ARCHIVED CONTENT: In December 2020, the CZO program was succeeded by the Critical Zone Collaborative Network (CZ Net) ×

Educational Resources

Because Critical Zone (CZ) Science is so important and new, it is vital to help everyone learn about it: STEM education professionals, their students, general public, and others. CZ Science is well suited for the K-12 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Page: ALL   K-12   General Public   Higher Education   Research Community

Filter by:  Video    VFE  

× A view from Mt. Lemmon.  Two hikers stand on a rock outcrop and look down onto the steep valleys below.

Grades K - Professional

Mt. Lemmon science tour app

All Disciplines

App • Tour

Use a narrative "science tour" app for the drive up Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. Travel from desert to pine forest, listening to the audio guide and watching slideshows and videos. Learn how our world is sustained by natural environments, systems, and cycles.

Educational Objectives

Describe the natural history of Mt. Lemmon with special attention to geology and biology. The tour follows the Catalina Highway to the top of Mt. Lemmon.

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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education • Research Community

Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO

Author: Producer: Shipherd Reed (Univ. of Arizona)

Funding: NSF CZO, Contributions from UA College of Science and other regional organizations

× A schematic cross section of California’s landscape and hydrologic cycle.  The landscape includes mountains, forests, rivers, and ocean.  The cycle depicts clouds, rain, snow, evaporation, runoff, and aquifer recharge.

Grades K - 12

California's hydrologic cycle

Climatology/Meteorology • Hydrology

Activity • Lesson Plan

Be introduced to the hydrologic cycle, how water collects and gets used in California, and how scientists measure the water cycle.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource

Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra CZO

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


× Illustration of five stages of tree and root growth. Larger trees have increased density of roots.

Grades K - 8

Forest fire & forest density

Biology/Ecology • Hydrology

Activity • Lesson Plan

Use a simple active game to explore the concept of how fire can spread quickly in a dry densely populated forest.

Educational Objectives

Visit this resource

Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra CZO

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


× Illustration of tree roots growing downward through layers in the soil.

Grades K - 8

A tree's water cycle

Biology/Ecology • Hydrology • SoilScience/Pedology

Activity • Lesson Plan

Take a journey as water molecules moving throughout the tree water cycle.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource

Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra CZO

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


× Five icons (e.g., eye, hand) that help illustrate key observations used for scientific inquiry of the Critical Zone such as 'I notice...' and 'I wonder...'

Grades K - 8

Notice & Wonder: Foundation for scientific Inquiry in the CZ

All Disciplines • Hydrology • SoilScience/Pedology

Activity • Lesson Plan

Learn how the words “I notice...” and “I wonder...” can spark an exploration of the Critical Zone. Dive into the question: "Where does water go when it rains?". This set of activities was developed for AGI Earth Science Week 2018.

Educational Objectives

After this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Structure and Function • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Engaging in Argument from Evidence

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2 - Earth’s Systems


Audience: K-12

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Michelle Gilmore (University of California, Merced)

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: National Office of the Critical Zone Observatory Program

× Screenshot of a webpage including a Google Street View spherical panorama of a highly instrumented tree at the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory.

Grades 3 - 16

Technical tools of real and virtual fieldwork

All Disciplines

Virtual Fieldwork • Activity • Project

See an annotated list of technical tools for creating Virtual Fieldwork Experiences about a site. Tools include smartphone apps for capturing imagery and other data as well as accessing information (ie geologic maps). Desktop and web-based software is also included, as is some hardware.

Educational Objectives

Users will both create and access media to explain why a site looks the way it does.

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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education • Research Community

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Don Haas (PRI)

Don
Haas


× Trees within the Shale Hills focus catchment have all been catalogued. Different colors show different species.

Grades 3 - 16

Shale Hills Tree Survey, Google Earth File

Biology/Ecology • GIS/RemoteSensing • SoilScience/Pedology

Virtual Fieldwork • Computer Activity  • Demo • Dataset

This kmz file contains basic data on every large tree within the Shale Hills catchment, including species and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH). Explore the data and look for patterns of species distributions by clicking on and off different species. This file is included within the Shale Hills VFE.

Educational Objectives

The listed objectives are suggestive. Teachers may design activities using the dataset with their own objectives.

The survey can also serve as a model for surveying trees (or other elements) in your local environment.

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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Shale Hills CZO

Author: Don Haas, Sarah Sharkey

Don
Haas

Sarah
Sharkey


× The Virtual Fieldwork Experience (VFE) Graphic Organizer for the Shale Hills VFE. The graphic organizer structures sets of questions that can be investigated at any field site. The overarching question is, 'Why does this place look the way it does?'

