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MysteryImagesfromSpaceEducator’sGuide
Summary:StudentslearncoreconceptsinEarthsciencebyexploringphotographstakenbyastronauts.Thisweb-basedprogrampresentstheimagesasmysterystories,withhelpfulmaps,hintsandsparkingquestions.Theimagesareorganizedintothemeslikerivers,weather,glaciersandaurora.Teacherscanuseindividualimagesasabrieflesson,orusethethemestocovermajortopics.
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Topic:EarthScience
GradeLevels:middleandhighschool
Time:30min/image;40+imagescurrentlyavailable
Websites:
SpaceStationExplorers:http://spacestationexplorers.orgWindowsonEarth:http://www.windowsonearth.org
Earthsciencethemes:1. BeautyoftheEarth2. ScottKelly’stweets3. Cities4. Rivers5. Land6. Islands7. Agriculture8. Clouds9. Aurora
Learninggoals:Earthsystemscience
• Earthasadynamic,globalsystem• Interactionsamongland,ocean,atmosphere,life• Weather,cloudsandstormsystemsinunprecedented??• Planetarystewardshipfromaglobalperspective
Humangeography• HumanpresenceonEarth• Urbandevelopmentasrevealedthroughnightlightimages• Agriculturalpatterns• Wateruseandchallenges
Scientificthinking• Imageanddataanalysis• Patternrecognition• Recognizingchangeovertime
Spacescience• InternationalSpaceStationasplatformforEarthobservation• AstronautsasessentialtoEarthobservation&photography
MysteryImages: https://live-mysteryimages.pantheonsite.io
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Astronautstakehundredsofphotoseveryday
AstronautsontheISShavetakenover2,000,000photos.TheyrevealtheincrediblediversityofEarth,fromthevastSaharatothedeepaquacolorsoftheBahamas,eruptingvolcanoes,spectacularHimalayas,gorgeousaurora,andthehumanpresencerevealedinthelightsofcitiesatnight.Wecan’toverstatethevisualappeal,engagingmysteriesandeducationalpoweroftheseimages–andhowtheyhelpusrethinkhomeplanetEarth.Evenfromourground-basedviews,weseeEarthisanendlesslychanging,amazinglyvariedenvironment.Fromabove,astronautsgetapanoramicviewrevealingnewinsightsintotheplanetandourhumanimpactonit.WeseeourselvesasoccupantsofthisoneEarth;aplanetfloatinginSpace.Thesephotosalsogainpowerfromthehumanityofthephotographer–thatanastronaut’sheartandmindsawanamazingview,framedandcomposedthepictureandpickedthedecisivemoment.Theseimagesserveassparksforcuriosity,illustrationsoffundamentalprinciples,evidenceofEarth’sinterconnectedness,imagesforcreativeexpression,andinsightsintohumanhistoryanddevelopment.Astronautsknowthetransformativepowerofthisperspective.Theytakehundredsofphotoseverydaytocapturetheirawe.Thepoweroftheseimagescanbevisuallystunningandintellectuallyengaging.Weseethebeautyofcolor,textureandshapes;weseethebrightlightsofourcities;weseevolcanoeserupting;lightningstrikes;forestfiresburning,smokespreadingacrosstheland.Everyimageisunique,andeachhasvaluebothasanimageandasasourceofdata.Theastronautsarehumanity’sdesignatedrepresentativesinSpace.TheylookoutthecupolaatplanetEarthandtakethesemarvelouspictures,rightfromtheheart.Throughthistreasuretrove,theastronautsinviteustoSpace,joiningthemonthisjourneyofexplorationanddiscoveryabouthomeplanetEarth.
