READING THE ICE: USING REMOTE SENSING TO ANALYZE RADAR DATA

Understanding the behavior of ice sheets (thick, continent-size ice masses) and glaciers (smaller, flowing masses of ice) is increasingly important as our climate changes, particularly in the Polar Regions. This article describes two lessons, based on the 5E (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) model, that help students practice scientific data collection and introduce them to remote sensing. Using actual data and images from the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded science and technology center that works to improve the next generation of ice sheet models, students accurately represent the physical processes that occur on Earth.