We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...

What do you get when you mix LiDAR and integrated photonics technology? Why a self-driving car, of course. A fascinating short video describes how light detection and ranging, LiDAR for short, and integrated photonics technologies enable...

Landslides kill between 25 and 50 people every year in the United States alone. This is why predicting a landslide literally saves lives. A scientist applied new technology to a mountain and accurately predicted a landslide. Thanks to...

Don't let the resource slip away undetected. Pupils watch a video from the Real Engineering series to learn how stealth aircraft avoid radar detection. In particular, the video focuses on the Northrop B-2 Spirit.

Temperature rises and land disappears! Through a lab exploration, learners understand the effect of temperature increase on water similar to the effect of global warming on our oceans. As they heat the water in a flask, they measure the...

Zero in on an interesting resource involving radar technology. Groups construct a radar sensing unit and learn to calibrate the system. Using the radar system and the Pythagorean Theorem, they calculate distances between objects.

Should the game go on or not? An engaging lesson asks small groups to make a decision using weather data. After analyzing a map, an updated forecast, and radar information, groups have to decide whether to cancel a baseball game. They...

According to the Farmers' Almanac, the weather will be nice today. Class members examine how weather forecasting plays a part in their lives with a resource that provides information on the history of forecasting, from using cloud...

This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....

Students work as air traffic controllers to read the radar and land 3 planes safely.  For this engineering lesson, students use what they have learned about the principles and engineering and radar to land 3 planes then evaluate the...

In this Doppler weather radar learning exercise, students read about radar and Doppler weather radar and answer three questions about how they work and the Doppler effect.

Student imitate mapping the ocean floor using the basic concepts of radar. Then they explain what radar is and how it workds. All of their measurements are recorded on a data sheet. Then the data is entered into a spreadsheet program. A...

Students describe how weather forecasting has evolved.  In this forecasting lesson students study the different types and ways that people forecast weather. 

In this physics learning exercise, students construct a parachute using the materials listed on the sheet that will have the longest and closest target when dropped from a specific height. Then they record their results after three trials.

Students pick between the items that are needed by a Captain and alternate items that are not necessary. They form teams of two. Students are explained that they are going to play a game in which they try to choose the correct items for...

Fifth graders accurately measure the distance to eight points on an uneven surface by conducting a simulation of sattelite altimetry. They create a two-dimensional model of the simulated ocean surface by graphing data from the Radar Run...

Students read about how radar detects changes in the weather. In this lesson on weather reporting, students read a diagram that shows how radar reads weather. This lesson includes discussion questions and an individual activity that can...

Students investigate how radar can be used to determine the lightning potential of a cloud. Several readings are provided about the research conducted by Dr. Rob Cifelli. The scientific material is summarized in this lesson.

Students grasp how underwater animals can "see" using sound waves. They practice making inferences, and build a conceptual understanding of sonar radar.