April
2009

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Global Warming? What do these stats mean?

Global Warming? What do these stats mean?

This data was posted by NOAA without comment. What does it mean? How does it relate to the Global Warming Theories?

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Obama backs teacher merit pay, charter schools
By: LIBBY QUAID
Associated Press

President Barack Obama called for tying teachers' pay to students' performance and expanding innovative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have provoked hostility from members of teachers unions. He also suggested longer school days — and years — to help America's kids compete in the world.

In his first big speech on education, Obama said the United States must drastically improve student achievement to regain lost international standing.

"The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens," he said. "We have everything we need to be that nation ... and yet, despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short and other nations outpace us."

His solutions include teacher pay and charter school proposals that have met resistance among members of teachers unions, which constitute an important segment of the Democratic Party.

Obama acknowledged that conflict, saying, "Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom."

Despite their history on the issues, union leaders publicly welcomed Obama's words, saying it seems clear he wants to include them in his decisions in a way President George W. Bush did not.

"We finally have an education president," said Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers. "We really embrace the fact that he's talked about both shared responsibility and making sure there is a voice for teachers, something that was totally lacking in the last eight years."

The president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association, Dennis van Roekel said, "President Obama always says he will do it with educators, not to them."

"That is a wonderful feeling, for the president of the United States to acknowledge and respect the professional knowledge and skills that those educators bring to every job in the school," van Roekel said.

Van Roekel insisted that Obama's call for teacher performance pay does not necessarily mean raises or bonuses would be tied to student test scores. It could mean more pay for board-certified teachers or for those who work in high-poverty, hard-to-staff schools, he said.

The union leaders also liked that Obama took on Republicans in his speech, saying the GOP has refused to spend more money on early childhood programs despite evidence they make a difference.

There also has been considerable friction over charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate independently, free from some of the rules that constrain regular schools. Many teachers are concerned that such schools drain money and talent from regular schools.

However, Obama said state limits on numbers of charter schools aren't "good for our children, our economy or our country." He said many of the innovations in education today are happening in charter schools.

Obama addressed the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a setting intended to underscore the need to boost academic performance, especially among Latino and black children who sometimes lag behind their white counterparts.

President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind law aimed to close that achievement gap, but progress has been slow, and Obama says his administration can do better. None of what he outlined Tuesday was new; his education agenda reflects Obama's campaign platform.

Broadly speaking, Obama wants changes at every level from before kindergarten through college. He is putting special focus on solving the high school dropout crisis and pushing states to adopt more rigorous academic standards.

Some of his promises already are in the works: Public schools will get an unprecedented amount of money — double the education budget under Bush — from the economic stimulus bill over the next two years. To get some of those dollars, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan insist states will have to prove they are making good progress in teacher quality, on data systems to track how students learn and on standards and tests.

After the scheduled event, Obama made a surprise visit with Duncan to a meeting of state school chiefs at a Washington hotel. Duncan said last Friday that states will get the first $44 billion by the end of the month.

Obama also wants kids to spend more time in school, with longer school days, school weeks and school years — a position he admitted will make him less popular with his school-age daughters.

Children in South Korea spend a month longer in school every year than do kids in the U.S., where the antiquated school calendar comes from the days when many people farmed and kids were needed in the fields.

"I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas, not with Malia and Sasha," Obama said as the crowd laughed. "But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

"If they can do that in South Korea, we can do it right here in the United States of America," Obama said.

Studying Snow and Ice Changes
Lesson Plan from My NASA Data for grades 9-12

Purpose: To examine how snow and ice cover have changed on the Earth from 1994 to 2004, and to practice using some of the data analysis tools available at My NASA Data.Scientists have recently been reporting that the average temperature of the Earth has been rising, usually referred to as 'global warming'. What is the evidence for this change? One piece of evidence could come from patterns of snow (on land) and ice (either sea ice floating on the oceans or glaciers on land) on the Earth - if the snow and ice are disappearing, it would indicate rising average temperatures. This exercise is meant to examine the pattern of snow and ice on the Earth to determine what trends are visible.

