Unit 6.1: Making Distal Observations

Angela Daneshmand, Santiago Canyon College based on material from Dr. An Yin, University of California, Los Angeles

Initial Publication Date: September 20, 2024

Summary

What tools do scientists use to investigate planets from a distance? In this unit, students unpack the tools of the trade used in remote sensing to understand which types of data are used to identify features and detect potential resources on distal planets. Students take a tour of Earth from space and identify different types of landforms. Recalling what they learned from the previous five units about Earth's features and processes, students work in teams as planetary geologists to relate Earth's processes and features to those found on other planets. After analyzing aerial photographs from a distal planet, students infer the features they are seeing and the processes that may have occurred to create them.

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Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Use evidence of known geological processes on Earth to deduce similar processes on other planets
  2. Model Earth processes to make predictions about and/or connections with Earth and/or planetary systems

Context for Use

Unit 6.1 is the introductory portion of Unit 6 and sets the foundation for forthcoming units. Students become familiar with astronomical key terms and how Earth's surficial processes are similar or different to processes on other planets. Once background knowledge is gained through this module, students are prepared for Unit 6.2-6.4 where students identify landforms, make an estimation of the locations of mineral/water resources, and develop a design for a future rover mission that will explore in search of and/or extract a particular resource.

Target Audience:

Unit 6.1 is an introductory astronomy unit designed for students who have no previous astronomy knowledge. It can be utilized in undergraduate level Earth science courses, including entry-level courses designed for future educators.

Time Needed:

The activities in Unit 6.1 are designed to take place over the course of one 85-minute class session and can be administered in face-to-face, synchronous, or asynchronous classes.

Prerequisite Skills Needed:

No astronomical knowledge is needed before starting this unit. Units 1-5 should be completed before attempting this unit. If this is not possible, it is recommended that students have basic knowledge of Earth processes and be able to analyze and interpret data.

Description and Teaching Materials

Teaching Materials:

  • The Pre-Class Homework aims to introduce components of the universe and how scientists unravel the complexities of planets from a distance. Through this assignment, students become more familiar with how the composition of the universe is measured and will generate ideas for locating resources on distant planets.
  • This slide set serves as a guide through Unit 6.1. Breakout session slides (slides 13-25) should be printed for each group (or accessed online if computers are available in the classroom). If using the slides online, the instructor should create a separate slide set for each group to access and work on.
    • Unit 6.1 Slide Set (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.9MB Jul8 24)

85-minute Class Session Overview:

