MY NASA DATA E-note (Number 18) January 2008 Greetings MY NASA DATA Alumni and Newslist members! The monthly E-note is sent to anyone who is interested in learning more about or keeping up to date with the MY NASA DATA project. If you know someone who is interested in this information, the sign-up can be found at: http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/HPDOCS/email_registration.html 1) New search tool added to the Lessons page 2) More new lessons!! 3) Intermediate LAS re-categorized 4) MY NASA DATA Summer Workshop 2008 5) International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) Photography Contest 6) “Earth Science by Design” professional development 7) American Meteorological Society presentation 8) Ambassador presentation at WSTA 1) New search tool added to the Lessons page In addition to being able to search by Virginia Standards of Learning, you may now search the lessons by category of the National Education Standards. Look for the SOL icon at the bottom of the Lessons page then select by which criteria you would like to search. 2) More new lessons!! Two more exciting lessons have been added to the Teacher Plans page: #36: Identifying Ozone Variations over Different Locations by Dr. Eugene Cordero, Dept. of Meteorology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA. #37: Variables Affecting Earth’s Albedo by Carl F. Katsu, Workshop 2007, Fairfield, PA We encourage you to try these and any of the MY NASA DATA lessons or other materials. Please let us know when you use the materials in your classroom! Comments are always welcome. 3) Intermediate LAS re-categorized Based on suggestions from our workshop alumni, parameters found on the Intermediate Live Access Server (LAS) have been “re-categorized”. The new, more simplified categories include: Atmosphere, Land, Life, Sun Earth: Radiation, and Water. The data-sets have not changed, but we are updating the related lessons to reflect the new category names. Tell us what you think of the new organization! 4) MY NASA DATA Summer Workshop 2008 Initial planning for the summer workshop 2008 is underway! If you know of colleagues who are interested in learning to use authentic satellite data in their classrooms, please pass along the information! The workshop will be held at NASA Langley Research Center, June 22-27. Note that it is taking place a little earlier this year. Maybe the weather will not be so hot!! Applications must be postmarked by April 9. To read the full announcement and application, please visit the website http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov and click on the link, Workshop Information and Application. If you have questions, please contact Susan Moore (susan.w.moore@nasa.gov) 5) International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) Photography Contest IYPE Photo Contest Entries Due Jan. 31 **************************** Earth Science Week participants from ages 15 to 20 are invited to enter the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) Photography Contest. The contest’s theme - “The Changing Face of the Earth” - aims to raise awareness of the state of the planet, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, 2008. Shutterbugs worldwide will compete for 40 prizes. Each winning contestant will receive a copy of two UNESCO books: “Explaining the Earth” and “The Changing Face of the Earth.” Learn more about the photo contest at http://www.unesco.org/science/photo_contest_entry_details.shtml. Spanning from February 2007 to December 2009, IYPE explores new and exciting ways Earth science can help future generations meet global challenges. IYPE is a joint initiative by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences. For more information on IYPE, visit http://www.esfs.org. 6) “Earth Science by Design” professional development opportunity (for school leaders, college faculty, and staff developers) Earth Science by Design Leadership Workshop Summer 2008 June 23-25, 2008 in Cambridge, Massachusetts This workshop will prepare school leaders, college faculty, and staff developers to use the Earth Science by Design professional development materials and web site with teachers they work with. * Learn how the /Earth Science by Design /professional development program brings "Understanding by Design" to Earth Science. * See how /ESBD /helps teachers enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge and how to facilitate this experience with teachers. * Analyze examples of /ESBD /science units which teachers have created and hear how the ESBD approach has affected teachers. * Work with staff developers who have conducted the /ESBD /program with teachers. * Receive all materials needed to offer the program and access to the ESBD Web Site. For more information and to register, visit http://www.esbd.org/ Earth Science by Design(ESBD) is a year-long program of professional development which may be offered by a school, district, or other organization to middle and high school Earth science teachers. Developed by TERC and the American Geological Institute and funded by the National Science Foundation, ESBD is a field-tested, effective way to develop the pedagogical and content abilities of teachers. 7) American Meteorological Society (AMS) presentation Dr. Lin Chambers will present MY NASA DATA at a session of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) conference, January 20-22, 2008 in New Orleans, LA. Lin’s presentation is at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, January 22, in Room 209 of the Convention Center. If you are at the conference, or nearby, stop by to see Lin! 8) Ambassador presentation at WSTA Denise Thompson, Workshop 2007 alumnus and ambassador from Puyallup, WA, presented MY NASA DATA at the Washington Science Teacher Association this fall. Following a brief Powerpoint overview of available data, she presented the Energy Budget and Ozone activities, and a quick walk-through of the site. We appreciate our alumni who serve as ambassadors! Denise commented, “On the whole, it seemed like a very successful mode of communicating the availability of MND.”