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RichEducationalPower
Teachersandstudentsusetheseimagesinsomanyways.Topicsincludingclimatechange,geography,atmosphericscience,geography,oceanography,urbanplanning,anthropology—thelistisnearlyendless.Theycancovermultiplelearninggoals,forelementary,middle,highschool,collegeandadultlearners.Throughthisarchive,educatorsandstudentshaveacontinuouslyevolvingresourceforexploringcities,agriculture,glaciers,aurora,flooding,volcanoes,weatherpatterns,andamultitudeofotherthemesaroundearthlyandatmospherictopics.TheyalsolearnhowphotosaretakenaboardtheISS,downloaded,reviewedandmadeavailabletoviewandshare.Studentsexploretheseimagesusingtwoweb-basedtools: 1.MysteryImages–selectedimageswithannotations,mapsandquestions 2.WindowsonEarth–thefullarchiveofimages,updateddailyStudentsusetheMysteryImagesystemtoexploreselectedimagesthathighlightkeyfeaturesandthemesinEarthscience.Newimagesandthemesareaddedthroughouttheyear.StudentsusetheWindowsonEarthsystemtoextendtheirlearningandexploration,withamoreopen-endedaccesstothefullarchiveofimages,includingdailyupdates.StudentsmeetsomekeylearninggoalsintheNextGenerationScienceStandards: 1.CoreIdeas–manytopicsinEarthsystemscience 2.Science&EngineeringPractices–suchasworkingwithimagesandtechnology 3.Cross-cuttingConcepts–suchasEarthasasystem,andinteractionofsystemsStudentsachievethesegoalsbyengagingininquiry,explorationanddiscovery.Thisembodiesadrivingvisionofeducation–thatwealllearnbestwhenwe’reactive,curiousandengaged.Thesephotosprovidethatengagingcontext,andbringtolifethebasicconceptstheylearninmiddleandhighschoolEarthscienceclasses.
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Three-phaseProcess“MysteryImagesfromSpace”hasathree-phaseapproach.Theactivities:1)hooklearnerswithclearandengagingentrypoints,2)usemapsandhintstohelpstudentsfigureoutthelocationdepicted,and3)providepromptingquestionstoexplorefurther.Thiscombinationenableslearnerstostartatthelevelmostappropriatefortheirknowledgeandexperience,revisitformoreactivities,andcontinuetheirlearningwellbeyondthebase.0.SelectImages
Theimageaboveontheleftshowsthehomepage,highlightingafeaturedimage.Studentscansimplyclickonthatimagetoproceedtothenextsteps.Alternatively,studentscanselectathemefromthesidebar.Foreachselectedtheme,studentsseeseveralimages,asinthe“Rivers”exampleontherightabove.Studentsthenselectoneofthoseimages.1.ExamineClosely
Inthisfirstphaseoftheimagereview,studentslookcloselyattheimage.Theytrytofigureoutwhatfeaturesitshows(suchasrivers,lakes,mountains,valleys,cloudsintheimageabove).Theyshouldspendafewminutesstudyingit.Theymayhaveanideaofthelocation,butfornowfocusoncloselyexaminingtheimage.Youcouldevenhavestudentsdrawittohelp.
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2.Whereisthis?
Tocontinue,studentsclickon“2-Whereisthis?”atthetopofthepage.Thistakesthemtophase2:locationanalysis.Determiningthelocationistricky,becausethepicturecanshowalmostanywhereintheworld!Theyseealargeinteractivemapcenteredonthatlocation.Studentsusetheplusandminussignsonthelowerrighttozoominandout.Intheleftsidebar,theycanrequesthints.Select“locationonmap”andtheyseeamarkerontheworldmap.Click“nightlights”tooverlaythelightsofcities.Click“imagewithlabels”andtheyseetheanswer(imageontherightabove).Click“OpenGooglemaps”andtheyopenanewwindowshowinggooglemapscenteredonthatlocation.Allofthislendsitselftodeeperdiscussionaboutthelocationshown,thatregionoftheworld,anduseofmapsandatlases,bothprintandonline.Notethattheimagemayormaynothavethefamiliarorientationofnorthup,sinceastronautscanpointthecamerainanyorientation.3.ExploreMore
Forphase3,studentsclickon“3-ExploreMore”.Theimagenowincludessparkingquestions,like“HowlongdidittaketofillLakePowell?”Somequestionscanbefiguredout(byasmartandinquisitivestudent)bylookingcloselyattheimage.Otherwillrequireabitmoreresearch.