Grades 3 - 14

Virtual Fieldwork in the Critical Zone

All Disciplines

Virtual Fieldwork • Activity • Curriculum • Lesson Plan • Computer Activity 

This webpage serves as an introduction to both CZ science and the use of Virtual Fieldwork Experiences (VFEs) for exploration of the CZ. Embedded within this page you will find VFEs of Shale Hills Susquehanna, Southern Sierra CZO and Luquillo CZOs.

Educational Objectives

Objectives for specific VFEs are included within those VFEs.

Visit this resource

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Luquillo CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO

Author: Don Haas (PRI), Alexandra Moore (PRI), Michelle Gilmore (SSCZO)

Don
Haas

Alexandra
Moore

Michelle
Gilmore


× Photo of a stream model made from an approximately 4 foot long plastic tub, pipe valves, tubing, pvc pipe, buckets, and other materials.

Grades 3 - 12

Watersheds & stream models

Hydrology

Demo • Activity

Use simple stream models to explore the concept of watersheds, catchment basins, and to introduce California water resources.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource

Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra CZO

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


× Soil profile with visible roots

Grades 3 - 12

Soil Infiltration and Texture

SoilScience/Pedology • Hydrology

Activity

Investigate soil properties by performing infiltration experiments and determining texture.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

× View of the alpine ecology research station Niwot Ridge located in the Front Range of Colorado.

Grades 3 - 8

Earth Systems Science: Exploring Change in the Critical Zone

Hydrology • Geology/Chronology • Biology/Ecology • Climatology/Meteorology

Curriculum • Activity

Understand how the Boulder Creek CZO's geology, hydrology, ecology, and climate interact to provide water in 3 learning modules: Foundations for Flow; Fire and Water; and Ice, Snow and H20.

Educational Objectives

Module 1: Foundations for Flow
Learners will be able to:

Module 2: Fire and Water
Learners will:

Module 3: Ice, Snow and H2O
Learners will:

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NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Structure and Function

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Developing and Using Models • Engaging in Argument from Evidence

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS3 - Energy • LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics • ESS2 - Earth’s Systems • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Boulder CZO

Author: Eric Carpenter, Stacey Forsyth, Kristi Dahl, Laura Cecil, Melissa Foster, Rachel Gabor (INSTAAR)

Eric
Carpenter

Suzanne
Anderson

Melissa
Foster

Rachel
Gabor


Funding: Earth Systems Science: Exploring Change in the Critical Zone is a collaboration between the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Program, the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research, and the University of Colorado Boulder – Science Discovery Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0724960.

× Instrumentation

Grades 3 - 8

Tools of the Trade: Methods for Measuring Trees

Biology/Ecology

Activity

Use several different methods to measure and compare the sizes of trees.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

 

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Systems and System Models • Structure and Function • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Engaging in Argument from Evidence • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS1 - From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes • LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics • LS3 - Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits • LS4 - Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity • ETS1 - Engineering Design


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Michelle Gilmore (UC Merced)

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

× View of forest and mountains found in the Southern Sierra CZO

Grades 3 - 8

Carbon's Adventures Around The Forest

Geochemistry/Mineralogy

Activity

Explore how certain events in a forest can change the timing and routing of carbon.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

 

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation • Systems and System Models • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Structure and Function • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Developing and Using Models • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions • Engaging in Argument from Evidence • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS1 - From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes • LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics • ESS2 - Earth’s Systems • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity • ETS1 - Engineering Design


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Michelle Gilmore (UC Merced)

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

× Cows grazing

Grades 3 - 8

Grass, Rabbits, and Wolves-- Oh My!

Biology/Ecology

Activity

Understand food chains and ecosystem interactions and predict how changes in species functions and interactions can impact the system.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation • Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Systems and System Models • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Developing and Using Models • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS3 - Energy • LS1 - From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes • LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics • LS4 - Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity • ESS2 - Earth’s Systems • ETS1 - Engineering Design


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Michelle Gilmore (UC Merced) and Lynn Sullivan (UC Merced)

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

× Fourmile Canyon Creek near Lee Hill Drive in NW Boulder destroyed the road, carrying a van downstream, which created a dam for timber and sediment (photo credit Frederick Blume).

Grades 3 - 5

Make Your Own Landslide!