It is also worth noting that 'global warming' is a shorthand for 'global climate change'. This is because although a significant effect of climate change can be temperature increase, other changes may occur as well. Therefore, when we look at the snow and ice patterns on the Earth, we not only look for increases or decreases in the snow and ice cover, but we also look for changes in its distribution, which could be another indication of climate change.

Background: Scientists have recently been reporting that the average temperature of the Earth has been rising, usually referred to as 'global warming'. What is the evidence for this change? One piece of evidence could come from patterns of snow (on land) and ice (either sea ice floating on the oceans or glaciers on land) on the Earth - if the snow and ice are disappearing, it would indicate rising average temperatures. This exercise is meant to examine the pattern of snow and ice on the Earth to determine what trends are visible.

It is also worth noting that 'global warming' is a shorthand for 'global climate change'. This is because although a significant effect of climate change can be temperature increase, other changes may occur as well. Therefore, when we look at the snow and ice patterns on the Earth, we not only look for increases or decreases in the snow and ice cover, but we also look for changes in its distribution, which could be another indication of climate change.

Estimated Time for Completing Activity: 1 - 2 periods

Learning Outcomes:

National Standards:

Click here to view the entire lesson plan

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Jane Lubchenco Confirmed as NOAA Administrator
Pledges to lead with the "best science as our guide"

Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate this evening as the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. In this capacity, she will serve as the ninth administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation’s top science agency for climate, oceans, and the atmosphere. Dr. Lubchenco is the first woman and the first marine ecologist to lead NOAA.

"Dr. Lubchenco is an outstanding and accomplished environmental scientist with a proven ability to communicate, lead a dynamic team, and inspire action," White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley said. "Dr. Lubchenco joins a distinguished group of scientific leaders in the Obama administration that will ensure that science plays its proper role in shaping policy."  

With a budget of $4 billion, and 12,800 employees in every U.S. state and locations around the world, NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

Video message to NOAA employees from the NOAA Administrator "I am truly honored and humbled to be part of the NOAA team," Lubchenco said. "With hard work and the best science as our guide, NOAA can spur the creation of new jobs and industries, revive our fisheries and the economies and communities they support, improve weather forecasting and disaster warnings, provide credible information about climate change to Americans, and protect and restore our coastal ecosystems."

Lubchenco, a Denver native, is a graduate of Colorado College, received her Masters degree from the University of Washington and Ph.D. from Harvard University in marine ecology, taught at Harvard for two years, and prior to assuming her new duties as NOAA administrator has been on the faculty at Oregon State University since 1977.

"Jane is the rare person who is both a top flight scientist and skilled policy-maker. Her years of public service with the National Academy of Sciences and the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative and many other organizations have prepared her well for taking the helm of NOAA," Co-chairman of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Admiral James D. Watkins.

As an advocate for science, Lubchenco is well known in international and national arenas. She is a former president of the International Council for Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Ecological Society of America. She was a presidential-appointee for two terms on the National Science Board, which advises the president and Congress and oversees the National Science Foundation. Lubchenco is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Royal Society, and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. She served on the Pew Oceans Commission and the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative.

Lubchenco has received numerous awards including a MacArthur ("Genius") Fellowship, nine honorary degrees, the 2002 Heinz Award in the Environment, the 2003 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest, the 2004 Environmental Law Institute Award and the 2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

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President Obama talks to astronauts in space with students
By: Michael Barkoviak, Daily Tech

President Barack Obama, along with several middle school students and several members of Congress, placed a call to astronauts working aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

"We've got a crew of wonderful school children here, who are all interested in space, and we've got some members of Congress, who are like big kids when it comes to talking to astronauts," President Obama said during the call.

Students had the opportunity to ask 10 astronauts -- three ISS temporary residents and the seven-member shuttle Discovery crew -- about what they eat, how they exercise, and other tidbits during the 28-minute phone call.  One astronaut said the food is "kind of like backpacking food," with another one stating it's mainly military-style ready-to-eat meals and dehydrated food.

