EarthView Explorer  Grades 6-12

EarthView Explorer computer software was designed as supplemental material for teaching and learning in the Earth Sciences for students in grades 6-12. The software is composed of student activities in all major areas of the Earth Sciences that require students to be active participants in the educational process. The software enables students to visualize and explore topics of varying complexity and record their investigations for future use or for portfolio evaluation. When used in the context of an existing Earth Science curriculum, the software is designed to help students understand basic processes, help teachers identify remedial needs, and stimulate the students' curiosity and interest in science.

Importantly, the student activities are based on recent and authentic global data relevant to the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and climate. Tools for modifying the view of the global data, sampling or graphing numeric data, and interacting with a model of global climate are provided. Many of the activities are based on topics that may be familiar to students to some degree, such as earthquakes and volcanoes; El Niño variations; vegetation patterns and climate change. Thus, recent news events are often relevant and useful for classroom work.

To further extend accuracy, EarthView Explorer has the capability to import current data from an outside website supported and maintained by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. With the appropriate Internet connection and a simple download, your students can apply up-to-date data to selective activities and research climatic events as they unfold.

Developed with funding from the National Science Foundation. Developed by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a division of Columbia University.

Map showing plotted salinity level
measurements during spring.

A simulation of the effects
"sea floor spreading," has on the climate.