Research, Science

Kindergarten-4

Students will be able to:
• Observe a group of satellite photos
• Distinguish between man made feature and natural features
• Identify environmental changes to the Earth from satellite photos

Remote sensing satellites and photographs from space have provided data about planet Earth to help monitor the health of our planet. They allow us to observe changes in our oceans, atmosphere, and land. They provide a visual of forest fires, volcanic eruptions, Earthquakes, and floods as they occur. In this activity, Students will see a variety of images of Earth to learn more about the types of information available, and how this information might be used to study weather.

1. Using the Earth Images File, students will look at different images of planet Earth.
2. Students will use the worksheet to organize each of the Earth images.
3. Students will use the following categories.

- Land Masses (ex: Continents, Islands, etc.)
- Bodies of Water (ex: Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, etc.)
- Geological Formations (ex: Mountains, Volcanoes, Deserts, etc.)
- Weather Formations (ex: Clouds, Hurricanes, Sand Storm, etc.)
- Man-Made Features (ex: Cities, Fields, Space Stations, etc.)
• Environmental (ex: Deltas, Fires, Volcanic Eruptions, etc.)
•
4. Students will look at each of the pictures then decide in which category the picture belongs.

5. Once students have categorized each of the images, they will write a description of what they see in each of the pictures on the student worksheet.

Transfer & Extension
1. Have students get a set of new images from the following Website and prepare a power point presentation for the rest of the class. Then as a group they can place the images in categories and discuss their choices.

Students will work collaboratively.

1 class period. 45 Min. per class.

• Earth from Space student website
• Student Worksheet PDF