After being quizzed about whether or not they can play video games, one astronaut mentioned that they can play video games while orbiting above Earth.

NASA recently launched a contest in which people could vote for the name of a new wing of the International Space Station (ISS), with four poll choices and the option of writing-in an additional name.  An Associated Press report indicates write-ins for Stephen Colbert's name had 230,539 votes to win, which is 40,000 votes higher than the runner-up of "Serenity," a NASA-suggested name.

The Day the Sun Brought Darkness
Dr. Sten Odenwald
NASA Astronomer
ADNET/Catholic University

On March 13, 1989 the entire province of Quebec, Canada suffered an electrical power blackout. Hundreds of blackouts occur in some part of North America every year. The Quebec Blackout was different, because this one was caused by a solar storm!

On Friday March 10, 1989 astronomers witnessed a powerful explosion on the sun. Within minutes, tangled magnetic forces on the sun had released a billion-ton cloud of gas. It was like the energy of thousands of nuclear bombs exploding at the same time. The storm cloud rushed out from the sun, straight towards Earth, at a million miles an hour (click here to view annimation). The solar flare that accompanied the outburst immediately caused short-wave radio interference, including the jamming of radio signals from Radio Free Europe into Russia. It was thought that the signals had been jammed by the Kremlin, but it was only the sun acting up!

On the evening of Monday, March 12 the vast cloud of solar plasma (a gas of electrically charged particles) finally struck Earth's magnetic field. The violence of this 'geomagnetic storm' caused spectacular 'northern lights' that could be seen as far south as Florida and Cuba. The magnetic disturbance was incredibly intense. It actually created electrical currents in the ground beneath much of North America. Just after 2:44 a.m. on March 13, the currents found a weakness in the electrical power grid of Quebec. In less than 2 minutes, the entire Quebec power grid lost power. During the 12-hour blackout that followed, millions of people suddenly found themselves in dark office buildings and underground pedestrian tunnels, and in stalled elevators. Most people woke up to cold homes for breakfast. The blackout also closed schools and businesses, kept the Montreal Metro shut during the morning rush hour, and closed Dorval Airport.

The Quebec Blackout was by no means a local event. Some of the U.S. electrical utilities had their own cliffhanger problems to deal with. New York Power lost 150 megawatts the moment the Quebec power grid went down. The New England Power Pool lost 1,410 megawatts at about the same time. Service to 96 electrical utilities in New England was interrupted while other reserves of electrical power were brought online. Luckily, the U.S. had the power to spare at the time…but just barely. Across the United States from coast to coast, over 200 power grid problems erupted within minutes of the start of the March 13 storm. Fortunately none of these caused a blackout.

In space, some satellites actually tumbled out of control for several hours. NASA's TDRS-1 communication satellite recorded over 250 anomalies as high-energy particles invaded the satellite's sensitive electronics. Even the Space Shuttle Discovery was having its own mysterious problems. A sensor on one of the tanks supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell was showing unusually high pressure readings on March 13. The problem went away just as mysteriously after the solar storm subsided.

Twenty years later, the March 1989 'Quebec Blackout' has reached legendary stature, at least among electrical engineers and space scientists. It is a dramatic example of how solar storms can affect us even here on the ground. Fortunately, storms as powerful as this are rather rare. It takes quite a solar wallop to cause anything like the conditions leading up to a Quebec-style blackout. Typical solar activity 'sunspot' cycles can produce least two or three large storms, so it really is just a matter of chance whether one will cause a blackout or not. As it is for hurricanes and tornadoes, the more we can learn about the sun's 'space weather,' the better we can prepare for the next storm when it arrives!

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Climate and Earth’s Energy Budget
By: Rebecca Lindsey

The Earth’s climate is a solar powered system. Globally, over the course of the year, the Earth system—land surfaces, oceans, and atmosphere—absorbs an average of about 240 watts of solar power per square meter (one watt is one joule of energy every second). The absorbed sunlight drives photosynthesis, fuels evaporation, melts snow and ice, and warms the Earth system.

