HoloGlobe visualizes real-time NOAA and NASA satellite data and simulations, providing stunning views of the Earth and its many processes and systems. Students can use this realtime and historical satellite data, projected onto a virtual globe, in order to:
- Investigate Realtime Earth Data
- Observe Real Simulations & Forecasts
- Identify Areas Around the Globe
- Analyze Global Trends Over Time
Investigate Realtime Earth Data
The image above shows the Realtime Earthquake Data activity in the “Earthquakes'' topic card in Hologlobe. The data shows earthquakes that occur around the world that are greater than 2.5 on the Richter scale. Circles indicate earthquakes; size indicates magnitude; color indicates depth.
By investigating realtime data in this way, students can make connections and form hypotheses based on data. For example, do your students notice a pattern about where earthquakes occur around the world?
For an additional learning activity, ask students to apply the data shown in HoloGlobe to the information they learned in Terraforming Earth or Predicting Catastrophes. Can they see how tectonic plates influence the occurrence of earthquakes? You can also ask them how technology like satellite data can help humans predict and measure catastrophic events caused by natural disasters.
Observe Real Simulations & Forecasts
Shown above is The Earth and Sun activity in the “Seasons” topic card in HoloGlobe. This simple sun-earth model demonstrates the seasons while the moving flare represents the motion of the sun throughout the year. What is responsible for the Earth’s seasons and how does axial tilt affect the amount of sunlight received by each hemisphere during the year?
For an additional learning activity, ask students to apply the data shown in HoloGlobe to the information they learned in the Rotation of the Earth topic card in Merge Explorer.
Identify Areas around the Globe
Above is the Countries activity in the “World Map” topic card in HoloGlobe, but several globe activities allow students to see the latitude/longitude lines, continents, countries, states/provinces, and major cities on Earth using the “Options” button in the bottom-right corner of each activity screen.
Students can connect multiple data activities to be able to identify certain areas of the globe. For example, after investigating Realtime Chlorophyll Concentration Data, Realtime Precipitation and Realtime Land Surface Temperature, can your students identify some of the biomes on Earth? Using this data, what do they think the climate is like in different regions?
Analyze Global Trends Over Time
One of the great uses of HoloGlobe is the ability to view a timelapse of historical satellite data, to view trends over the course of a week or a year. The above image shows the Fires Timelapse activity in the “Fires” topic card inside HoloGlobe. This timelapse shows fires around the world for the past year.
What sort of patterns do your students see in the number of wildfires shown around the world? Do they see a correlation between the time and location of wildfires when compared to the Timelapse of Land Surface Temperature or Drought Risk Timelapse? What could this tell us about the risk of wildfires in certain areas?
For an additional learning activity, ask students to apply the data shown in HoloGlobe to the information they learned in The Human Effect topic card in Merge Explorer. Is there a difference in data in more populated regions? If so, what sort of effects might humans have had on the environment? Students may even predict how increases in the human population impact the Earth.
Now that you know how you can start using Hologlobe in your Classroom, check out how you can incorporate Science Simulations and Digital Teaching Aids as well!
Now that you know how you can start using Hologlobe in your Classroom, check out how you can incorporate Science Simulations and Digital Teaching Aids as well!