Peer Review

This outstanding site is part of NASA's Earth Observatory project and is an incredibly comprehensive, information rich, interactive site that can be used for grades K - college. Starting with visual icons for major biomes, the site gives a good summary of the characteristics of that biome as well as links to more detailed information and examples. The main page also links to extensive remote sensing data on different aspects of the earth. These data can also be used to construct animations such as world-wide chlorophyll changes over a number of years. The "features" section provides links to dozens of current projects organized by biome. A "news" section gives most recent NASA news releases on studies related to biomes. "Reference" links to background information on a number of Earth processes/problem areas. "Missions" gives an overview of NASA space-based missions studying our home planet. Finally, the "experiments" section links to numerous interactive activities that teach about remote sensing and how NASA uses that data to study Earth. There are two interactive games to teach about biomes; each game on a simplified and advanced level. The site is searchable and provides a glossary accessible directly from words and abbreviations in the text of each page. This is just the beginning. Once a user gets started, this site seems to just unfold with a wealth of information, activities, interactive simulations and graphs. Words truly do not do this site justice, you must check it out for yourself. Everyone should be able to find something of interest or to support educational objectives at this comprehensive and creative site.

This site is a hybrid between a tutorial, database and interactive site.
Depending on you objective, this site will be able to meet your needs.

Depending on the level of class, the site could serve as a basic, simplified introduction to earth systems or a more comprehensive treatment for high school and college level courses making use of additional links found throughout the site. This site could be used as a tutorial for interpretation of data or reading of graphs, or even as a research tool for more advanced students. The capability to build animations based on remote sensing data is extraordinary.

Basic site requires only current, java enabled internet browser. Animations require multimedia capability. Quick Time is needed to run the simulations.

The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change. The major learning objects can be found under the link to Teacher Resources. The objects are outlined as such:

• Make science fun and interactive.
  
• Encourage children to use the Internet as a learning tool.
  
• Provide understandable information about world biomes while also providing
  opportunities for further research or more in-depth study.
  
• Build on knowledge of world geography, math, social studies and science.
  
• Provide teachers the opportunity to introduce research methods and procedures.
  
• Provide for differentiated, individual learning.
  

The target population is K-12, but this site would be useful for all levels of
college students as well. This site could very easily serve as a spring board to
conducting in depth internet research on a particular aspect of Biome Ecology.
As for the grade school population. The Teacher Resource page has a complete
list of Nation Math, Science, and Social Studies Standards(K-12) meet by this
site.

The site is designed to be accessible to a wide range of users. Some basic knowledge of biological and physical concepts is needed to fully understand materials. Use of web browser will be required.