Tornadoes are one of the most recognizable geoscience phenomena, with over 1000 tornadoes reported in the United States each year. In this classroom activity, students explore photographs of the damage that tornadoes cause to human-made structures, with the goal of using some of the same techniques as experts to estimate the wind speeds that produced the damage. By learning how tornadoes produce damage, students can develop their knowledge of building practices and can be given time to reflect on how to better survive these phenomena – with the ultimate goal of being better, more scientifically-literate citizens.In our implementations of this activity, students work in teams to inspect damage photos in detail, engaging in the scientific process, and must wrestle with data that are sometimes conflicting and "messy." The activity can be implemented at a variety of levels: college courses in natural disasters; high school courses in Earth and environmental science or integrated physics; or even with advanced middle school students. We will provide example resources for both college and K12 implementations.

Do you teach students about earth's cryosphere? You should! The Ice Drilling Program (IDP) Education and Outreach office offers free, downloadable resources (icedrill-education.org) related to earth's cryosphere and tied to NGSS skills. Several of these activities are used regularly in an undergraduate earth and space science class at Pasadena City College, including an introductory polar science activity comparing the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and a more involved laboratory assignment in which students decode ice core data. The beauty of the ice core activity is that the instructor uses carbonated water to create a variety of carbon dioxide levels in "melted glacial ice", which students measure with conductivity meters. Important outcomes are that students learn how earth's temperature has varied over the past 500,000 years, and how we know this by measuring carbon dioxide trapped in bubbles of ancient ice cores. It leads into a great discussion of natural climate variability versus current global warming. Students also practice important science skills including identifying independent and dependent variables, making careful measurments with tools, and creating a graph and plotting data.

By using 3D models of fossils, you can excite students to learn about our natural world without worrying about financial cost or space.In this activity, students will deduce the identity of a 3D model mystery fossil. By observing the 3D model and reading provided supplements, students will answer open ended questions like its identity, how it lived, and its closest relatives.This demonstration will show proper techniques in engaging students and providing them the right questions and materials to learn about our past on their own accord!