The Sun doesn’t heat the Earth evenly. Because the Earth is a sphere, the Sun heats equatorial regions more than polar regions. The atmosphere and ocean work non-stop to even out solar heating imbalances through evaporation of surface water, convection, rainfall, winds, and ocean circulation. This coupled atmosphere and ocean circulation is known as Earth’s heat engine.

The climate’s heat engine must not only redistribute solar heat from the equator toward the poles, but also from the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere back to space. Otherwise, Earth would endlessly heat up. Earth’s temperature doesn’t infinitely rise because the surface and the atmosphere are simultaneously radiating heat to space. This net flow of energy into and out of the Earth system is Earth’s energy budget.

When the flow of incoming solar energy is balanced by an equal flow of heat to space, Earth is in radiative equilibrium, and global temperature is relatively stable. Anything that increases or decreases the amount of incoming or outgoing energy disturbs Earth’s radiative equilibrium; global temperatures rise or fall in response.

Incoming Sunlight

All matter in the universe that has a temperature above absolute zero (the temperature at which all atomic or molecular motion stops) radiates energy across a range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. The hotter something is, the shorter its peak wavelength of radiated energy is. The hottest objects in the universe radiate mostly gamma rays and x-rays. Cooler objects emit mostly longer-wavelength radiation, including visible light, thermal infrared, radio, and microwaves.

The surface of the Sun has a temperature of about 5,800 Kelvin (about 5,500 degrees Celsius, or about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit). At that temperature, most of the energy the Sun radiates is visible and near-infrared light. At Earth’s average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter, according to measurements made by the most recent NASA satellite missions. This amount of power is known as the total solar irradiance. (Before scientists discovered that it varies by a small amount during the sunspot cycle, total solar irradiance was sometimes called “the solar constant.”)

A watt is measurement of power, or the amount of energy that something generates or uses over time. How much power is 1,360 watts? An incandescent light bulb uses anywhere from 40 to 100 watts. A microwave uses about 1000 watts. If for just one hour, you could capture and re-use all the solar energy arriving over a single square meter at the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun—an area no wider than an adult’s outstretched arm span—you would have enough to run a refrigerator all day.

Click here to read the rest
 

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2009 ESIP Federation Summer Meeting - July 7 - July 10, 2009

The ESIP Federation would like to invite you to present at the ESIP G6-12 teacher workshop & the ESIP Ed committee will pay your registration fee!

NASA And Honeywell Launch 2009 FMA Live! Spring Tour
Press Release

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M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Photos from the conference posted.
Click Here

Be a M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Teacher
Click here
to find out how

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NOAA-N Prime Environmental Satellite Successfully Launched
Science Daily

Note from Vic - In last month's newsletter Paula told you about going to watch the NOAA-N Prime launch. She was extremely excited about the experience even though she did not get to watch the launch. Our Satellite Educators Association friend and member Tom Wrublewski has provided us with links and more regarding this most excellent mission. I'll give you the links and an offer from Tom but first read this Science Daily article about the launch and mission.

A new environmental satellite that will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world soared into space this morning after a picture-perfect launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA-N Prime spacecraft lifted off at 2:22 a.m. PST aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from NASA's Space Launch Complex 2. Approximately 65 minutes later, the spacecraft separated from the Delta II SLV.

Shortly after liftoff, flight controllers tracked the launch vehicle’s progress using real-time telemetry data relayed through NASA’s Tracking and Date Relay Satellite System. NOAA-N Prime was in a power positive mode with its solar array deployed approximately five minutes after spacecraft separation. NOAA-N Prime was renamed NOAA-19 after achieving orbit.

"NOAA-19 is in a nominal orbit with all spacecraft systems functioning properly," stated Wayne McIntyre, the NASA POES Project Manager. "The NASA/NOAA partnership continues to produce enormous results with environmental missions, now exceeding more than three decades."

