About SatSchool

What does SatSchool offer?

For Earth Observation Students / Researchers / Professionals

  • Save time with 12+ hours of ready-made resources to use when conducting Earth Observation outreach in schools
  • All resources are tailored to the Key Stage 3 / S1-3 curriculum, and were developed with consultation from specialist teachers
  • A network of other EO ambassadors with experience conducting school visits

For Teachers / Educators

  • 12+ hours of freely-available resources and lesson plans to teach Earth Observation topics tailored to the Key Stage 3 / S1-3 curriculum (also applicable to KS4 and 5).
  • A network of Earth Observation ambassadors available to contact and arrange school visits. School visits can include:
    • An assembly-style talk
    • Cross-curricular classroom sessions covering a range of Earth Observation-related topics (see Modules page)
    • Sessions can run either for a particular class or year group, or as a longer enrichment day of activities
  • Our Earth Observation ambassadors are currently based in Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and Cambridge (but this network will hopefully expand!)
  • A school visit from an Earth Observation ambassador will provide visible a role model for your students, who can open their eyes to environmental sciences and how a wide range of STEM subjects studied at school are relevant for a career in this field!

What does SatSchool teach?

Earth Observation and Environmental Science

The SatSchool resources include six individual modules, spanning a range of topics in environmental science:

  • Introduction to Earth Observation
  • Hands on with Data
  • Cryosphere
  • Biosphere
  • Atmosphere
  • Oceans

Discover the SatSchool resources on the Modules page

What is in each SatSchool module?

Each SatSchool module contains 2 - 4 hours worth of presentations and interactive activities divided into 30-60 minute session plans.

Module Structure

All modules are structured slightly differently, but contain:

  • Slides for an introductory presentation
  • Classroom session plans (each 30-60 minutes), including:
    • Interactive ArcGIS StoryMap collection that students can work through on their own screen (computer / tablets / phone) or that can be led through by a presenter on a single larger screen. Each single StoryMap in the collection is estimated to take around 30-60 minutes to work through and complete. Each collection can stand alone or they can be used together to explore and understand the wide range of Earth Observation applications.
    • Worksheet print-outs out for students to complete during the sessions (answers provided).
    • Interactive web app (Hands on with Data module only) that allows students to run their own experiments with satellite data, including running some basic code.

Equipment / Software Requirements

Software

  • No specialist software is required for any of the SatSchool resources. Everything can be accessed directly in the browser via the links on the Modules page.
  • The majority of resources are presented as ArcGIS storymaps, which can be run in any web browser and include a mixture of text, images, video, interactive GIS, mapping and data analysis

Equipment

  • As a minimum, a screen / projector is required for SatSchool resources to be presented from the front of a classroom.
  • If available, students can work through the SatSchool StoryMaps on individual screens (or in pairs/small groups) during the sessions. Computers / laptops / tablets would be most suitable, but the StoryMaps can also be viewed on a smartphone screen.
  • Worksheets are provided in the documentation folders of each module that can be printed out for students to complete in class or as homework when working through the SatSchool resources.
  • Certain activities in each of the modules require some additional equipment, such as measuring scales or plastic cups, but these are all listed in the module documentation.


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