earth/polar/arctic_currents.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Beaufort Gyre</a>, which could spill out into the Atlantic and cause major climate shifts in North America and Western Europe. Our new lesson plan, <a href="/teacher_resources/leaky_gyre.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">The Case of the Leaky Gyre</a>, explores the circulation in <a href="/earth/Water/ocean_gyres.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">ocean gyres</a> and the potential <a href="/earth/climate/cli_effects.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">climate impacts</a>. Watch the <a href="/earth/changing_planet/freshwater_arctic.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Changing Planet: Fresh Water in the Arctic video</a>.<p><small><em> Courtesy of Jack Cook, WHOI (<a href="http://www.whoi.edu">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</a>)</em></small></p><b><i>Looking for online resources about climate and climate change for your classroom?</i></b> Windows to the Universe is a free interlinked learning ecosystem to a wealth of resources on our site and elsewhere that support you on these topics, including <a href="/teacher_resources/climate_change_course.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">course readings</a>, <a href="/php/teacher_resources/activity.php#6">classroom activities and presentations</a>, and online interactives. Our <a href="/teacher_resources/climate.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Climate Change Education Resources page</a> provides links to content you can use right away in the classroom!<p><small><em> Ute Kaden/PolarTREC</em></small></p>Looking for a way to organize your course materials? Windows to the Universe is now offering course support to K-12 teachers including hosted course pages, course calenders, student quizzes, and homework download/upload capability. Visit our <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/membership.html">membership page</a> for more information! Windows to the Universe is a project of the <a href="http://www.nestanet.org">National Earth Science Teachers Association</a>.<p><small><em>Windows to the Universe </em></small></p><b><i>Looking for online resources to use in support of climate change education?</i></b> Our <a href="/teacher_resources/climate.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Climate Change Educator Resources page</a> provides links to online content, classroom activities, interactives, and videos as well as resources provided by other leading organizations and agencies on this topic. Our <a href="/teacher_resources/climate_change_course.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Climate Change Course Content page</a> provides links to online content for a range of climate change associated topics.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Mila Zinkova, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license</em></small></p>Please help support Windows to the Universe, a project of the <a href="http://www.nestanet.org">National Earth Science Teachers Association</a>, with a <a href="https://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/support/donate/form">donation</a> today (select Windows to the Universe in the box on the form). Your support helps fund our professional development workshops for educators, as well as our efforts to update and improve the website. Thank you for your support!<p><small><em></em></small></p>As permafrost thaws, the land, atmosphere, water resources, ecosystems, and human communities are affected. Coastal areas and hillsides are vulnerable to erosion by thawing of permafrost. Thawing permafrost also causes a positive feedback to global warming, as carbon trapped within the once-frozen soils is released as <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/methane.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">methane</a>, a powerful <a href="/earth/climate/cli_greengas.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">greenhouse gas</a>. Watch the NBC Learn video - <a href="/earth/changing_planet/permafrost_methane_intro.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/cloudart_present.ppsx">Thawing Permafrost and Methane</a> to find out more.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the USGS</em></small></p>

Explore Teacher Resources

Web Seminars for Educators

Windows to the Universe and NESTA offer occasional web seminars on a variety of topics in Earth ...Read more

Literacy Frameworks for Earth Science Education

A set of conceptual frameworks have been developed to describe what we should know ...Read more

Classroom Activities

Click the topics below to find hands-on activites for your classroom ...Read more

Windows to the Universe Journal

Record your thoughts and discoveries with this on-line Journal. Your students can use this tool too! ...Read more

Workshops & Presentations by Windows to the Universe Staff

Our staff conducts workshops and presentations at conferences and other venues for the professional ...Read more

Earth and Space Science Educator E-Newsletter

...Read more

Research Highlights

Windows to the Universe is now highlighting breaking science news and cool multimedia from ...Read more

Motivational Quotes

Everyone needs some inspiration sometime! Here are some quotes that you may enjoy, or find useful in your work, play, or everyday life. ...Read more

More about Teacher Resources

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that we have tons of resources for Elementary School Science?

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Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Salinity
xSalinity : The percent of salt in saltwater

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Marine Scientists, Students Find Widespread Floating Plastic Debris in North Atlantic Ocean

Despite growing awareness of the problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans, little solid scientific information has existed about the nature and scope of the issue. This week, a team of researchers...Read more


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