Hydrology • Geomorphology

Activity

To understand landslides, students use a small-scale model to explore how Earth materials (i.e., sand, gravel, lava rock) and water on varying slopes result in landslides of different severity. Students consider how the impact of natural hazards spawned in the critical zone affect their communities.

Educational Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity • ETS1 - Engineering Design


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Boulder CZO

Author: Eric Parrish (UC Boulder)

Eric
Parrish


Funding: National Office of the Critical Zone Observatory Program

× Very colorful map of Bedrock Geology for the U.S.  Maps of very different characteristics in the landscape can reveal surprising connections.

Grades 6 - 14

Mapping Earth systems

All Disciplines

Information • Dataset • Activity

View ten maps of the contiguous 48 states, each highlighting different geographic features. Viewing the maps collectively reveals connections among different Earth systems.

Educational Objectives

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Systems and System Models

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2 - Earth’s Systems • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity


Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Don Haas (PRI)

Don
Haas


× Jon Chorover (U of Arizona) presenting 'Introduction to the Critical Zone' during the 2015 Critical Zone Science Cafe Series.

Grades 6 - 14

CZ Science Cafe Series

All Disciplines • SoilScience/Pedology • Biology/Molecular • Hydrology

Video

Watch fascinating, public lectures from four Catalina-Jemez CZO researchers. The 30-minute lectures are part of the Critical Zone Science Cafe Series from Fall 2015, in Tucson, AZ.

Educational Objectives

Viewers will be able to describe:

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Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO

Author: Jon Chorover (U of Arizona), Craig Rasmussen (U of Arizona), Rachel Gallery (U of Arizona) and Tom Meixner (U of Arizona)

Jon
Chorover

Craig
Rasmussen

Rachel
Gallery

Thomas
Meixner


Funding: The Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory in collaboration with the University of Arizona Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium.

× Cover of 'In the Trenches' journal.  It features State College High school students with TeenShale Network measuring stream discharge and additional water quality parameters of Black Moshannon Creek. [Photo by Earth & Environmental Systems Institute, Penn State University]

Grades 6 - 14

In The Trenches CZO Theme Issue

All Disciplines

Article

Learn about educational initiatives and resources for teaching CZ Science. This issue includes seven articles that describe approaches to teaching CZ Science, why teaching CZ Science is important, and how such approaches can satisfy NGSS expectations. Full access requires NAGT membership.

Educational Objectives

Describe a range of approaches to, and resources for, teaching CZ Science.

As this is a collection of seven articles, the educational objectives are too numerous to list here. They are listed in the individual entries for each article.

Visit this resource

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Luquillo CZO • Reynolds CZO • Shale Hills CZO

Author: D. Haas, T. White, S. McGee, N. Rodriguez, J.Z. Williams, S. Dykhoff, J. Pollak, S.L. Brantley, K.P. O’Neill, J.F. Rice, D. deB. Richter, C. Roemmele, S. Smith, A. Moore

Don
Haas

Tim
White

Steven
McGee

Jennifer
Williams

Susan
Brantley

Katherine
O'Neill

Daniel
Richter

Alexandra
Moore


× The Reynolds Creek Virtual Tour

Grades 6 - 14

Reynolds Creek Virtual Tour

Biogeochemistry • Biology/Ecology • Climatology/Meteorology • SoilScience/Pedology • Outreach/EducationResearch

Tour • Video • Website • Information

Take a virtual tour of the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory! Track snowfall and predict soil thickness. Learn about soil carbon and how climate change and sagebrush ecosystems are modeled.

Educational Objectives

Objectives being written.

Tracking Snow:  Measuring Nature’s Water Reservoir.  

Organic Carbon:  The Key Variable in a Changing Climate.  

Inorganic Carbon:  A Different Type of Carbon.  

Predicting Soil Thickness:  Anywhere on a Landscape.  

CORE Sites:  The Most Advanced Ecosystem Measurements Anywhere.  

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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: Reynolds CZO

Author: Sindelar, H., Kanode, C., and S. Lanier. Montana State University. School of Film & Photography.

Funding: The Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory: EAR # 1331872 and ICER # 1445246

× About 5.5 pounds of the six pound weight of a gallon of gasoline is carbon. This graphic shows a gallon of gasoline beside 5.5 pounds of pure carbon in the form of graphite.

Grades 6 - 14

Where Does Gasoline Go?

Climatology/Meteorology • Biology/Ecology • Outreach/EducationResearch • SocialScience

Information • Demo • Video

In the U.S., we burn over a gallon of gasoline per person, per day. What becomes of all that? What does it have to do with the Critical Zone? This blog post investigates these questions with powerful but simple visuals that can be easily translated to classroom use.

