Stratospheric Ozone

High levels of ultraviolet light can be harmful to many biological systems, as this higher energy radiation has a mutagenic effect on plant and animal cells. This activity studies the relationship between the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that gets to Earth's surface and the amount of stratospheric ozone overhead. Users plot remote sensing data from the NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) satellite and UV monitors at the South Pole to see if any correlation exists between the two variables. Links to related sites and to a radio program from Naional Public Radio on the ozone hole that appeared over the Arctic in 2000 are provided. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas

This lesson provides an introduction to the use of natural gas as an energy source. Topics include its advantages (cleanliness, fewer carbon emissions), disadvantages (difficulty in transport and storage), sources, and usage. There is also a discussion of the creation and production of natural gas, the United States' production and reserves, and some potential new sources (coal bed methane, methane hydrates). The lesson includes an activity in which students investigate porosity and permeability in simulated sediments. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Home Energy Audit

This is the first part of a two-part exercise in which students perform an audit and analysis of energy consumption in their homes. This part provides an introduction to the uses of energy in our homes. Topics include major uses in the home (heating, air conditioning, etc.), sources of energy (fossil fuels), and uses in the United States (industry, transportation, etc.). It includes an activity in which students draw and measure various aspects of their homes (square feet of walls, number and types of windows and doors, number and types of applances, etc.) in preparation for the second part (Home Energy Analysis) to be performed in the next activity. These two activities should be done in conjunction with one another. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Fossil Fuels: Oil

This lesson provides an introduction to the world oil market and the United States' dependence on it. Topics include our current usage, sources, and the political implications of acquiring oil from an international market. There is also discussion of how petroleum is created and trapped in reservoirs, and how oil companies find it. The lesson includes an activity in which students use an online game that simulates the exploration and production of petroleum. To win, they must actually 'produce' commercial quantities of oil or gas by drilling in the ground in a 8-by-8 mile plot of land with a budget of $2 million dollars. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Nuclear Decay

This lesson provides an overview of basic atomic structure and the concept of radioactive decay. Topics include the particles that make up an atom, binding forces, and the concept of isotopes. There is also discussion of decay methods and half-life versus activity. The lesson includes an activity in which students use online applets to investigate the half-life and activity of selected isotopes and to examine possible decay chains for some others. They will also use a pair of dice to simulate the process of decay. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Plate Tectonics: Earthquake Epicenter

This lesson provides an overview of destructive earthquakes and their connection to tectonic movements of the Earth's crust. It includes a discussion of some especially destructive historic earthquakes, and a brief introduction to contintental drift and the theory of plate tectonics. There is also discussion of basic seismology (types of waves) and measures of the magnitude of an earthquake (the Richter Scale). The lesson inlcudes an activity in which students use an online simulator to locate the epicenter of an earthquake using readings from three different seismograph stations. After they have completed the simulation, they attempt to locate the epicenter of a real earthquake using data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) earthquake website. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Food Calories and Land

Obesity is on the rise in the United States, due primarily to the size and composition of the American diet. Discussion topics include lack of exercise, changes in calorie intake over time, and environmental impacts of these increases in consumption. Each student will particpate in an activity in which they investigate how their own diets affect the agricultural demands of a hypothetical country. They will record their calorie intake, categorize the calories as coming from either plants or animals, and estimate the amount of land that is needed to provide their daily intake. Links to related sites are provided. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Rock Identification

This hands-on activity covers the basics of rock identification. After a brief discussion of the terms 'rock' and 'mineral', students will study the characteristics and classifications of the three major rock groups (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary). Using an online tutorial to test their knowledge and to learn more about rocks, they will identify 10 different specimens, record their observations, and provide a name for each. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Renewable Energy: Hydropower

This lesson introduces students to the use of flowing or falling water (hydropower) to perform work, particularly electric power generation. Topics include the history of hydropower development, the invention of turbines and electric generators, and the history of hydroelectric power development in the United States. There is also discussion of the environmental issues associated with the construction of large dams and flooding large tracts of land, as well as some of the physics involved in the transfer of energy from moving water to a mechanical device such as a turbine. The lesson includes an activity in which students use a model turbine and generator and vary the height from which water flows into them to examine how energy output and efficiency varies. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Trees and Carbon

The transport and transformation of substances in the environment are known collectively as biogeochemical cycles. These global cycles involve the circulation of elements and nutrients that sustain both the biological and physical aspects of the environment. As an example, this discussion centers around the carbon cycle and how carbon is sequestered in trees. Students will perform an activity that replicates a case study in which the biomass of trees in a 15-acre plot of forest was calculated to determine the amount of carbon sequestered per acre. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school