The Globe Program and NI Connections


Since its founding on Earth Day 1994, the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program has been providing students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the understanding of the Earth system and the global environment.

The GLOBE Project and Natural Inquirer are working together to provide educational STEM materials to students around the world. Below you will find Natural Inquirer articles and activities. Next to these activities, you will find links to GLOBE lesson plans that further explore a STEM topic. 

For an additional activity, check out this post on the GLOBE Project blog. In this blog, water and soil scientist Eliza Balch connects GLOBE and Natural Inquirer activities about ecosystems, data collection, and climate change. The GLOBE program is also looking for educators to highlight the connections between the two programs click here for more information on how you can participate.


 

 
NI: "Beam Me Down, Scotty" article and factivity. In this article, scientists use both new and old technology to calculate the amount of carbon stored by plants in a large area.  GLOBE: Getting to Know Your Satellite Imagery and GLOBE Study Site
 
NI: "The GLAS is Half Full" article and factivity. In this article, scientists use information gathered by satellites to identify the age of a tropical forest.  GLOBE: Land Cover Change Detection
 
NI: "Inquiry 1" article and factivity. In this article, explore different kinds of forests and their different precipitations, elevations, latitudes, and ecosystems.  GLOBE: Precipitation
 
NI: "FACELook" MonographFactivity, and Template. In this monograph, scientists explore how much carbon is stored in a tree's roots versus its leaves while discussing photosynthesis.  GLOBE: A beginning Look at Photosynthesis 
 
NI: "Timed Travel" article and factivity. In this article, scientists explore how different water temperature affects Chinook salmon development. GLOBE: How Do Seasonal Temperature Patterns Vary Among Different Regions of the World?
 
NI: "Leaf Me Alone!" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are exploring how different trees provide different nutrients in the soil. GLOBE: Investigating Leaf Pigments
 
NI: "Sediment-al Journey" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are researching the chemical content in riparian sediments and what that content can tell us about how urban land is being used. GLOBE: Just Passing Through
 
 
NI: "It's a Gas" article and factivity. In this monograph, scientists explore the nitrogen cycle and how greenhouse gas exchange in soils differed between old forests, new forests, and pastures.  GLOBE: Land, Water, and Air
 
 
NI: "Inquiry 1" article and factivity. In this article, explore the influence of latitude, rainfall, elevation, and human activity on forests around the world.  GLOBE: Learning to Use Visualizations - An Example with Elevation and Temperature
 
 
 NI: "Caribbean Cruise" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are researching the movement of organic matter through watersheds and how the matter affects ecosystems and food webs.  GLOBE: Model a Catchment Basin
 
 
 NI: "Under Where?" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are studying how soil water from snowfall affects streamflow compared to other sources of water.   GLOBE: Modeling Your Water Balance
 
 
 NI: "Did They Make the Gradient?" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are researching how the shape of a stream affects water temperature and how air temperature may be affecting stream temperature.  GLOBE: What are some Factors that Affect Seasonal Patterns?
 
 
 NI: "Time Will Tell" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are exploring how wildfires change prairies, how long it takes for prairies to recover, and how wildfires affect a prairie's ecosystem as a whole.   GLOBE: Fire Fuel Protocol 
 
 
 NI: "Timed Travel" article and factivity. In this article, scientists explore how changing water temperature affects ecosystems  GLOBE: Global Patterns in Green-up and Green-down
 
 
 NI: "It's a Small World" article and factivity. In this article, scientists are researching how changes in sea surface temperatures, known as oscillations, are affecting wildland fires.   GLOBE: How to Measure Trees
 
 
 NI: "Logjams and Beaver Dams" monograph and factivity. In this monograph, scientists explore the carbon cycle and how carbon is stored in mountainous areas.  GLOBE: Carbon Travels Game
 
 

 NI: "Everything but the Carbon Sink" article and factivity. Scientists in this article were interested in understanding how increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing ozone, increasing nitrogen, climate change, and changes in land use affect the carbon cycle.

 GLOBE: Getting to Know the Carbon Cycle