Educational Objectives

  1. Explain why burning a six pound gallon of gasoline produces 19 pounds of carbon dioxide.
  2. Communicate the scale of carbon dioxide emissions by describing the carbon cycle through the story of gasoline.
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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Don Haas

Don
Haas


× PRI's VFE database is accessed through an interactive map. It includes VFEs for the Shale Hills, Southern Sierra, and Luquillo CZOs.

Grades 6 - 14

An Introduction to Virtual Fieldwork

All Disciplines • Geology/Chronology • Biology/Ecology • Geomorphology • GIS/RemoteSensing • SoilScience/Pedology

Virtual Fieldwork • Website • Activity • Information • Tour

Explore a range of Virtual Fieldwork Experiences, and resources for their production and use. This site includes examples of highlighted VFEs, selected resources and strategies for using VFEs in teaching and learning, and a large collection of VFEs.

Educational Objectives

This page introduces a range of resources with a wide range of objectives. Selected objectives include:

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Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Luquillo CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO

Author: Don Haas (The Paleontological Research Institution)

Don
Haas


× A man, wearing snow shoes, pushes a metal tube deep into the snow.  He is conducting a snow survey and helping measure Snow Water Equivalent (SWE).

Grades 6 - 12

Shaved Ice Snow-Water Equivalence

Climatology/Meteorology • Hydrology

Demo • Activity • Lesson Plan

Use measurement tools and mathematics to determine the volume of water contained in snow of a certain density.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Visit this resource

Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Southern Sierra CZO

Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


× Colorful layers of sand and gravel as viewed through the wall of a small glass demonstration tank. Colorful dye highlights the path of water flow.

Grades 6 - 12

SimWater: Simulating water supply, demand, & management

Hydrology • Engineering/MethodDevelopment • Modeling/ComputationalScience • SocialScience

Activity • Lesson Plan

Help understand the decisions water managers make, including questions like: Who receives water? And how much agriculture can we sustain? This activity includes 1) precipitation maps, 2) land use areas, 3) sample activity instructions, and 4) Excel template.

Educational Objectives

Describe aspects of the decisionmaking process for water managers, including how they answer questions like:

Visit this resource

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Systems and System Models • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Developing and Using Models • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions • Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity • ETS2 - Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Sierra CZO

Author: Ryan Lucas, Michelle Gilmore, Erin Stacy (all at Southern Sierra CZO)

Ryan
Lucas

Michelle
Gilmore

Erin
Stacy


Contact:

Michelle
Gilmore


Funding: NSF CZO

× Illustration of water moving through vegetation and into and through the soil and rock.

Grades 6 - 12

What is leaching?

Hydrology • SoilScience/Pedology

Information

This blog post covers the topic of leaching, the process in which water carries soluble substances or small particles through soil or rock.

Educational Objectives

Readers will be able to describe the process of leaching, its function, and the effect it has on the structure of the Critical Zone.

Visit this resource

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Justin Richardson (UMass)

Justin
Richardson


× Kamini Singha (Boulder Creek CZO, Colorado School of Mines) sits in a grassy field discussing the importance of the Critical Zone.

Grades 6 - 12

Explore the Critical Zone: WSKG video

All Disciplines

Video

A seven-minute video that explores the Critical Zone, what it is, why it's important, and how the NSF CZO program is studying it. The video emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of work in the critical zone.

Educational Objectives

 

Visit this resource (video)

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: National CZO

Author: R. Ross (PRI), N. Coddington (WSKG), S. Johnson (WSKG), A. Moore (PRI), L. Derry (Cornell Univ), T. White (Penn State), J. Richardson (Cornell Univ), K. Singha (CSM), S. Brantley (Penn State)

Robert
Ross

Alexandra
Moore

Lou
Derry

Tim
White

Justin
Richardson

Kamini
Singha

Susan
Brantley


× Researchers pull a GPR unit across a hill along a transect to collect data.

Grades 6 - 12

Ground Penetrating Radar - Monitoring Soil Moisture

Geophysics

Activity

This activity explores methods for visualizing and understanding the relationship between plant features (biosphere), the development of subsurface water flow pathways (hydrosphere and lithosphere), and variations in soil moisture content through time.

