Satellite Search Expedition
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The Science Learning Hub has introduced a new educational activity, titled "Interpreting Observations from Satellite Images," designed to familiarize students with the strategies and skills used by scientists to interpret satellite images.
This activity is not limited to Earth-based images, as it also includes exploring satellite imagery obtained by various satellites. To encourage local curriculum learning, the activity features a curation of New Zealand images.
The activity uses images from NASA's Visible Earth website and involves using Science Learning Hub resources and the internet to answer questions about satellite missions and orbits. Students are encouraged to find images of interest for their local area.
One of the key objectives of the activity is for students to identify the mission of some of the satellites featured, as well as the types of orbits they occupy. This requires students to analyse the mission objectives, orbits, and reasoning for orbit selection using Science Learning Hub resources and online information.
The activity also aims to foster a deeper understanding of why some satellites occupy the orbits they do. However, it does not explicitly provide specific introduction/background notes, detailed instructions, or extension ideas. A Word file (37.85 KB) is available for each of these purposes.
In addition, a student handout is not explicitly mentioned, but a Word file (37.85 KB) is available for this purpose. The activity does not specify exactly what is needed, but the Word file includes a list of what is required.
It is important to note that the International Space Station (ISS) is a habitable artificial satellite placed in a low Earth orbit, maintaining an orbital altitude between 330 km and 410 km. The ISS completes 15.7 orbits per day.
While the activity does not provide discussion questions, a Word file (37.85 KB) is available that includes discussion questions to aid in classroom discussions. Furthermore, the file also includes extension ideas for students who wish to delve deeper into the topic.
This new activity offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with real-world satellite data and understand the importance of satellites in various aspects of our lives, from weather monitoring to Earth observation.
