Earth and Space Science: What are the Implications and Opportunities for Education? Programmatic decisions Definition of new scientific and education structures and relationships within NASA is underway Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Relationship to Education Office How will education be represented in SMD? How will education program be structured? We’ll need to wait awhile… For now, let’s focus on opportunities for education through Earth and space science

Content Standards, Grades 9-12 Unifying Concepts and Processes Systems, order, and organization Evidence, models, and explanation Change, constancy, and measurement Evolution and equilibrium Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Physical Science Chemical reactions Motions and forces Conservation of energy and increase in disorder Interactions of energy and matter Life Science Biological evolution Interdependence of organisms Behavior of organisms Earth and Space Science Energy in the Earth system Geochemical cycles Origin and evolution of the Earth system Science and Technology Understandings about science and technology Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Population growth Natural resources Environmental quality Natural and human-induced hazards Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges History and Nature of Science Science as a human endeavor Nature of scientific knowledge Historical perspectives

Fundamental Earth System Science Questions How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences of life on Earth? How is the global Earth system changing? What are the primary forcings of the Earth system? How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes? What are the consequences of changes in the Earth system for human civilization? How well can we predict future changes in the Earth system?

Space Science Enterprise Science Themes Structure and Evolution of the Universe What is dark matter that binds together the universe? What powered the big bang? What is the dark energy that drives apart the universe? Are there hidden space-time dimensions? What is the nature of black holes and gravity beyond Einstein? Astronomical Search for Origins Where Did We Come From? Are We Alone? Sun Earth Connection What causes solar variability? How does solar variability affect the Earth and other planets? How does solar variability affect life and society? How does the Sun interact with the interstellar medium? Solar System Exploration How do planets form? Why are planets different from one another? Where did the makings of life come from? Did life arise elsewhere in the solar system? What is the future habitability of earth and other planets? Link the program to the NASA Vision and Mission Mars Exploration Did life ever arise on Mars? How did Mars’ atmosphere, surface, and interior evolve? What knowledge and technology is needed for future human exploration?

Space Science Enterprise Science Themes Structure and Evolution of the Universe What is dark matter that binds together the universe? What powered the big bang? What is the dark energy that drives apart the universe? Are there hidden space-time dimensions? What is the nature of black holes and gravity beyond Einstein? Astronomical Search for Origins Where Did We Come From? Are We Alone?` Sun Earth Connection What causes solar variability? How does solar variability affect the Earth and other planets? How does solar variability affect life and society? How does the Sun interact with the interstellar medium? Solar System Exploration How do planets form? Why are planets different from one another? Where did the makings of life come from? Did life arise elsewhere in the solar system? What is the future habitability of earth and other planets? Link the program to the NASA Vision and Mission Mars Exploration Did life ever arise on Mars? How did Mars’ atmosphere, surface, and interior evolve? What knowledge and technology is needed for future human exploration?

How does the Sun impact Earth System Science? The Sun is one of the key driving forces of the Earth system Solar variability impacts Earth systems in numerous ways Climate forcing terms Changes in radiation Drives large scale dynamics of the atmosphere Short-term variability impacts interaction of magnetosphere with the solar wind/magnetic field, and the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system.

Sun-Earth Relationships and Space Weather Solar Radiation Solar influences on Climate Space Weather

Energetic particle precipitation in the atmosphere Changes in solar radiation at different levels of the atmosphere Changes in atmospheric chemistry Possible impacts on weather?

Relevance of Models Models and concepts associated with them are central to the Unifying Concepts and Processes content standard: Systems, order, and organization Evidence, models, and explanation Constancy, change, and measurement Evolution and equilibrium Models also provide a tool for exploring the concepts included in the other content standards: Science as Inquiry Physical Science Life Science Earth and Space Science Science and Technology Science in Personal and Social Perspectives History and Nature of Science Earth and Space Science provides an even broader context for using models in science education

Earth System Modeling

The Benefit of an Earth and Space Science perspective: an example Volcanic forcing produces cooling, solar cycle forcing produces warming Need natural + anthropogenic forcing to reproduce observed warming

Snapshot of density in noon-midnight meridian from MHD code simulation of July 15, 2000 CME-magnetic cloud interaction with Earth's magnetosphere. Simulation driven by upstream solar wind parameters measured by the ACE spacecraft at L1.

Summary Fundamental Earth system science questions are related to space science questions Lessons we learn from study of the Earth informs our research on other planets, and visa versa Earth and space science is considered as a unit, and is taught as a continuum in many settings Expanding our educational scope to include Earth and space science topics together broadens our ability to bring NASA research to learners, through both observations and models