GLOBE Learning Activities

Atmosphere Learning Progression for learners in grades 3-5 developed for GLOBE Mission Earth to align GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols, GLOBE Learning Activities and NASA resources with Next Generation Science Standards. This learning guide builds upon concepts developed in grades K-2 that focus on weather patterns, students in grades 3-5 will examine the relationships associated with how patterns of typical weather conditions over different time scales can be used to describe climate. Prepared by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate: Tina R. Harte and Elizabeth Joyner (2017). Revised by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate, Science Education Team (2025)).

Atmosphere Learning Progression for learners in grades 6-8 developed for GLOBE Mission Earth to align GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols, GLOBE Learning Activities and NASA resources with Next Generation Science Standards. Building on the concepts developed in grades 3-5 that looked at the relationship between climate and patterns of typical weather conditions over different time scales, students in grades 6-8 will take this a step further as they examine how complex interactions determine local weather patterns and influence climate, including the role of the ocean. Prepared by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate: Tina R. Harte and Elizabeth Joyner (2017). Revised by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate, Science Education Team (2025)).

Atmosphere Learning Progression for learners in grades 9-12 developed for GLOBE Mission Earth to align GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols, GLOBE Learning Activities and NASA resources with Next Generation Science Standards. Building on the concepts developed in grades K-8, students in grades 9-12 will examine the relationship between the Sun’s radiation and its interactions with the Earth system, in particular the atmosphere, recognizing the ocean and land as the foundation of the global climate system. Prepared by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate: Tina R. Harte and Elizabeth Joyner (2017). Revised by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate, Science Education Team (2025)).

Atmosphere Learning Progression for learners in grades K-2 developed for GLOBE Mission Earth to align GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols, GLOBE Learning Activities and NASA resources with Next Generation Science Standards. Through participating in a series of GLOBE and NASA learning activities, interacting with the characters in the Elementary GLOBE Storybooks, and collecting data using the GLOBE protocols, students have the opportunity to engage in authentic science learning experiences. Using science journals to record their observations, students become scientists as they explore the world around them. Prepared by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate: Tina R. Harte and Elizabeth Joyner (2017). Revised by NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate, Science Education Team (2025)).

The “Gummy Bear Osmosis” activity is an exploratory, hands-on experiment designed for primary school students to understand the concepts of density and osmosis. By observing what happens to gummy bears placed in different solutions (pure water, saltwater, and sugar water), students learn how water moves across semi-permeable membranes and how density and solute concentration affect this process.

Students measure their height, arm span, and foot length to show how living organism’s parts are related to the whole. Students use this concept to understand how circumference of trees can be used to estimate biomass.
        Enhancement Materials:        Allometry Example (xls)

Modeling Activities
Computer models (at varying levels of complexity) predict the change in biomass and carbon storage or size of carbon pools and fluxes over time, and give students the opportunity to use an important scientific tool.

Download eTraining slides (PPT) on using the carbon cycle modeling activitis with students.