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Ontheright,studentsseeadiscussion,morequestions,andsomehotlinksthatcanhelpthemfigureouttheanswers.Asuccessfulinvestigationisabeginningnotanend.TheseimagesrevealinsightsaboutEarth,andyetalsosparknewquestions–notjustthequestionslabeledontheimages,butnewquestionsthatemergefromlookingattheimageandlearningmoreabouttheregion.Forexample,intheimageabove,studentsmightwonderwhythewholeareaiscoloredbrown,redandorange?OrtheymightwonderwhythePowellDamwasbuiltinthatspecificlocationontheColoradoRiver?Orwhatimpactthisdamhasonfishandotherlifeintheriver,bothaboveandbelowthedam?Theseimagesshouldinspireandengagestudentstopursuethesefurtherexplorations.TheyalsohelptheteachermakeconnectionsacrosstheEarthsciencecurriculum.Studentscanfurtherexplorethedesignatedimages–orexploremorethroughtwowebsites:http://WindowsOnEarth.orgwithitsfullarchiveofimages,includingdailydownloads.http://SpaceStationExplorers.orghasmanymorewaystoexploreEarthandtheISS.
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ThemesTheimagesareorganizedbytheme.Tohelpstudentslearnandexplorethemes,eachhasimages,ideas,questionsandresourcelinks.Theyshowhowtheimagelocationandfeaturessupportlearningaboutthattheme.Theseexamplesjustscratchthesurfaceofwhatispossible!ExploreWindowsonEarthtofindotherimagestohelpyouachieveyourlearninggoals.1.BeautyoftheEarth
TheseimagesillustratebeautifulviewsofEarth,helpingstudentsbeginwithaweandappreciationforourhomeplanet.2.ScottKelly’stweets
AstronautScottKellytweetedover1,000photos–herearesomeofthemostpopular(bypublicvote).Theyillustratethediversity,andhelpstudentsconnectwiththeindividualastronautwhotookthephoto.3.Cities
Citiesrevealedatnightbytheirspectacularlights,andinthedaybytheirgreycolor.Inbothcases,theyhelpstudentslearnaboutthescaleanddiversityofcities,andhelpstudentsthinkaboutwhycitiesarelocatedandgrowinthecontextofthelandandfeaturesaroundthem–aswellastheculturesofthepeoplewholivethere.
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4.Rivers
Riverssculpttheland,andareanessentialpartoflifeonEarth.Thesephotosshowtherangeofrivers,varyingbylocation,shape,colorandsculptingprocess.5.Land
Landisabroadcategory,andthesefourimagesjustgetstudentsstarted.Studentsseevolcanoes,mountains,islands,valleysandsomanyotherfeatures!6.Islands
Islandsformintheoceanthroughvolcanicandtectonicsprocesses,coralreefs,glacialdepositsandmanyotherways.Studentsdevelopanalysisskillstofigureouthoweachislandformed.7.Agriculture
Whatanincrediblediversityofagriculturalpatternsaroundtheworld.Pivotirrigation,smallpersonalfarms,largeagri-businesses...allembodyaseriesoffactorsofland,water,government,financeandsoon.
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8.Clouds
Someoneoncesaid“Cloudsareskypoems”.CloudsarethemostdynamicfeatureonEarthchangingconstantly,revealingatmosphericdynamics,stormsystems,andinteractionsofland,surfacewaterandtheatmosphere.9.Aurora
Astronautslovetophotographaurora,andtheseimagesshowwhy.Suchabeautifulshimmeringdanceoflightsinthesky!Studentscanlearnwhatcausesthesegloriouslights.Earthisanamazingplanet,andastronautshavethebestwaytoenjoyandexploreit.Weareallsoappreciativethattheyphotographandsharethisglobalperspectivewithus.WhatagreatwayforyourstudentstoseeEarthwithneweyes!
