In recognition of Earth Science Week (October 13-19), invite your students to investigate the relationship between the land, ocean, and the atmosphere. Use the special collection highlighted on the homepage of PBS LearningMediato to illustrate key concepts with student-friendly visualizations and vivid imagery.

Here are two resources aligned to National Standards that you’ll find among many for Earth Science Week:

Lightening Produces Nitrates (Grades 6-12):  In this video excerpt from NOVA: “Earth From Space,” learn about the global impact of lightning and how it produces an essential nutrient for living things. Satellite images show the distribution of electrical storms on Earth and the frequency of lightning strikes. Visualizations and narration describe the formation of lightning and its role in the production of nitrate, a vital nutrient for life. This video also explains how rain transports nitrate to the ground, where it is absorbed by plants and becomes a part of the food chain.

Life on Fire: Measurement (Grades 6-12):  Understand the current technological revolution driven by the extensive use of telemetry to monitor volcanoes and the conflict between the scientists risking their lives to understand and predict the next eruption set against the pragmatism of people who live and work in the shadow of moody volcanoes. See how one scientist measures the seismic activity of a volcano in Papua, New Guinea.