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Revised and Updated Teacher's Guide

Jul 09, 2015

A screen grab showing the types of investigations teachers can have their students do with the GLOBE program. The GLOBE Program successfully launched the newest edition of the Teacher's Guide. Originally developed in 1995, the Teacher's Guide has always been a core component of the Program – containing all of the information necessary for teachers to successfully implement GLOBE activities in their classrooms and schools.

Over the last 20 years, four major editions of GLOBE's Teacher's Guide have been published. In 2011-12, the National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a panel of experts to review the Teacher's Guide – investigation area by investigation area – and concluded that although the science content of the protocols remained relevant some minor updates were necessary.

Based on specific NSF panel recommendations, materials and training guidelines were updated. As sections were completed by GIO staff, as well as a number of expert authors and editors, they were provided to NASA Langley Research

Center for additional development. In addition to text updates, the new Teacher's Guide features:

linking throughout the guide for enhanced navigation, allowing users to immediately locate documents referred to within the guide;
an enhanced search tool allowing the user to search by keyword, language, grade level, investigation area, document type, NGSS standards, and time requirement;
protocol-specific drop down menus allowing the user to select from data sheets, field guides, learning activities, protocols, and supporting resources related to the specific protocol selected;
an organization of the Teacher's Guide based on Earth's spheres: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Pedosphere (Soil), and Earth as a System. This reorganization included moving phenological protocols and associated learning activities from the Earth as a System Investigation to the Biosphere Investigation, combining them with those formally in the Land Cover/Biology Investigation. Additionally, several Land Cover/Biology protocols involving mapping have now become learning activities within the Biosphere Investigation;
the replacement of data visualizations with those created from the new tools;
the use of a standardized font: Arial (which is publically available for free use); and
a single glossary that spans all of the investigation areas.

The GLOBE Program is pleased to offer this updated and enhanced edition of the Teacher's Guide to the GLOBE community. The new Teacher's Guide can now even more effectively serve as a core component of the GLOBE journey into inquiry-based science and education.