UCAR Center for Science Education

@ucarscied

Connecting educators, students, and the public to Earth science research conducted at NSF NCAR and UCAR. #NSFfunded scied.ucar.edu

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UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 18d

Past newsletters have explored topics including: 🔥 Wildfire science for the classroom 🌍 Space weather and Earth system science ⚛️ The journey of atoms 🍎 Summer professional development opportunities 💬 Teacher reviews and PD workshop highlights

Real talk from real teachers who have attended our workshops. "I love the blend of teaching and doing." "It was great! I think more people should do this. "I came away with a ton of lessons and activities that I could directly implement into my classes."

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 18d

Our FREE teacher newsletter delivers engaging Earth system science resources, classroom activities, and professional learning opportunities straight to your inbox during the school year.

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 20d

Things got a little magical as our staff presented the NSF NCAR Wizards Science Demos, bringing the science of air to life through exciting, hands-on experiments.

Two scientists standing next to each other, smiling and pointing to a flyer for the Punk Science "Surprising Science Superpowers of Air" event hanging on a window

Twenty kids seated at tables set up outside watching two scientists dressed up as wizards perform a demonstration with candles about how flames need oxygen

The two wizard scientists performing an experiment with elephant toothpaste in a small kiddie pool outside

Eleven kids standing around a table watching the two wizard scientists perform a bubbles on bottles activity about hot and cool air

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 21d

Together, they also identified opportunities to build meaningful partnerships with local STEM organizations, helping connect classroom learning to careers in their own communities.

A group of five educators brainstorming skills and recording their answers on a large piece of poster paper on the table in the center

All participants seated around a table listening to a presentation and participating in a discussion

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 21d

Over three days, participants explored the STEMCC curriculum, gained hands-on experience with sensors for use in the classroom, collaborated across school districts, and co-designed STEM career and technology lessons for middle and high school students.

Two educators sitting at a table writing on a large piece of white poster paper

Four educators sitting around a table with a map of Summit County, Colorado. They are working on an activity locating STEM opportunities in the area

A group of four educators smiling and laughing while working on an activity using LED light strips

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 21d

Last month, thirteen educators from rural Colorado districts came together at the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab for the STEM Career Connections (STEMCC) Summer Institute! 🎉

Seven educators walking around in grass behind the Mesa Lab during an activity

Three circuit boards connected to a sensor sitting on the dry pine needle covered ground

Five educators discussing in a group while one records answers on a piece of white poster paper stuck on the wall

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 27d

Join Snacks the Dog as he learns what makes a tornado a tornado! In this Animated Atmosphere video, Snacks (and you!) will discover the definition of a tornado, where they most commonly occur in the U.S., how tornado alerts are broadcast, and where to seek shelter if a tornado is approaching.

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· 29d

Looking for a cool way to spend a hot summer day? ☀️ Escape the heat and explore the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab! Join one of our free public noon tours to learn about the building, atmospheric science, and the fascinating research happening at NSF NCAR.

A tour guide speaking to a group of fourteen people standing in the foyer of the Mesa Lab. They are in front of a large sun art mural

Two kids standing with a tour guide interacting with a part of the weather exhibit

A group of nine people standing in front of the "Watching the Weather" exhibit listening to a tour guide

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 23

Protected places like national parks and monuments offer unique opportunities for long-term environmental monitoring, contributing valuable observations that help us better understand how ozone affects plants across different landscapes and ecosystems.

An NPS ranger smiling at the entrance to a cave

Inside a cave at Timpanogos Cave National Monument

A pretty view of the mountains in Timpanogos Cave National Monument

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 23

Next, our staff met up with the National Park Service for a site visit at Timpanogos Cave National Monument!

A National Park Service Ranger smiling next to an ozone garden bed at Timpanogos Cave National Monument

The view hiking up to a cave in Timpanogos Cave National Monument

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 23

First was the Natural History Museum of Utah at the University of Utah, where we visited the Ozone Gardens located on NHMU's Life Terrace. With the second growing season underway and new leaves emerging, it was a great opportunity to check in on the plants and see how the gardens are developing.

Ozone garden beds at the Natural History Museum of Utah with some young plants growing

Three people leaning over one of the raised garden beds looking at the plants

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 21

Happy Summer Solstice! ☀️ Today marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, and we experience our greatest amount of daylight.

The Weather Trail behind the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab leading towards the Flatirons in the background

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 17

What makes a hurricane a hurricane? In this Animated Atmosphere video, you'll meet one of Earth's most powerful storms and learn how hurricanes form, why they can be so dangerous, and the different hazards they bring. 🎨: @FableVision Studios

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 15

What keeps ocean water moving around our planet? 🌊🌎 Beneath the waves, a vast network of currents is constantly at work. Known as thermohaline circulation, or the "great ocean conveyor belt," this system moves water around the globe based on differences in temperature and salinity. 📸: CLIVAR

A map of the Earth showing thermohaline circulation. Purple arrows indicate cold, deep ocean currents. Red arrows show shallow, warm water ocean currents.

