welcome to dr. lin chambers director of s’cool roberto sepulveda susan moore education consultants

WELCOME TO

Dr. Lin Chambers Director of S’COOL

Roberto Sepulveda

Susan Moore Education Consultants

Students’ Cloud Observations On-Line

NASA Langley Research Center / Science Directorate

What does S’COOL stand for?

S tudents’C loud

O bservationsO n-

L ine

Project where students interact with

Mention the use of acronyms and what they are. Many kids don't know what NASA stands for...you may want to offer a small prize if anyone does come up with the complete name, which is on the next slide.

Mention the use of acronyms and what they are. Many kids don't know what NASA stands for...you may want to offer a small prize if anyone does come up with the complete name, which is on the next slide.



Where is S'COOL in NASA?

S'COOL ParticipantsOver 2100 Schools in 68 Countries

S'COOLSudents' Cloud Observations On-Line

CERESClouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System

Other Atmospheric Experiments

Science DirectorateAtmospheric Sciences

Other Directorates

LaRCLangley Research Center

Hampton, VA

Other NASA Centers & Facilities15 total

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration



Who is submitting S’COOL observations?



NASA has a science project also!

The name of thisscience

experimentis

Introduce S’COOL as a science project (many children will not be too excited but they do understand the scientific method if they have conducted science projects themselves) and tell them that NASA has a project whose experiment is called CERES. When you break up the acronym you can explain the fact that this experiment studies clouds and radiation.

Introduce S’COOL as a science project (many children will not be too excited but they do understand the scientific method if they have conducted science projects themselves) and tell them that NASA has a project whose experiment is called CERES. When you break up the acronym you can explain the fact that this experiment studies clouds and radiation.



The CERES Experiment:

Question:What is the Effect

of Clouds on the Earth’s Climate?

Every experiment must have a good ‘problem’ statement. This is a slide that shows our scientific question.

Every experiment must have a good ‘problem’ statement. This is a slide that shows our scientific question.



Global Cloud Cover: 50-70%

is so important

about a few Clouds in the Sky?

Ask the students what they think of helping NASA with it’s science project…they probably will say “So What!” That’s OK! Every worthwhile experiment has to start with a valid reason to do the project so in essence this is a great question posed by the students. Show them the globe picture and have them realize that the Earth is covered with at least 50% clouds on any given day and that some scientists believe that % is actually 60%. So obviously, the study of clouds is important to everyone living on this planet including them.

Ask the students what they think of helping NASA with it’s science project…they probably will say “So What!” That’s OK! Every worthwhile experiment has to start with a valid reason to do the project so in essence this is a great question posed by the students. Show them the globe picture and have them realize that the Earth is covered with at least 50% clouds on any given day and that some scientists believe that % is actually 60%. So obviously, the study of clouds is important to everyone living on this planet including them.



How do clouds transmit and/or reflect radiation?__________

Do clouds cool down or heat up the Earth’s climate?

Note that there are two major cloud levels in question. High and low clouds behave differently when it comes to radiation effects. High clouds are ice clouds that actually work to warm the planet two-fold [do not block solar radiation (yellow arrow)and do not allow heat (red arrow) to escape back into space]. The low level clouds do block solar radiation and do allow about half of the heat emitted by the Earth’s surface to escape back into space. Thus high clouds heat up the Earth (even though they are made of cold ice crystals) and low clouds cool down the Earth’s climate.

Note that there are two major cloud levels in question. High and low clouds behave differently when it comes to radiation effects. High clouds are ice clouds that actually work to warm the planet two-fold [do not block solar radiation (yellow arrow)and do not allow heat (red arrow) to escape back into space]. The low level clouds do block solar radiation and do allow about half of the heat emitted by the Earth’s surface to escape back into space. Thus high clouds heat up the Earth (even though they are made of cold ice crystals) and low clouds cool down the Earth’s climate.



The CERES instruments are remote sensors that measure the solar reflected and Earth emitted radiation.

How do we monitor the Earth’s Energy Budget?

Many kids feel that NASA doesn’t need their input since they have so many million dollar satellites gathering information already. They are wrong…see slide 14 for reasoning. The image on the right is the two CERES instruments located on the spacecraft (satellite). Note that one of them sits on a lazy Susan type device and spans 360 degrees. They are each the size of a overhead projector and the satellite is the size of a school bus…just for perspective. Make sure to stress the difference between the satellite and the instruments (which can be several on one satellite).

Many kids feel that NASA doesn’t need their input since they have so many million dollar satellites gathering information already. They are wrong…see slide 14 for reasoning. The image on the right is the two CERES instruments located on the spacecraft (satellite). Note that one of them sits on a lazy Susan type device and spans 360 degrees. They are each the size of a overhead projector and the satellite is the size of a school bus…just for perspective. Make sure to stress the difference between the satellite and the instruments (which can be several on one satellite).



Remote Sensing Remote sensing has been defined as "a technique used

to gather information about an object or an area without actually touching it”. Our eyes, ears, and skin, as well as more sophisticated

instruments, all aid us in remote

sensing.