NOAA-19 is the fifth in a series of five Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) with advanced microwave sounding instruments that provide imaging and sounding capabilities. As it orbits the Earth, NOAA-N Prime will collect data about the Earth’s surface and atmosphere that are vital inputs to NOAA’s weather forecasts.

NOAA-N Prime has instruments that support the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System (SARSAT), part of the international satellite system that includes the Russian provided satellites (COSPAS). Since SARSAT was established in 1982, NOAA polar-orbiting satellites have been detecting emergency distress beacons set by aviators, mariners and individuals in remote locations and relaying them to ground stations so that rescue teams may be dispatched. More than 24,500 lives have been saved through the satellite based Search and Rescue system to date.

NOAA-N Prime will replace NOAA-18 in a 2:00 p.m. local solar time orbit as the primary afternoon spacecraft. NOAA-N Prime will carry the same primary instruments as NOAA-18 plus an Advanced Data Collection System and an improved Search and Rescue Processor provided by France.

NOAA-N Prime is the sixteenth and last satellite in a series of polar-orbiting satellites dating back to 1978. A new generation of environmental satellites called the National Polar Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) will become operational after the POES satellites complete their mission. NPOESS is a tri-agency (NOAA, U.S. Department of Defense, NASA) program. NPOESS will provide more capable sensors for improved data collection and better weather forecasts beginning in 2013.

NOAA manages the polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite program and establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., procures and manages the development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost reimbursable basis.

NOAA-N Prime integration with the Delta II, countdown and launch management is the responsibility of the NASA Launch Services Program headquartered at the Kennedy Space Center.

Twenty-one days after it is launched, NASA will transfer operational control of NOAA-19 to NOAA. NASA's comprehensive on-orbit verification period is expected to last approximately 45 days after launch.

Closing note from Vic - Our friend Tom has given us a heads up to some YouTube videos that will help you and your students understand the great impact NOAA-N Prime will have on our technological society. Go to YouTube and search NOAA-N Prime. You'll get at least for videos that are very interesting and highly educational. In addition, Tom has offered to send you NOAA-N Prime and/or GOES-O mission decals for you and your students if you email him at Thomas.M.Wrublewski@nasa.gov.

He also notes the the GOES-O is aimed for an April 28 launch.

You can also get more information about NOAA-N Prime from NOAA's web page.

Thank you Tom!

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Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide

 Welcome to the Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide
This teacher's guide was produced by the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a companion to the Climate Discovery exhibit at our Boulder, Colorado laboratory. Each unit contains lessons appropriate for grades 5-9 on a variety of Earth system science topics that facilitate student learning about our planet's climate system.

The lessons in each unit can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader and may be reproduced for educational use.

Click here to check out the lessons

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Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project
[Educators K-12 and Students Higher Education]
[Available: Nationally]

The Endeavor Science Teacher Certificate Project, or ESTCP, awards over 40 fellowships each year to in-service, alternative-route and pre-service formal educators contributing to the development of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, workforce based on NASA content and educational materials. The project helps to ensure that the Certificate in Applied Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, contributes toward teacher licensure, assisting Fellows in becoming "highly qualified" science teachers. Fellows may earn a "Leadership Distinction" designation on their ESTCP Certificate. The ESTCP improves teachers' knowledge of pedagogical content as educators demonstrate changes in practice and apply science concepts.

Fellows come together to build an unprecedented, online community of practice as they complete a minimum of five exclusively online graduate-level "Short Courses," including Action Research. Courses are defined by:

--Four to six one-hour, live online sessions in which educators participate live on both the telephone and the Internet at the same time.
--Guided and supported study and mentoring.

In addition, the project provides workshops for those who teach science teachers at schools of education. ESTCP and its workshops assist the educators in incorporating NASA content into methods and practicum courses for pre-service teachers who may feed into the ESTC project. Educators serving underrepresented student populations are encouraged to apply.

Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project
> View site  

For further information about the project, please visit the Endeavor Science Teacher Certificate Project Web site and review the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Who to Contact at NASA
Dr. Shelley Canright
Manager, Elementary, Secondary and eEducation
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
E-mail: shelley.canright@nasa.gov

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