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 11

Today, we're celebrating the power of curiosity, exploration, and discovery through interactive learning—or simply, play!

Two adults and a young girl playing with small colorful plastic bricks during an activity

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 4

What do you see when you look up at the clouds? ☁️👀 A crab? The belly of a whale? Maybe a field of mushrooms drifting across the sky? It's amazing how our brains can turn clouds into familiar shapes and scenes.

Clouds over the Foothills with a crab drawn into the clouds

The belly of a humpback whale drawn into cloud ripples

Birds-eye view of clouds taken from an airplane with mushrooms drawn into the clouds

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Jun 2

That's why scientists continuously monitor the Sun and space weather. Earlier this year, the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) resumed normal operations after the 2022 volcanic eruption, restoring a critical tool for observing the Sun's activity and tracking solar storms.

An image of a coronagraph on a computer screen

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 26

Those symbols represent weather fronts—the transition zone where different air masses meet. As fronts move through an area, they can bring dramatic changes in weather, including rain, thunderstorms, gusty winds, temperature changes, and finally clearer skies after the storm passes. 📸: EPA

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 20

Wildfires are commonly characterized by the total number of acres burned rather than the rate at which they spread. However, studying the speed of a fire adds another important dimension that can help scientists better understand, manage, and prevent fires in the future. 🔥

A forest of charred tree trunks with some grass and other ground-level plants beginning to regrow

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 18

Museums help connect us to the world around us—and at the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab Visitor Center, discovery is happening every day! ✨🔬

A weather balloon releases into the sky with a large group of kids eagerly watching.

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 14

Join us June 9-10, 2026, for From Fossils to Forecasts, a two-day professional development workshop designed for K-12 educators interested in exploring connections between Colorado's ancient past, present, and future.

Five people working on an activity during a professional development workshop

Three people writing on worksheets at a table with a quote overlayed on top saying "The activities and resources were engaging and I believe my students will be challenged by these lessons."

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 13

We had a great time yesterday at Operation Water Festival!💧 Hosted by the City of Boulder, this event brought local students together for a day of interactive learning all about water—from drinking water treatment and conservation to ecosystems, geology, and the science of water on Earth!

Students are sitting at two long tables working on an activity with an educator standing in front of a screen at the front of the room

Eleven students are excitedly working on activity worksheets at a long table

Two students are writing on worksheets on a table

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 12

We’re stratos-fearlessly celebrating National Pun Day by talking about the layers of Earth’s atmosphere! 🌎☁️ Earth’s atmosphere is made up of several layers—the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere—with each layer having its own unique characteristics!

Clouds and the moon are slightly visible at the top of the atmosphere

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 7

Last week, our team visited a new member of the National Ozone Garden Network: the Walter Anderson Museum of Art! 🌿🎨

Four people standing together smiling in front of a wall mural in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Three people exploring exhibits in the art museum

Three people examining garden beds outside of the museum

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 6

We still have a few spots open for summer field trips this July and August!

Three students exploring the Sun and Space Weather exhibit at the Mesa Lab

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 5

Our Teacher Professional Development workshops are designed to support educators with best practices and resources for teaching about the Earth system. Join us this Thursday for The Science of Hurricanes, Earth's Most Powerful Storms—a free, virtual workshop hosted by @nstaofficial.bsky.social

Two staff members standing at a table with computers, leading a virtual teacher professional development workshop. A large screen screen is on the wall behind them

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· May 1

Join us for the annual Earth Day, Every Day celebration hosted by the Cities of Lafayette and Louisville tomorrow, May 2, from 10 am-2 pm. Bring your friends and family to this free event, open to all ages. From food trucks to a scavenger hunt, there is something for everyone!

A flyer for the event. "Fun for the whole family. Earth Day, Every Day. Saturday, May 2 10am-2pm. Bob L. Burger Recreation Center parking lot at 105. W. Baseline Road, Lafayette"

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Apr 30

Last chance to join us TODAY! Don’t miss our Rising Heat professional development workshop happening this afternoon—designed to help educators explore the science of extreme heat and how it impacts our communities.

Two people focusing on a drawing in front of them

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Apr 25

What is our perfect date? April 25th ⛅ Because it's not too hot and not too cold... all you need is a light jacket.

A river running down a mountain valley on a suny day

UCAR Center for Science Education@ucarscied· Apr 24

In celebration of #ArborDay 2024, the GLOBE Program planted an American Sycamore second-generation Moon Tree from the Moon Tree Foundation at the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab.