HR: 1330h
AN: ED13F-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Earth Science Data and Applications for K-16 Education from the NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center
AU: Phelps, C S
EM: c.s.phelps@larc.nasa.gov
AF: Science Applications International Corporation, One Enterprise Parkway, Hampton, VA 23666 United States
AU: * Chambers, L H
EM: Lin.H.Chambers@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Langley Research Center, MS 420, Hampton, VA 23681-2199 United States
AU: Alston, E J
EM: e.j.alston@larc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Langley Research Center, MS 157D, Hampton, VA 23681-2199 United States
AU: Moore, S W
EM: s.w.moore@larc.nasa.gov
AF: Science Applications International Corporation, One Enterprise Parkway, Hampton, VA 23666 United States
AU: Oots, P C
EM: p.c.oots@larc.nasa.gov
AF: Science Applications International Corporation, One Enterprise Parkway, Hampton, VA 23666 United States
AB: NASA's Science Mission Directorate aims to stimulate public interest in Earth system science and to encourage young scholars to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at Langley Research Center houses over 700 data sets related to Earth's radiation budget, clouds, aerosols and tropospheric chemistry that are being produced to increase academic understanding of the natural and anthropogenic perturbations that influence global climate change. However, barriers still exist in the use of these actual satellite observations by educators in the classroom to supplement the educational process. Thus, NASA is sponsoring the "Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and earth science for Teachers and Amateurs" (MY NASA DATA) project to systematically support educational activities by reducing the ASDC data holdings to `microsets' that can be easily accessible and explored by the K-16 educators and students. The microsets are available via Web site (http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov) with associated lesson plans, computer tools, data information pages, and a science glossary. A MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) has been populated with ASDC data such that users can create custom microsets online for desired time series, parameters and geographical regions. The LAS interface is suitable for novice to advanced users, teachers or students. The microsets may be visual representations of data or text output for spreadsheet analysis. Currently, over 148 parameters from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Surface Radiation Budget (SRB), Tropospheric Ozone Residual (TOR) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) are available and provide important information on clouds, fluxes and cycles in the Earth system. Additionally, a MY NASA DATA OPeNDAP server has been established to facilitate file transfer of ASDC data for other client applications such as MATLAB, GrADS, and IDV. OPeNDAP has become a very popular alternative for data access especially at the university research level with over 375 OPeNDAP-accessible data sets registered nationally. Teacher workshops will be held each summer for five years to help teachers learn about incorporating NASA microsets in their curriculum. The next MY NASA DATA teacher workshop will be held at Langley Research Center July 25-29, 2005. Workshop participants will create microsets and lesson plans that they believe will help their students understand Earth system concepts. These lesson plans will be reviewed and shared online as user-contributed content.
UR: http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 0830 Teacher training
DE: 3300 METEOROLOGY AND ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly