NESDIS education strives to provide educational material for teachers nationwide. Our goal is to help students understand the science behind satellite data and its impact on our world. Use the engaging educational resources, games, simulations, and videos below to help inspire the next generation of scientists.
Educational Resources Directory
Since ash plumes move with wind currents, weather forecasters use computer models to help predict where the plume will go next. Forecasters monitor ash plumes and make sure they are really going where the computers say they are. Also, forecasters evaluate how thick and dangerous the ash really is.
Earth has seasons because its axis is tilted. Earth’s axis is always pointed in the same direction, so different parts of Earth get the sun’s direct rays throughout the year. For example, in summer, the sun's rays hit that region more directly than at any other time of the year.
Earth's gravity is strong enough to hold onto its atmosphere and keep it from drifting into space.
Wind is a part of weather we experience all the time, but why does it actually happen? The air will be still one day, and the next, powerful gusts of wind can knock down trees. What is going on here?
Satellites don’t fall from the sky because they are orbiting Earth. Even when satellites are thousands of miles away, Earth’s gravity still tugs on them.
Scientists use satellite information to detect the health of forests during droughts and other severe weather events. Trees are an important part of the carbon cycle, so satellite information can help us understand more about that as well
Gases and particles in Earth's atmosphere scatter sunlight in all directions. Blue light is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