  • Small Group Discussion (10 minutes): Write down what you know about the following terms: Remote Sensing (Passive, Active), Earth Processes (Rivers, Oceans, Volcanoes, Sand Dunes). Discuss the following questions with your group: How do you think Earth compares to other planets/moons/objects in space? Do you think there may be resources for us in space? If so, what resources do you think are available, and where do you think they would be? How do you suppose we find out?
  • Mini Lecture & Video (10 minutes): Tools of the Trade. Review remote sensing "tools" of the trade that scientists use to investigate planets from a distance (what it is, how it works, where/when to use it, etc.). See background resources for specific links for each type of remote sensing.
    • Watch: NASA's What is Remote Sensing Video
      • What is remote sensing?
      • What is the difference between active and passive techniques?
      • How is remote sensing used?
    • Review remote sensing techniques: Radar, Lidar, Sounder, Scatterometer, Spectrometer, Radiometer, Spectroradiometer, Accelerometer
  • Website Exploration (10 minutes):The Bare Earth. Lidar (light detection and ranging) empowers geologists to observe and analyze extensive sections of the Earth's surface, especially in locations where the presence of vegetation hinders a clear view of the landscape. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources have done a fantastic job displaying the benefits of lidar using an ArcGIS storymap. Students can explore this website on their own, or you can walk them through the following examples as a class:
    • Landslides
    • Volcanoes
    • Faults
    • Tsunamis
    • Glaciers
    • Rivers
    • Surface and Bedrock Geology
  • Breakout Session #1a (15 minutes): Earth's Surficial Processes Jigsaw. Each group member is assigned to one geologic processes occurring on Earth. Regrouping will happen based on topics listed below. Each group recalls information from Units 2 and 3, completes additional research for its assigned surface process (what it is, how it happens, where/when it occurs, how to identify it from a distance, etc.), and prepares to share information learned about the process (either as a small group presentation or new mixed groups as detailed below).
    • Wind Processes (Dunes)
    • River Processes (Meandering)
    • River Processes (Depositing)
    • Volcanic Processes (Stratovolcanoes)
    • Impact Processes (Meteorites)
    • Ocean Processes
  • Breakout Session #1b (5 minutes): Communicate the Data. Students go back to their original groups and should have at least 1 student from each group in Breakout Session #1a. Each member of the group takes turns sharing what they learned about their assigned geologic process from Breakout Session #1a. Group members work together to hypothesize the types of resources they think would be present in each of these environments.
  • Google Earth Exploration (5 minutes): Landforms from Space. Students can explore this website on their own, or you can walk them through the following examples as a class:
    • Tsauchab River Bed - zoom out to view the red dunes of the Namib Sand Sea.
    • Mt. Kilimanjaro - example of a stratovolcano with three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira
    • Caprivi Strip - linear dunes
    • Taranaki and Egmont - example of a stratovolcano
    • Barrier Islands - examples of meandering rivers, braided streams, and deltas
  • Breakout Session #2 (15 minutes): Exploring Google Earth. Students become more familiar with Google Earth to locate different types of landforms from space. Students deduce the Earth processes that occurred to form the features they have identified and will use this information to later identify processes that are happening on other planets.
    • As a class, review and interpret these locations on Google Earth. For each location, students will describe the features shown and write a sentence about the geological environment in which it forms.
  • Breakout Session #3 (15 minutes): Uncovering Planet X. Original groups work together and use previous knowledge to analyze datasets on a new planet/surface. Students identify surficial features on Planet X and construct an argument explaining how these features formed. Maps (on slides 19-25) can be printed if using them in a face-to-face class with no computer access. When completed, students can present their ideas and answers can be unveiled. 
  • If completing Unit 6.4: It is best to introduce the final presentation project at the end of class by having students create groups and choose topics (Example topics: Mercury, Venus, Saturn-Titan, Saturn-Enceladus, Jupiter-Europa, Jupiter-Io, Jupiter-Ganymede, Jupiter-Callisto, Uranus-Oberon, Uranus-Titania, Neptune-Triton). They will want to start completing background research on their chosen celestial object and create 1 presentation slide dedicated to the planet/moon conditions on their own time. 

Homework:

  • The Pre-Class Homework will guide students in making comparisons between Earth and other celestial objects. Students will read a minimum of three short articles on various celestial objects to gain insight into where resources may be and which remote sensing techniques would be best used to explore this area. Additionally, this assignment allows instructors to gauge individual student's ability to analyze data sets and come to conclusions. Similar to Uncovering Planet X, students will now encounter Planet Y. They need to identify surficial features of this new planet and construct an argument explaining how these features formed.  
     

Teaching Notes and Tips

For all modalities, instructors are encouraged to transfer the PowerPoint slides into Google Slides for classroom and student use.

Face-to-Face Courses:

  • If you do not have a class set of computers (or at least one computer for each group), it is best to print the in-class group work slides (slides 13-25) and the Planet X maps for each student group.

Synchronous Online Courses:

  • Students can access Google Slides (slides 13-25) to complete during a video conferencing session (e.g., Zoom) in breakout rooms. The instructor can give an overview of the website and Google Earth exploration as a whole class. Then students can be split into breakout rooms for each breakout session. It is best for each group to have its own slide set. The instructor is advised to set these up before class starts. See Unit 4.1 teaching tips for an example of this.

Asynchronous Online Courses:

  • Students need to be assigned topics for Breakout Sessions 1a in advance. The instructor should consider using a video discussion board such as Padlet for students to present their information for Breakout Session 1b to the class. Breakout Sessions 2 and 3 can be done as individual assignments. Instructors can create a video of an overview of the website and Google Earth exploration and post it on their LMS for students to view on their own.

Background Information Resources:


Assessment

Formative Assessment:

  • Pre-Class Homework
  • In-Class Worksheet Slides
  • Informal Presentations

Summative Assessment:

  • Unit 6.2 Pre Work
  • Quiz on Main Topics, including things such as:
    • Difference between active and passive remote sensing
    • Types of remote sensing
    • How Earth's surficial features are created
    • Identifying various surficial features on a map

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