Earth Observation Day is an education and awareness effort of the AmericaView^SM Consortium (AmericaView).  Remote sensing observations of Earth resources - including surface materials, land cover, freshwater and marine ecosystems, and the atmosphere -  provide teachers with the data needed for inquiry-based, Earth-systems focused learning in the disciplines of Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Geography.  National Science Education Standards in all fields of science stress the importance of inquiry involving observations, data gathering, and analysis; remote sensing of the Earth allows observations from the global to the regional and local scales, and requires ground observations to validate remotely sensed observations and support valid data analysis and interpretation.  National Geography Education Standards promote remote sensing observations to acquire, analyze, and report information at all scales concerning the Earth’s four systems (lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere); they also emphasize both the study of how human actions impact Earth systems and how physical systems and human systems interact.  Remote sensing observations of the Earth offer historical and long-term monitoring capabilities that provide exciting and easily accessible data for student inquiry.   

Remote Sensing resources for educators are available from a multitude of sources.  NASA, NOAA, National Geographic, GLOBE, and the U.S. Geological Survey are the leading organizations that provide these resources for K-16 classrooms and laboratories.  Identifying these resources and effectively integrating them into the curriculum, however, can be a challenge for educators. Support for teachers is also necessary as they implement the technology in their classrooms. AmericaView proposes to develop a focused set of activities that target specific standards and learning outcomes in the science and geography disciplines, while developing interdisciplinary activities designed to connect remote sensing to mathematics, social studies, and creative disciplines including writing and the arts.  AmericaView will work through partner academic consortia to implement and support local, regional and global remote sensing data-gathering activities during Earth Observation Day.  Consortia partners will also work with K-16 teachers, students, and faculty to perform Earth Observation Day data gathering, analysis and reporting activities.