Educational Objectives

This activity explores methods for visualizing and understanding the relationship between plant features (biosphere), the development of subsurface water flow pathways (hydrosphere and lithosphere), and variations in soil moisture content through time. You will use data collected from the Shale Hills field site to accomplish the following objectives:

  1. Describe the relationship between GPR transmission-reflection delay times, wave speed of electromagnetic radiation, and soil depth. (HS-PS4-5)
  2. Interpret field data to infer the location of rocks, roots, and other point reflectors located in the subsoil. (HS-PS2-6)
  3. Compare time-lapse GPR field data with soil moisture measurements to describe the impact of surface rainfall on soil moisture changes at various depths. (HS-ESS2-5)
Visit this resource (other)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect - Mechanism and Explanation

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS2 - Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions • PS4 - Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer • ESS2 - Earth’s Systems


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Shale Hills CZO

Author: Paul Longwell (2014 CZO RET)

Contact:

Jennifer
Williams


Funding: Financial support from NSF EAR #1263212: REU/RET Site: Collaborative Research: Introducing Critical Zone Observatory Science to Students and Teachers

× Cute, orange frog sits on green leaves.  Eleutherodactylus portoricensis in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. Photo Credit: Wilfredo Falcón on Flickr, License CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Grades 6 - 8

Journey to El Yunque: Ecosystem stress and species response

Biology/Ecology

Website • Assessment

Visit the El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico through this interactive module to discover how hurricanes affect the producers, consumers, and the flow of resources in the forest. See how ecosystems respond in many ways to large-scale environmental events.

Educational Objectives

Visit this resource (flash)

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models • Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Developing and Using Models • Engaging in Argument from Evidence • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Luquillo CZO

Author: Steven McGee (The Learning Partnership) & Jess Zimmerman (LUQ-LTER)

Steven
McGee


Funding: NSF EHR and US Dept of Ed

× Cover for a special issue of The Earth Scientist journal, published by National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The issue was sponsored by the Critical Zone Observatory Network.

Grades 9 - Professional

The Earth Scientist: Critical Zone Theme Issue

All Disciplines

Article

Learn about a range of educational initiatives and resources for teaching about the Critical Zone. This issue includes eight articles that describe approaches to teaching CZ Science, why teaching CZ Science is important, and how such approaches can offer excellent ways to satisfy the NGSS.

Educational Objectives

Describe a range of approaches to teaching CZ Science.

As this is a collection of eight articles, the educational objectives are too numerous to list here. They are listed in the individual entries for each article.

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Calhoun CZO • Luquillo CZO • Sierra CZO

Author: M. Augustinsky, K. Cook, D. Haas, A. Dye, J. Flowers, M. Gilmore, S. McGee, M. Meadows, M. Menon, K. O’Neill, D.D. Richter, N. Baez Rodriguez, E. Stacy, L. Sullivan, T. White

Don
Haas

Michelle
Gilmore

Steven
McGee

Matt
Meadows

Katherine
O'Neill

Daniel
Richter

Erin
Stacy

Tim
White


× Illustration of the Critical Zone, showing a slice of Earth's near surface pulled out of the ground.  Labels are shown for air, biota, soil, water, and rock. Image credit: After Chorover et al, 2007. Catalina-Jemez CZO (artwork by R. Kindlimann).

Grades 9 - 14

What is the Critical Zone?

All Disciplines

Information • Video

A short web page that answers questions like: what is the Critical Zone? Why it is so important? Why does it need to be studied? The page includes text, images, and video.

Educational Objectives

Be able to discuss where the Critical Zone fits on Earth's surface and its importance to Humans and all life. 

Visit this resource

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO • Boulder CZO • Calhoun CZO • Catalina-Jemez CZO • Christina CZO • Eel CZO • IML CZO • Luquillo CZO • Reynolds CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO

Author: CZO National Office

× Several students listen to a fellow describe his poster for the data jam.

Grades 9 - 12

LTER/LCZO Schoolyard Data Jam

Biology/Molecular

Workshop • Project

The Luquillo LTER/CZO Data Jam invites high and middle school students to find interesting, non-traditional ways to present scientific data to non-scientist audiences.

Educational Objectives

 

Visit this resource

See CZO listing


NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems • Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2 - Earth’s Systems


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Luquillo CZO

Author: Steven McGee (The Learning Partnership), Noelia Baez Rodriguez (UPR, Luquillo LTER), Miguel Leon (UPenn, LCZO), Bill McDowell (UNH, LCZO)

Steven
McGee

Miguel
Leon

William
McDowell


Funding: NSF CZO, NSF LTER

× Bob Anderson kneels on a barren rocky surface while studying river terraces in the Boulder Creek watershed.

