Educators' Roadmap

Welcome to GLOBE!

To help educators navigate the GLOBE Program and website, GLOBE has created this roadmap that contains common steps an educator might take after creating their account. Click on a section header to open that section to find more information about each step.
Optional Task to Access All Protocols and Other Capabilities

US Members Will See:

Get eTrained or Attend an In-Person / Virtual Workshop


It is recommended that Educators either attend an in-person training or complete the Protocol eTraining/Protocol Assessment Test. What’s covered in the Protocol eTraining:

  • Get an in-depth overview of the GLOBE program and teacher involvement.
  • Get an introduction to the Earth Science Sphere that interests you.
  • Learn about your selected GLOBE protocol(s), how to define data sites, take measurements and analyze the data.

Once you complete a training for a GLOBE Protocol, you will be able to enter data for that protocol through the app or website.

International Members Will See:

Get eTrained or Attend an In-Person / Virtual Workshop

It is recommended that Educators either attend an in-person training or complete the Protocol eTraining/Protocol Self-Assessment Test. What’s covered in the Protocol eTraining:

  • Get an in-depth overview of the GLOBE program and teacher involvement.
  • Get an introduction to the Earth Science Sphere that interests you.
  • Learn about your selected GLOBE protocol(s), how to define data sites, take measurements and analyze the data.

Once you complete a training for a GLOBE Protocol, you will be able to enter data for that protocol through the app or website.

Your Accounts & Organizations
View Tutorials
Verify / Update Your Account Information
  • Access your account settings
  • Manage your personal information and password
  • Check your training records
  • Check to make sure your organization name is correct
Open Your Account Settings
Setup / Verify Your GLOBE School Organization
  • Access your school profile to ensure the information (address, lat/long, etc.) is correct.
  • View your school's page to verify the information. Are you listed as a member?
  • Get your school's referral code (used to allow others to join your school).

Note: You should have the school manager role, by default, to manage your school.

Contact the GLOBE Implementation Office if you cannot access your school information.

Go to your My Observations+ page to find your observations, manage and track your student's observations (through Guest accounts), and find additional account information.

Click on the profile icon at the top right of any page and then select 'My Observations+' to access the page.

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View Tutorials
GLOBE Teams
GLOBE Teams is a way of putting students into data groups. Each GLOBE Team has its own page that displays the total observations of each team member, data site locations and total team measurements by protocol.
  • Learn what GLOBE Teams are and how they are used by reading the introduction to GLOBE Teams.
  • Create as many teams as needed for your students.
  • Manage teams to set up the data period for the upcoming school year.
  • Access and share your GLOBE Team pages.
Guest Accounts
Guest Accounts are GLOBE accounts that educators can create to ensure student privacy and protection by providing an anonymous email login to record GLOBE measurements.  Students use these Guest accounts to log-into the GLOBE website and app to enter their observations.

View the tutorials to learn how to:
  • Create and manage your Guest accounts through a portal on your dashboard.
  • Create up to 10 Guest accounts.
  • Assign fun system-generated screen names to track student's observations.
  • Export Guest accounts to an Excel or Google classroom.
​​​​​​​For Older Students

US Members Will See:

Instead of using GLOBE Guest Accounts, older students (13+) who have their own personal email accounts and appropriate permissions, can create a GLOBE Observer account directly by downloading the GLOBE Observer App.

Note: Students with GLOBE Observer accounts will only be able to enter measurements for the app-based citizen science protocols. To enter measurements for all GLOBE protocols, they will be required to complete an e-training course.
 

During the account creation process, students can join your school by entering the school's referral code (which you can provide to them). Alternatively, they can navigate to your school or team page and join it with the referral code. See tutorial on finding the referral code.

International Members Will See:

Instead of using GLOBE Guest Accounts, older students (13+) who have their own personal email accounts and appropriate permissions, can create a GLOBE Observer account directly by downloading the GLOBE Observer App.

