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.

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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/nitrogen_main.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">Traveling Nitrogen Game</a> makes a fun activity for students to learn about the <a href="/earth/Life/nitrogen_cycle.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">nitrogen cycle</a>. The activity includes a student worksheet ("Traveling Nitrogen Passport"), 11 reservoir signs, and stamps. The activity is available in our <a href="/php/teacher_resources/activity.php#8">Classroom Activities section</a>, including a free html version, and a pdf version free for <a href="/new_membership_services.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">Windows to the Universe subscribers</a>. The Traveling Nitrogen Game Kit is available in our <a href="/store/home.php">online store</a>, including laminated signs and a set of 11 dice.<p><small><em></em></small></p>As we remember the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami this week, teachers should remember that they can make a very big difference, with the lessons they teach. <a href="/teacher_resources/AGU-NESTA_GIFT/2011/Preller/lessons-save-life-hr.wmv">This video</a> tells the story of Tilly, who put her geography lessons into action and saved many lives in Puket, Thailand in 2004. We have a great set of free tsunami resources and activities for teachers <a href="/teacher_resources/2011_AGU-NESTA_GIFT_Workshop.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">here</a>.<p><small><em></em></small></p>Satellite observations of lake temperatures at many lakes around the world show that lakes are warming worldwide. Watch the NBC Learn video - <a href="/earth/changing_planet/warming_lakes_intro.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">Changing Planet: Warming Lakes</a> to find out more. In our <a href="/teacher_resources/warming_lakes.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern</a> lesson plan students analyze and interpret temperature profile data from the Great Lakes. This is an image of the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania.<p><small><em> Image Courtesy of Marc Mayes</em></small></p>Scientists are concerned that melting Arctic sea ice will increase the amount of fresh water in the <a href="/earth/polar/arctic_currents.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">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&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">The Case of the Leaky Gyre</a>, explores the circulation in <a href="/earth/Water/ocean_gyres.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">ocean gyres</a> and the potential <a href="/earth/climate/cli_effects.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">climate impacts</a>. Watch the <a href="/earth/changing_planet/freshwater_arctic.html&edu=high&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/sed_intro.html">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>Teachers participating in one of our workshops at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education. Our workshops typically include numerous hands-on activities, to give participants a chance to get real experience with our materials.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</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>

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?

Shadow zone
xShadow zone : The shadow zone is the area of the earth from angular distances of 104 to 140 degrees from a given earthquake that does not receive any direct P waves. The shadow zone results from S waves being stopped entirely by the liquid core and P waves being b

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Pollution from Asia Circles Globe at Stratospheric Heights

The economic growth across much of Asia comes with a side effect: pollutants from the region are wafting up to the stratosphere during monsoon season. The new finding, in a study led by scientists at the...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