Educators collaborating through NASA’s GLOBE Mission Earth initiative have worked to improve how students utilize satellite land cover data in educational settings, strengthening connections between NASA observations and classroom research.
What Happened
During the 2025-2026 school year, a specialized Community of Practice led by NASA Langley Research Center brought together 14 educators from the NASA Science Activation Program’s GLOBE Mission Earth project. These educators focused on enhancing student engagement with land cover data from satellites including MODIS, Landsat, and Sentinel-2. They concentrated on improving data collection procedures using the GLOBE Observer app, integrating satellite and ground observations into curricula, developing student research questions, and validating land cover comparisons.
Key Facts
- Six educators actively collected land cover observations with students using the GLOBE Observer app.
- Observations were compared with satellite data, with NASA Langley providing feedback via satellite comparison emails including data tables.
- Ten educators devised student research plans for the 2026-2027 school year addressing topics such as the effects of land cover on surface temperature, land use change, and impacts on flooding.
- Educators contributed expert feedback on the GLOBE Mission Earth Nature Notes Guide, designed to support classroom integration of natural observations aligned with GLOBE protocols.
- One educator is preparing a land cover GLOBE Nature Note example for broader community sharing.
Why It Matters
This initiative promotes hands-on environmental science learning by linking real satellite data with ground-level observations. It helps students understand local and global land cover changes and their environmental impacts while fostering scientific inquiry skills and community data contribution to NASA’s long-term records.
Background
The GLOBE Program enables students and communities worldwide to contribute environmental observations that NASA can compare with satellite data. The Mission Earth project, supported by NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio, aims to deepen engagement with Earth science through classroom activities connected to NASA research.
Analysis
The Community of Practice revealed educators’ enthusiasm for collaborative learning and NASA expert interaction. The process identified effective methods to incorporate satellite land cover data into diverse classroom settings and highlighted potential student research questions, enhancing educational value and scientific literacy.
Who Is Affected
Students, educators, and communities involved in GLOBE Mission Earth benefit from improved tools and guidance to explore environmental science topics using authentic NASA data. NASA also gains a richer database of validated land cover observations contributed by citizen scientists.
Reactions / Official Statements
Educators involved expressed excitement about working as a community and connecting directly with NASA experts. NASA Langley researchers gained valuable insights from educator feedback, informing future resources and program development.
What Remains Unclear
This information was not confirmed in the reviewed sources.
What Comes Next
Educators will implement improved land cover research plans with students in the 2026-2027 school year. The forthcoming land cover GLOBE Nature Note example will be shared with the wider GLOBE and NASA Science Activation communities to support broader educational use.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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