Note: Students with GLOBE Observer accounts will only be able to enter measurements for the app-based citizen science protocols. To enter measurements for all GLOBE protocols, they will be required to complete an e-training course.
 

During the account creation process, students can join your school by entering the school's referral code (which you can provide to them). Alternatively, they can navigate to your school or team page and join it with the referral code. See tutorial on finding the referral code.

Resources
Determine Which Protocol You Would Like to Study / Teach

  • Navigate to the GLOBE Protocols (Teacher's Guide) section to research the GLOBE Protocols. These are organized by the 4 Earth spheres (Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Pedosphere).

  • After deciding on a GLOBE protocol, view or download the required instructional documents and materials. These documents can be found on each Protocol page. See Clouds, for example. Documents include:

    • Protocol Instructions

    • ​​​​​​​Field Guides

    • Data Sheets

    • Learning Activities
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  • ​​​​​​​Study the appropriate eTraining modules for additional training, and become e-certified in that protocol, if desired.

Access Educator Resources for Doing GLOBE in Your Classroom
Data Entry

Download the free app to enter measurements immediately for the citizen science protocols – Clouds, Mosquito Habit Mapper, Land Cover, Trees, and Eclipse (when appropriate).

After completing additional training(s), either through a GLOBE Workshop or online via eTraining, use the app to enter measurements for all GLOBE Protocols.

Learn more about the GLOBE Observer App and how to download it.

View Tutorials
Have Your Students Take GLOBE Observations
Log-into the GLOBE Observer app or use the desktop version to setup data sites and enter observations.

​​​​​​​Explore the tutorials to learn how to:
  • Setup data sites
  • ​​​​​​​Navigate the data entry forms
  • Use Bundles
  • ​​​​​​​Connect Weather Stations to GLOBE
Track Your Student's Observations
  • Go to the tab labeled 'Guest Accounts' on your My Observations+ page) to track your students using Guest Accounts.
  • See students' observations on their My Observations page.
Data Retrieval and Analysis
View Tutorials
Data Visualization & Retrieval

Use one of the 3 tools on the website to view and download your students' data:

  • Visualization System: For anyone who wants to view data on a map or chart and to compare data from multiple sites.

  • ​​​​​​​Advanced Data Access Tool (ADAT): For anyone who wants to download large amounts of data to a spreadsheet.

  • ​​​​​​​GLOBE API: For developers who want to use a programmatic interface to retrieve GLOBE data.

View Tutorial
Analyze the Data and Create Reports

Discover student projects from around the world with GLOBE's easy-to-use database. From studies on bacteria in the Mississippi River to microplastics in the Adriatic Sea, students and teachers can browse a wealth of student-conducted research to spark their next scientific inquiry. They can also filter the reports through various search parameters to find exactly what they are looking for.

Students can upload their own student research reports to share their results with the world using a Student Account or a GLOBE Observer account.

​​​​​Learn more about Student Research Reports.

The Virtual Science Symposium (VSS) is an opportunity for GLOBE students to showcase their research to the rest of the community. Projects are judged by prestigious scientists across dozens of GLOBE nations. Students are eligible for stipends and GLOBE badges.
 
Students may submit a project on any topic, but they are encouraged to align their research with the year’s theme.

Learn more about the VSS.
Participate in GLOBE Measurement Campaigns / Projects

Contribute to worldwide science initiatives, collaborate with a global participant network, and learn more about Earth science systems with our GLOBE Measurement Campaigns and Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs).

Learn more about GLOBE campaigns.

Become a GLOBE Trainer or Partner (U.S.)

US Members Will See:

You can expand your involvement with GLOBE by becoming a GLOBE Trainer or a GLOBE Partner (U.S.). A GLOBE Trainer is an individual that leads in-person workshops to certify other GLOBE educators. A GLOBE Partner is an organization that also provides training and support for educators and students.

Learn more about being a U.S. Partner

International Members Will See:

You can expand your involvement with GLOBE by becoming a GLOBE trainer.  A GLOBE Trainer is an individual that leads in-person workshops to certify other GLOBE educators.