EET Scope Statement

What is the Earth Exploration Toolbook?

The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) is a set of case-study examples, called chapters of educational uses of Earth science datasets and scientific tools. Each chapter in the Toolbook presents step-by-step instructions to walk users through an example of using data and tools in a meaningful context. Clear instructions guide users through the technology to analyze data that illustrates issues in Earth system science. Screenshots are available to help novice technology users complete complex operations. Chapters also offer suggestions for further exploration of the data and other ways to use the tool.

Chapters are designed for use by K-12 teachers, undergraduate faculty, and their students. Each chapter features specific datasets and analysis or visualization tools, and provides enough experience and in-depth knowledge of the resource for a teacher or faculty member to be able to use it, apply it to other teaching contexts, or help students use the resource to explore and investigate aspects of the Earth system. The purpose of the Earth Exploration Toolbook is to support the use of scientific datasets, tools, and other products by the broader educational community.

What is the scope of the Earth Exploration Toolbook collection?

The EET collection contains records describing chapters in the EET itself, as well as records describing the primary and supporting web resources referred to in these chapters.

What sort of resources will the EET feature?

  • Earth Science datasets including gridded and non-gridded data and time series
  • Remotely sensed data
  • GIS tools and data
  • Image processing software
  • Spreadsheets and spreadsheet models
  • Visualization tools (graphing and plotting tools)
  • Earth system science educational web sites and CDs
  • Pedagogic and practical instruction for use of the above tools
  • Example instructional activites using above tools

How is the quality of the EET collection ensured?

The individual chapters within the EET are tested and refined through an interative process of review, including both chapter authors and classroom teachers, and reflect feedback from classroom use. This process ensures that both the chapters themselves and their supporting resources, as entered into the EET Collection, are of the highest quality. The collection records are created by EET staff trained in DLESE cataloging in conformance with DLESE metadata standards and are reviewed for accuracy by a second trained cataloger before entry in into the collection.

Terms of Use

Original, creative works created for the Earth Exploration Toolbook website remain the intellectual property of that program and may be used freely for any non-commercial, educational purpose with attribution to TERC, Carleton College, and the chapter author's affiliation.

The metadata that makes up the EET Collection may be shared with the DLESE Discovery System, and may be used by third parties according to the DLESE Collections Accession Policy.

Persistence Plan

The Earth Exploration Toolbook collection will be maintained as long as the Earth Exploration Toolbook is supported. The collection is maintained at the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.

The EET chapter template permits development of new EET chapters by people outside the project. DLESE Core Services will help support this effort. DLESE Data Services will facilitate the development of these new chapters, and DLESE Collection Services will catalog these new chapters, making them available to the DLESE Discovery System. Mechanisms to use the Community Review System to review these new chapters will be built into the EET chapter template.

Contact

Please direct general questions about the Earth Exploration Toolbook and its collection to Tamara Ledley.