Grades 9 - 12

What is the Boulder Creek CZO? - A video series

All Disciplines

Video • Tour

Watch three sets of videos about the Boulder Creek CZO, spanning from the Continental Divide (4120 m) down to the western edge of the Plains (1480 m). CZO researchers describe their fieldwork and data collection, supporting CZO science in the Rocky Mountains.

Educational Objectives

This video series includes several videos addressing a range of objectives. This includes, but is not limited to:

Note that the page has three embedded videos but includes a link to the Boulder Creek's YouTube page with many more.

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Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: Boulder CZO

Author: Marshall Frech (Vantage Point Media), Suzanne Anderson (BcCZO PI) and staff from the Boulder Creek CZO

Suzanne
Anderson


Funding: NSF CZO

× Bright red color on a map shows some of the volcanic activity of the Valles Caldera superimposed on grayscale, shaded topography.

Grades 9 - 12

The past, present & future of the Valles Caldera

Geology/Chronology • Geomorphology

Activity

Study volcanism in the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico. Develop skills and knowledge about geologic features, volcanic geology, and landscape weathering by wildfires and climate change.

Educational Objectives

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO

Author: Sarah Sharkey (Penn State), Tim White (Penn State) and Jon Chorover (University of Arizona)

Sarah
Sharkey

Tim
White

Jon
Chorover


Funding: NSF CZO

× Grayscale image of LiDAR data for a small study area in Pennsylvania about 2 miles long by 1 mile wide.  Roads, fields, and wavy ridges are visible.

Grades 9 - 12

Geomorphology & Paleoclimates

Geomorphology • GIS/RemoteSensing

Activity

Use imagery to understand and interpret the effect of geologic processes on a landscape and to relate the processes to past climatic conditions. Become familiar with remote sensing data using imagery from Google Earth and HiRISE for Mars as well as LiDAR data.

Educational Objectives

Visit this resource (pdf)

See CZO listing


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Shale Hills CZO

Author: Tim White (Penn State), Ashlee Dere (University of Nebraska-Omaha), Sarah Sharkey (Penn State)

Tim
White

Ashlee
Dere

Sarah
Sharkey


Funding: NSF CZO

× Two illustrated cross-section views of a landscape. One with a plant's root system in shallow soil saying, 'Shallow for rain!' The other with a tree's root system reaching deeper soil saying, 'Deep soil water.'

Grades 9 - 12

Where do trees get their water?

Biology/Ecology • Hydrology • SoilScience/Pedology

Information

In this blog post, learn how stable isotopes are used to determine a tree's water source.

Educational Objectives

Readers will be able to describe the possible sources of water for trees and the method used to determine a tree's water source. 

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Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Justin Richardson (UMass)

Justin
Richardson


Related Resource:

× Trees at the Shale Hills CZO.

Grades 9 - 12

Measuring fuel (carbon) storage on forest floors.

Biology/Ecology

Activity

The overall goal is to measure how much fuel lies on local forest floors while getting an introduction to Critical Zone Science by observing interactions between the geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere.

Educational Objectives

After this lesson, students will be able to:

Visit this resource (other)

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NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter - Flows, Cycles, and Conservation

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data • Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics


Audience: K-12

Observatory: Shale Hills CZO

Author: Mark Yeckley (2014 CZO RET)

Contact:

Jennifer
Williams


Funding: Financial support from NSF EAR #1263212: REU/RET Site: Collaborative Research: Introducing Critical Zone Observatory Science to Students and Teachers

× Image from ERCZO cartoon

Grades 9 - 12

What is the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory?

Biology/Ecology • Geomorphology • Outreach/EducationResearch

Information

An illustrated introduction to the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve.

Educational Objectives

After reading this cartoon, students will be able to:

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Audience: K-12 • General Public

Observatory: Eel CZO

Author: Justin Richardson (UMass Amherst), Bill Dietrich (UC Berkeley), Alana McGillis (www.alanamcgillis.com)

Justin
Richardson

William
Dietrich


× Calhoun gullies

Grades 9 - 12

Humans and Soil Change

SoilScience/Pedology • Geomorphology

Computer Activity  • Activity

This activity familiarizes students with the environmental and human factors that increase soil erosion, using the southern Piedmont as a case study.

Educational Objectives

The goals are to:
(1) develop skills and knowledge that relate soil erosion to land cover, slope, and land management and
(2) draw attention to the role of Critical Zone (CZ) science in understanding social and environmental processes that shape managed landscapes.