I often use an example to get the point of remote sensing across. I tell them that if there was load music (choose an artist that they listen to regularly) coming from outside the classroom door you would be upset that children were playing a radio while you were trying to teach. You decide to send a student outside to tell the kids to shut the music off. The student you sent outside doesn’t return. You then go outside to find out what is going on to realize that the artist was actually outside your door singing and your student joined her/him on stage and was dancing with the artist. Explanation: Since you weren’t there in person you ‘sensed’ something ‘remotely’ (from a distance…like a remote control for a TV) and came up with a wrong conclusion. Sometimes our satellites make the same type of mistakes. Ask them now to tell you how much cloud cover they see in the picture to the right (most will say about 60%). The picture on the left shows the ‘footprint’ (view area for data collection) of the satellite instruments. After they have their guess go to the next slide.

I often use an example to get the point of remote sensing across. I tell them that if there was load music (choose an artist that they listen to regularly) coming from outside the classroom door you would be upset that children were playing a radio while you were trying to teach. You decide to send a student outside to tell the kids to shut the music off. The student you sent outside doesn’t return. You then go outside to find out what is going on to realize that the artist was actually outside your door singing and your student joined her/him on stage and was dancing with the artist. Explanation: Since you weren’t there in person you ‘sensed’ something ‘remotely’ (from a distance…like a remote control for a TV) and came up with a wrong conclusion. Sometimes our satellites make the same type of mistakes. Ask them now to tell you how much cloud cover they see in the picture to the right (most will say about 60%). The picture on the left shows the ‘footprint’ (view area for data collection) of the satellite instruments. After they have their guess go to the next slide.



What the Students Observe

Satellite View of Clouds

What else did the students report seeing? Mountains with snow & ice

They were wrong. Thanks to the observations & pictures sent in by some students in the area, we know that there was only about 5-10% cloud cover. The satellite perceived the snow and ice as clouds from its ‘remote’ distance. Thus the need for students worldwide to help NASA in its’ research/project.

They were wrong. Thanks to the observations & pictures sent in by some students in the area, we know that there was only about 5-10% cloud cover. The satellite perceived the snow and ice as clouds from its ‘remote’ distance. Thus the need for students worldwide to help NASA in its’ research/project.



Cloud Types and Levels

Cloud Cover

Visual Opacity

(Percentage)

(How much light penetrates the cloud)

CUMULUS

CIRRUS

This shows what we need the students to observe. Allow them to think that it is too much. All of this has to be done at the same time as the satellite is passing overhead too. Sometimes kids think this is too much to do. So now let’s break it down for them into manageable pieces.






+/- 15 minutes from satellite overpass

Universal Time



Do you have any CLOUD EXPERIENCE?

“Well, I have looked at clouds in the sky since I was a little kid. One time I saw a cloud that looked like…….”

All students at some point in their lives have observed clouds… thus experienced!

All students at some point in their lives have observed clouds… thus experienced!



Any other experience with clouds?

I can’t think of any, I’m in a FOG.

That’s it! Yes, I’ve been in a CLOUD.

I’ve walked through FOG

(a cloud formed near the ground)

Let’s get out of this fog and move into clearer visibility.

All students have actually physically experienced a cloud…thus they can come up with the ingredients if they picture themselves in a cloud…next slide.

All students have actually physically experienced a cloud…thus they can come up with the ingredients if they picture themselves in a cloud…next slide.



Necessary Ingredients:

Hygroscopic nuclei consist of particles such as sea salt which have an affinity (attraction) for water. Water vapor condenses on these particles.

WATER (vapor)

CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE (cooler)

CONDENSATION NUCLEI (aerosols)

Fog feels moist (thus water). Fog is typically cool (thus cooler temperature). Like a cold water bottle taken outside on a warm day, the water vapor needs to condense onto a surface (the plastic on the water bottle) which we call aerosols (sea salt, soot from jet exhaust…point out that contrails therefore are also clouds).

Fog feels moist (thus water). Fog is typically cool (thus cooler temperature). Like a cold water bottle taken outside on a warm day, the water vapor needs to condense onto a surface (the plastic on the water bottle) which we call aerosols (sea salt, soot from jet exhaust…point out that contrails therefore are also clouds).



Point out the S’COOL cloud poster and how it has the different cloud types split by level. Go over some of their names. Let students know that they can have their own personal cloud chart for their notebooks by going to the following site:

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/PDF/Cloud_ID.pdf

Which can be found under new Teacher Resource products.

Point out the S’COOL cloud poster and how it has the different cloud types split by level. Go over some of their names. Let students know that they can have their own personal cloud chart for their notebooks by going to the following site:

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/PDF/Cloud_ID.pdf

Which can be found under new Teacher Resource products.



Just over 200 years ago (in 1803), Luke Howard used Latin words to name the cloud types.

Cumulus – means pile and describes heaped, lumpy cloudsCirrus – means hair and describes wispy looking clouds.

