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.

Our <a href="/teacher_resources/teach_glacier.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Glaciers: Then and Now</a> activity is an effective tool for discovering changes in land-based glaciers. The activity includes a set of eight image pairs of Alaskan glaciers from 1899 to 2004. The activity is available in our <a href="/php/teacher_resources/activity.php#6">Classroom Activities section</a>, including a free html version and a pdf version free for <a href="/new_membership_services.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Windows to the Universe members</a>. <a href="/store/product.php?productid=173&cat=27&page=1">Glaciers: Then and Now Classroom Activity Kits</a> are available in our <a href="/store/home.php">online store</a>, including the activity description, student worksheet, and eight laminated image pairs.<p><small><em></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>Does Earth science matter? The power outage experienced by residents in New York City on 10/30/2012 due to Hurricane Sandy demonstrates the interconnectedness of our society, and the power of the Earth system. Every person should have an understanding of how the Earth system works so they can live better lives, protect those they love, and make wise choices. Earth science education is critical!<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Hybirdd, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.</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&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">methane</a>, a powerful <a href="/earth/climate/cli_greengas.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">greenhouse gas</a>. Watch the NBC Learn video - <a href="/earth/changing_planet/permafrost_methane_intro.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Thawing Permafrost and Methane</a> to find out more.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the USGS</em></small></p>As temperatures rise and soil moisture decreases, plants are stressed, which can lead to <a href="/earth/climate/crops_withering.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">crop withering</a>. <a href="/teacher_resources/online_courses/health/events_health.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Droughts</a> accompanied by increased temperatures can lead to famine, social and political disruptions. Scientists are helping with early identification of drought that might trigger food shortages. Watch the NBC Learn video - <a href="/earth/changing_planet/withering_crops_intro.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Changing Planet: Withering Crops</a> to find out more.<p><small><em>Image taken by Tomas Castelazo, Creative Commons <a href=&quot;http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en&quot;>Attribution 3.0 Unported</a> license.</em></small></p>Our <a href="/teacher_resources/teach_co2spew.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">CO2: How Much Do You Spew?</a> activity lets students calculate annual CO2 emissions for different hypothetical families with different lifestyles. The activity is available in our <a href="/php/teacher_resources/activity.php#6">Classroom Activities section</a>, including a free html version and a pdf version free for <a href="/new_membership_services.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/airpollution_intro.html">Windows to the Universe members</a>. <a href="/store/product.php?productid=243&cat=27&page=1">CO2: How Much Do You Spew? Classroom Activity Kits</a> are available in our <a href="/store/home.php">online store</a>, including the activity description, student worksheet, and ten laminated family scenarios.<p><small><em></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)

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Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Creep
xCreep : Slow, more or less continuous movement occurring on faults due to ongoing tectonic deformation.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

New Findings Indicate Sediment Composition Affected the Strength of Sumatran Earthquake

Sumatra experiences frequent seismic activity because it is located near the boundary of two of Earth's tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur at 'subduction zones,' such as the one west of Indonesia, when...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