Visit this resource (pdf)

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Audience: K-12

Observatory: National CZO • Calhoun CZO

Author: Katherine O'Neill (Roanoke College), Daniel Richter (Duke University) and Sarah Sharkey (Penn State)

Katherine
O'Neill

Daniel
Richter

Sarah
Sharkey


Funding: National Office of the Critical Zone Observatory Program

× A screengrab of the Critical Zone entry in Oxford Bibliographies.

Grades 13 - Professional

Critical Zone Oxford Bibliography

All Disciplines

Article • Information

Delve into Critical Zone Science (history, future directions, and components) via an annotated bibliography of selected resources (last updated May 2016). Note that access to all of the content requires a subscription to Oxford Bibliographies.

Educational Objectives

This resource is an annotated bibliography of Critical Zone related selected resources, making it a gateway to satisfying a wide range of objectives.

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Audience: Higher Education • Research Community

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Tim White (Penn State) and Sarah Sharkey (Penn State)

Tim
White

Sarah
Sharkey


Funding: NSF CZO

× Screenshot from a video showing several drainages in cultivated fields.  Screenshot is from a webinar titled 'Blue Revolution: Water scarcity in a changing world'

Grades 13 - Professional

2017 CZO Webinar Series: Critical Zone and Society

All Disciplines

Video

Watch six science lectures that highlight the importance of the Critical Zone on society and environmental sustainability. Many topics are discussed including soil degradation, drought resilience, water security, flooding, landslides, wildfire, ecosystem services, public policy, and more.

Educational Objectives

Viewers will be able to discuss the aspects of the CZ vulnerable to the presence of humanity, and how they may be altered due to global climate and land-use change. 

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Audience: Higher Education • Research Community

Observatory: National CZO • Catalina-Jemez CZO • IML CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO

Author: Susan Brantley (PSU), David Breshears (UoA), Jason Field (UoA, Praveen Kumar (UIllinois), Roger Bales (UC-Merced), Jon Pelletier (UoA) and Steve Banwart (ULeeds)

Susan
Brantley

David
Breshears

Jason
Field

Praveen
Kumar

Roger
Bales

Jon
Pelletier


Contact:

Sarah
Sharkey


× Colorful 3D data visualization comparing LiDAR point cloud data and a canopy model.  The data help map the distribution and severity of the Las Conchas forest fire.

Grades 13 - 16

Using LiDAR to explore the Critical Zone

GIS/RemoteSensing • Biology/Ecology

Computer Activity 

Use LiDAR data and display software to analyze the effects of a forest fire in New Mexico. LiDAR is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure distances to Earth. It enables the Critical Zone to be explored at fine scales (~1 m) over large areas (>100 km2).

Educational Objectives

This activity requires a fast PC computer and basic computer skills.

Visit this resource (pdf)

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Audience: K-12 • Higher Education

Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO

Author: Adrian Harpold (Univ. of Nevada) and Tim White (Pennsylvania State University)

Adrian
Harpold

Tim
White


Funding: NSF CZO

× Satellite image showing a massive sandstorm blowing off the northwest African desert.  The storm is blanketing hundreds of thousands of square miles of the eastern Atlantic Ocean with a dense cloud of Saharan sand. NASA SeaWiFS image acquired February 26, 2000.

Grades 13 - 16

The influence of dry deserts on tropical rain forests

Climatology/Meteorology • Biology/Ecology

Activity • Website

Investigate how African dust storms transport particles with a unique chemical signature to downwind Caribbean Islands. Download rainwater chemistry data and look for seasonal patterns of Ca inputs. Interpret how this Ca compares with seasonal patterns of Saharan airflow and dust inputs.

Educational Objectives

The objectives of this activity are to demonstrate that:

  1. Earth’s ecosystems and Critical Zones are inextricably linked via feedback processes, and,
  2. nutrients that feed ecosystems can be derived from outside the system.
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NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns • Systems and System Models • Stability and Change

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics • ESS2 - Earth’s Systems


Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: Luquillo CZO

Author: Adam Wymore (Luquillo CZO, Univ New Hampshire) Nick Guy (University of Wyoming), William H. McDowell (Luquillo CZO, Univ New Hampshire)

Adam
Wymore

William
McDowell


Funding: NSF CZO

× Muddy, brown water rushes down a stream. Image: Brantley, S. (2014, April 9)

Grades 13 - 14

The Case of the Muddy Waters: Hydrofracturing impacts

Hydrology

Computer Activity 

The Case of the Muddy Water uses authentic data to investigate the impacts of hydrofracturing. The objective of this lesson is to introduce the potential impacts of natural gas extraction through data analysis.

