Programs

LESSON SUMMARY

Mission Scenario

Applicable to all Challenger Learning Center Missions

Application to Mission Preparation

Using images from space taken by Richard Garriott for the Nature Conservancy as a primary resource, students will observe a variety of features found on the planet Earth in light of planetary stewardship activities going on in these areas. Students will analyze the images from space, and research conservation efforts in those areas.

Students will write about why they believe these areas should be conserved or protected. Students will predict what these locations would look like in the future and write a justification for continued monitoring of one of the locations from space.  Students can also create videos sharing their ideas for environmental conservation and planetary stewardship.  Students will share their observations; comparisons and predictions in an online forum.
This activity can follow the lesson, “How do we track the space station’s location?” and What do photographs from space tell us about our planet?
The following activities are

Summary

Richard Garriott, private space explorer, partnered with The Nature Conservancy to identify environmental change and successful protection projects around the world. He photographed sites selected by Nature Conservancy scientists during his flight last year to the International Space Station. The photographs will be used by scientists to compare the ecological changes within one generation. In this lesson, students can explore and download the images below and complete research on why these sites are important to conservationists and learn why these places are in danger, and why people are trying to save these locations for future generation.

In the first activity, teachers will provide a demonstration using visual cues (images from space of areas of environmental conservation programs) to prepare students for the activity. These locations show areas that have changed over time due to climate change, urban growth, pollution, agricultural expansion and deforestation. Students will work collaboratively to compile signs of change on our planet due to these factors and use the Nature Conservancy images from space explain what signs they see in the images. Students will predict what they would see a future photo of the same location based on online research they do to learn more about conservation efforts in the area. Students will describe their observations and predictions in a journal and share their journals in a shared online forum.

In an extension activity, students can choose their own targets of interest to identify signs of change on our planet (i.e. mountains, forests, glaciers, cities, etc.) and look at images of that location from space taken by astronauts or satellites. Students describe their target location, why they believe it is of interest for future space photography and create a justification and an action plan for conservation in that area of the world.  Students create a video of their action plan to conserve and protect this particular location for future generations. Students share their findings by posting their photos, justification and video online.
Students who complete the justification and action plan may have their requests forwarded to NASA and selected entries may be considered by NASA for future astronaut photography.

About The Nature Conservancy - Protecting Nature, Preserving Life
The Nature Conservancy is an organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people that was founded in 1951. They have protected more than 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide — and operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally. They address threats to conservation involving climate change, fire, fresh water, forests, invasive species, and marine ecosystems. For more information, visit http://www.nature.org

 

• Lesson Overview

  • Lesson Summary

  • Objectives and Essential Questions

  • How do images from space taken over time show us change on the Earth?

• Teaching the Lesson

  • Lesson Preparation

  • Lesson Introduction

  • Activity 1 – Conserving our Planet’s Resources

  • Activity 2 –  Planetary Stewardship