This term is also used to describe high level clouds

Stratus – means layer and describes clouds that form in

sheets and do not have any unique features

Cumulus – means pile and describes heaped, lumpy clouds

Cirrus – means hair and describes wispy looking clouds.

This term is also used to describe high level clouds

Stratus – means layer and describes clouds that form in

sheets and do not have any unique features



Nimbus – means rain and describes low grey rain clouds

Alto – describes mid level clouds

Cumulus – lumpy Cirrus – wispy Stratus - layered

Contrails – short for ‘condensation trails’ are the only man-made cloud



Cumulus – lumpy Cirrus – wispy Stratus – layered

Nimbus – raining Alto – mid-level Contrails - streaks



Imagine

this

picture

represents

a certain

number of

clouds in

the sky !

Tell students that you will be removing some clouds from this picture. Since we are working with 100 clouds we can now say that we are removing a certain percentage of clouds.

Tell students that you will be removing some clouds from this picture. Since we are working with 100 clouds we can now say that we are removing a certain percentage of clouds.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Be ready with an answer in 5 seconds !

Ask them to guess put move on to next slide in 5 seconds. Reason for this is that the satellite doesn’t stay over head for very long…as a matter a fact it orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes. That’s fast! Also, clouds don’t stay still for you either.

Ask them to guess put move on to next slide in 5 seconds. Reason for this is that the satellite doesn’t stay over head for very long…as a matter a fact it orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes. That’s fast! Also, clouds don’t stay still for you either.



Write your guess down and hold it up high.

Let students have a few seconds to write down their answer and re-explain what they are quessing.

Let students have a few seconds to write down their answer and re-explain what they are quessing.



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

85

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

PARTICIPANT

GUESS

CLOUD COVER GUESSES

Draw a ‘best fit’

line graph

If you do not perform the activity then you may use this as an example. They will probably come up with 66 as the answer from the graph but let them realize that the best fit line doesn’t mean that it is correct.

If you do not perform the activity then you may use this as an example. They will probably come up with 66 as the answer from the graph but let them realize that the best fit line doesn’t mean that it is correct.



40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

HOW ABOUT A BAR GRAPH !

Note that they can also make a bar graph that changes the guess to the IV since now we are interested in how many students guessed the same answer. They can also perform this activity and you can stress the difference btw. IV and DV once again. Have them realize that the most popular answer is not the correct one either. You can use these graphs to come up with good lead-in questions.

Note that they can also make a bar graph that changes the guess to the IV since now we are interested in how many students guessed the same answer. They can also perform this activity and you can stress the difference btw. IV and DV once again. Have them realize that the most popular answer is not the correct one either. You can use these graphs to come up with good lead-in questions.



Results from “Guess the Cloud”

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Number of Estimates

Estimated Cloud Amount (%)20 40 60 80 1000

Total Guesses = 726Average Guess = ?66.

4Correct Answer = ?

Not So

Fast !

This is a bar graph NASA produced with the help of a few hundred participants. Note the importance of repeat trials which gets one closer to the actual answer.

This is a bar graph NASA produced with the help of a few hundred participants. Note the importance of repeat trials which gets one closer to the actual answer.



Imagine that you are looking through a window.

Notice the dark grey patches on the clouds…lack of light.



Note the silhouette of the sun…there is some light penetrating through the cloud cover.



Note the clear outline seen of the sun despite the cloud cover.



Once inside, students can log on to S’COOL database to enter their observations.

You can use this slide to go over the form and how to fill it in.

You can use this slide to go over the form and how to fill it in.



LET’S OBSERVE!

Let’s make an observation on what we see on this beautiful day!

What cloud types are present?

What’s the percentage of cloud cover?

How much light penetrates the clouds?

You can hand out observation forms and have the students do this picture as their first trial observation. They may have different opinions but stress that the results that will be sent to NASA will be the most popular answer(s) chosen as a class.

You can hand out observation forms and have the students do this picture as their first trial observation. They may have different opinions but stress that the results that will be sent to NASA will be the most popular answer(s) chosen as a class.



Can you think of a name for this cloud before I keep going and going and going ……?

Questions ?Do you have any

Have the guess the name of this cloud. Note many kids don’t read the hint and thus get it wrong. Stress the importance of reading before yelling out an answer. You may want to up the challenge by offering a little gift for the first person to raise their hand and give the correct answer. You will find that the first people will not read the hint and thus get a different answer. You may want to stress that you want them to come up with a name ‘for’ the cloud!

Have the guess the name of this cloud. Note many kids don’t read the hint and thus get it wrong. Stress the importance of reading before yelling out an answer. You may want to up the challenge by offering a little gift for the first person to raise their hand and give the correct answer. You will find that the first people will not read the hint and thus get a different answer. You may want to stress that you want them to come up with a name ‘for’ the cloud!

welcome to dr. lin chambers director of s’cool roberto sepulveda susan moore education consultants

Documents

science experiment

low clouds

high clouds

ice clouds

scool observations

science projects

science projectthey

effect of clouds