Earth observation - STEM Clubs Hour 2024 activities

These activities have been designed to help pupils understand the different applications of satellites in the field of Earth observation, and how the field of space science allows us to monitor changes in environments and wildlife populations across the planet.

Grid Coordinate Mapping: This activity involves plotting coordinates and joining the dots to see the routes an animal might take over a prolonged period of time. It illustrates how wildlife wearing satellite tags send location information to scientists, allowing them to track the movement of different species across the world. This enables us to understand topics such as migration paths and habitat ranges, enabling us to develop conservation techniques.

Elephants from Space: This activity involves identifying elephants in satellite imagery, distinguishing them from potentially similar objects like rocks or buildings. It illustrates how we can use satellite data to monitor huge habitats and enables scientists to collect data in physically inaccessible areas.

Impact on Habitats: This activity involves learning about the different requirements that native tropical rainforest species have, identifying which regions they are suited to using habitat information acquired by satellites and then assessing how these regions have changed over time using satellite imagery of the same regions taken many years apart. It illustrates how satellite imagery allows us to monitor large-scale environmental change.

Forest Fire Detection: This activity involves investigating how satellites can be used to identify where forest fires have broken out. While satellites detect increases in temperatures using infrared, learners will detect increases in temperature through feel. This illustrates how satellites use different kinds of imagery to monitor changes in environments across the world, and how this information can be used to ensure rapid responses by authorities who can prevent forest fires from breaking out and spreading.

Hurricane Bowls: This activity involves simulating the formation of a hurricane using paint and a bowl of water. Satellites take regular measurements of environmental conditions, such as ocean surface temperatures and moisture levels, that allow them to predict where storms are likely to occur. This activity illustrates how clouds begin to form and how a storm grows in size as wind speeds pick up.

These activities are recommended for ages 7 to 12.

This resource was created as part of Protecting Our Planet Day (POP) 2024 to highlight the importance of satellites in the field of Earth observation, and in collecting data to help us monitor and address the effects of climate change across the world.