The Landsat Program - Informal Education
Informal Education
If you are an interpreter, exhibit designer, docent, museum explainer, youth group leader or other informal educator, these pages are meant for you! Here you can find Landsat images and resources to help you convey your messages about global climate change, comparative planetology, human settlement patterns, urban growth, forest fires, tsunami, deforestation, precision agriculture, invasive species, the colors of light, the science and technology behind satellite data, and much more.
+ Using Remote Sensing Images
in Interpretation (PDF, 3.9 Mb)
+ Resources
Current Projects
Engineering a Satellite **new item**
- Engineering the Future By Building on the Landsat Legacy: Landsat Data Continuity Mission. This presentation walks you through the process of building a satellite from defining the requirements to designing, building, testing, assembling, launching, and operating. Learn about the engineering challenges behind building a satellite and the new features of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, and meet some of the engineers behind LDCM!
+ Download PDF (12.8 Mb)
Earth to Sky (external link)
- On the Earth to Sky website (external link) you can explore how National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) interpreters are using NASA content to help visitors connect with the natural and cultural heritage of our Nation. You can also learn more about the collaboration itself, and peruse the site for valuable resources to help
- Recently, The NASA-NPS-USFWS Earth to Sky partnership (co-led by Landsat EPO) delivered a series of five webinars, with intervening assignments, packaged as an online course in communicating about climate change. The webinars were attended by over 275 individuals..
- Content included a brief introduction to climate science; NASA resources for science and visuals; methodology for communicating about controversial subjects; examples from Earth to Sky alumni; and culminated in presentations of some participants' action plans for use of course content with the public. The course is archived at http://www.earthtosky.org/etse.html.
Earth from Space (external link)
- Earth from Space (external link) is a nationally traveling exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM). The exhibition explains how satellite imagery is gathered and used to expand our understanding of life on Earth. The website features an online version of the exhibition, additional imagery, lesson plans, and additional resources. Don’t miss the Geography from Space quiz! (external link)
Earth as Art
- This effort began as a collection of unusual and compelling Landsat images of locations around the world, chosen for their stunning visual qualities. The collection has since expanded to include images from other NASA satellites, including a wide variety of land forms and features, from the Yukon Delta to the Everglades, to the Syrian Desert, to the Lambert Glacier in Antarctica. Each image includes explanatory text and information on downloading high-resolution versions. All images are free and clear of copyright.