Educational Objectives

Conceptual Learning Outcomes

Practical Learning Outcomes

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: Shale Hills CZO

Author: Sharon Dykhoff (Dominion Christian School), Susan Brantley (The Pennsylvania State University), and Liza Brazil (CUAHSI)

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 0. Undergrad course (7 modules)

All Disciplines

Curriculum

This 15-week upper-level undergraduate course introduces and examines the life-sustaining services and resources provided by the Critical Zone using publicly-available CZO data and literature. This course is hosted by InTeGrate SERC (Science Education Resource Center).

Educational Objectives

At the end of the course students will be able to:

Find additional information in the course's Instructor Materials

Visit this resource

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Timothy White (PSU), Adam Wymore (UNH), Ashlee Dere (UNO), Adam Hoffman (DBQ), James Washburne (UoA), Martha Conklin (UC Merced), Susan Gill (SWRC), Editor: David Gosselin (UNL)

Tim
White

Adam
Wymore

Jim
Washburne

Martha
Conklin


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 1. Critical Zone background

All Disciplines

Curriculum

The primary goal of this module is to recall, infer, and interpret a wide variety of scientific principles that analyze the Critical Zone as a complex system of interacting regolith, water, air, energy and life. This module is part of a undergraduate course on CZ Science hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here

Visit this resource

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Timothy White (Pennsylvania State University)

Tim
White


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 2. Methods of Critical Zone Science

All Disciplines

Curriculum

This module introduces methods used for investigations of the natural environment as well as human-induced changes to the environment such as perturbations to the hydrologic cycle, carbon and nutrient cycles and soil degradation. This module is part of a CZ Science course hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

Visit this resource

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Susan Gill (Stroud Water Research Center) and Ashlee Dere (University of Nebraska - Omaha)

Ashlee
Dere


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 3. Critical Zone architecture & evolution

Geology/Chronology • Geomorphology • GIS/RemoteSensing

Curriculum

The goal of this module is a basic understanding of geologic processes and their relationship to Critical Zone processes and science. The focus is on the lithosphere's presence and role in CZ form and function. This module is part of a CZ Science course hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Timothy White (Pennsylvania State University)

Tim
White


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 4. Land-atmosphere exchange

Climatology/Meteorology • Hydrology • SoilScience/Pedology

Curriculum

This module analyzes how energy and carbon flow through the CZ and how they drive CZ processes. Learn how to analyze data and use simple models to interpret spatial and temporal trends in energy flow to answer questions about CZ processes. This module is part of a CZ Science course hosted by SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

Visit this resource

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Jim Washburne (The University of Arizona)

Jim
Washburne


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: InTeGrate: Interdisciplinary Teaching about Earth for a Sustainable Future Banner, Critical Zone Science

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 5. Water transfer through the Critical Zone

Hydrology • WaterChemistry • Biology/Ecology

Curriculum

This module teaches how to evaluate the water balance of an ecosystem---a growing challenge as we face increasingly unpredictable water supplies coupled with rising demand for water across all sectors. The module is part of a undergraduate course on CZ Science hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Martha Conklin, SSCZO staff and students (University of California, Merced)

Martha
Conklin


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 6. Geochemistry & biogeochemistry

Geochemistry/Mineralogy • Biogeochemistry

Curriculum

This module examines the integrated roles that biology, geology, and chemistry play in the CZ. Use data from real world systems to understand how the CZ is involved in key biogeochemical functions. This module is part of a undergraduate course on CZ Science hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Adam Hoffman (University of Dubuque) and Adam Wymore (University of New Hampshire)

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource:

× A Pennsylvania cliff, illustrating a cross section of the Critical Zone with trees, soil, and bedrock.

Grades 15 - 16

CZ Science 7. Humans in the Critical Zone

GIS/RemoteSensing • SocialScience

Curriculum

This module examines how geoscientists study processes in the Critical Zone and the interactions between natural processes and human activities that affect it. The module is part of a undergraduate course on CZ Science hosted by InTeGrate SERC.

Educational Objectives

By the end of this module students will be able to:

More on this module's objectives can be found here.

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Audience: Higher Education

Observatory: National CZO

Author: Susan Gill (Stroud Water Research Center), Ashlee Dere (University of Nebraska - Omaha), and Jim Washburne (Pima Community College and University of Arizona)

Jim
Washburne

Ashlee
Dere


Contact:

Adam
Wymore


Funding: National Science Foundation–funded SERC InTeGrate project

Related Resource: