NASA Earth science studies our planet all day, every day. By tracking the movement of our natural systems – and the effect of human activity on them – we can understand the patterns, causes and results of climate change on the elemental activities that sustain us.
On Earth Day, April 22, we take time to celebrate this wondrous planet with special discussions, events (virtual) and activities. Like our satellites, however, NASA’s Earth science goes on year-round, and we continuously create videos, activities, news and more to tell the story of what’s happening on and with our planet – and all always offered free and open to the public.
For the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2020, NASA created a special package of materials designed to mark Earth Day at Home. This included activities, videos, special programs and other materials in English and Spanish. You can find them all archived here.
Below is a compilation of NASA Earth science resources from across the agency. They may be used at home, in classrooms, with clubs or civic groups, for museum programs, or on your own.
Educational Resources:
NASA Science Mission Directorate: Science Activation
- Resources developed by science experts to help learners of all ages “do” science in ways that activate minds and promote understanding, including:
- Our Planet: Earth: resources for libraries.
- NISENet resources: resources for science centers and other informal STEM institutions.
- Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms: digital learning resources from PBS Learning Media.
- My NASA Data: Earth system view of Earthrise and other Earth system data exploration resources.
- NASA eClips: short videos, some produced by students, designed for lesson plans.
NASA Climate Science Resources
- A collection of NASA and other materials to support global climate change lessons.
- NASA’s Climate Kids website, targeted to upper-elementary-aged children, is full of games, activities and articles that make climate science accessible and engaging.
- A comprehensive set of culture-based climate science educational resources for Native Communities. Learn more about MAIANSE: Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) for American Indian and Alaska Native Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Engagement.
- A collection of resources that incorporate NASA content and have been subject to peer review, searchable by key words and/or drop down menus.
NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Engagement
- Searchable resources for teachers and students grades K-12 and beyond.
- Games, hands-on activities, videos and articles designed to inspire upper-elementary-aged kids to learn more about Earth and space science. Resources for students, teachers and parents available in both English and Spanish.
- Earth science articles for ages 9-14, produced by NASA’s Earth Observatory.
- Videos curated by NASA to be of particular interest to young people.
NASA Climate Change Research Initiative Education Products
- Results of yearlong engagement between STEM educators and graduate students working with NASA scientists to improve STEMP education and increase the use of NASA resources in the classroom.
Engage and Learn:
Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)
- A worldwide science and education program that gives students and the public the opportunity to contribute to our understanding of Earth systems and the global environment via data collection and uploading via mobile app. The program celebrated its 25th anniversary on Earth Day 2020.
Citizen Science Projects: Earth
- Collaborations between scientists and the public for collection of data and observations, many using special apps for measuring Earth observations.
- Connect to professionals at more than 1,130 U.S. and international museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitor Centers, Challenger Centers, observatory and park visitor centers, nature centers, zoos, aquariums, libraries, camps, and youth-serving organizations who are partners in the NASA Museum Alliance.
- More than 1,000 volunteers across the nation are NASA Solar System Ambassadors (SSA), who communicate the science and excitement of NASA’s space exploration and discoveries with their communities. Use the website to contact an ambassador or find an event (including virtual).
- Color in the logo for the upcoming Landsat 9 mission, make a flipbook of the Ucayali River, decode a secret message and more on the Landsat at Home webpage, featuring activities based on these land-observing missions operated by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Visuals:
- Downloadable posters from Earth Day.
NASA Earth Science Mission Posters
- Downloadable posters featuring images of and by NASA Earth science missions.
- Daily updated images and articles featuring Earth observations from space.
NASA Scientific Visualization Studio: Earth Science Gallery
- A selection of Earth science visualizations from the thousands available on the SVS website.
NASA Visualization Explorer (App)
- Stories and visuals about NASA’s exploration of Earth delivered via app to iOS and Android mobile devices.
- Searchable files of NASA archival photos and videos dating back to the agency’s founding.
- Users of this 3D immersive website can fly along with Earth satellites as they monitor the planet’s vital signs and observe phenomena such as algae blooms and volcanic eruptions.
Videos:
- Join NASA scientists as they journey to the coldest ends of Earth to study ice on land and sea.
- A Series of whiteboard videos explaining different aspects of NASA Earth Science.
NASA’s Earth Expeditions (YouTube)
- Fly along with NASA’s airborne campaigns as they study Earth systems.
NASA’s Frontiers of Climate Science (YouTube)
- Videos featuring leading Earth scientists talking about our planet and the natural and human-caused changes that affect it.
E-Books:
- A collection of satellite images showing the beauty of our planet as seen from space.
- Photographs and satellite images of Earth’s lights as seen at night.