Learn more about Earth observation through new STEM teaching module

#Education, #Terrascope

Published on 23 September 2021

Climate change, sustainability, ecology,… These are all extremely important topics. But how can we make our society more sustainable to keep our planet a healthy and livable environment? To take the right actions, we first need to know the Earth's status. Through a brand new STEM teaching module (available in Dutch), students can easily identify the use and importance of remote sensing to monitor our Earth and create a more sustainable environment for everyone.

Nowadays, we have an enormous amount of data and information available. Also about our planet! Through Earth observation, or ‘remote sensing’, we can continuously monitor our Earth's surface. With the help of satellites, drones, air and ground sensors, and innovative image processing services, we can see how (rapidly) our climate is changing, what the effect is of plastic pollution on our oceans, monitor the air quality or the status of our crops, and so much more.

To introduce our young generation to this fascinating world of remote sensing, VITO provides a brand new STEM teaching module. Experts Carolien Toté and Kristof Van Tricht explain what happens behind the scenes to get from raw satellite or drone images to user-friendly and objective information that can be shared with farmers, aid workers, scientists, policymakers or even to you via your smartphone.

The STEM teaching module is mainly aimed at teachers and students of secondary education (15+ years old, ASO, BSO, TSO and KSO). The students will learn more about:

  • For whom or what is Earth observation important?
  • How do we process Earth observation data into objective information?
  • How to access and/or or analyze Earth observation data yourself?
  • The rise of artificial intelligence or deep learning
  • Some operational applications (climate change, air quality, land cover / land use, food security, ... )

Teachers can – whether accompanied by the people of GoodPlanet or not – offer the lesson in the classroom or they can also visit Vitopolis in Mol. At Vitopolis, students can explore different research topics under the guidance of GoodPlanet. For example, they can learn about geothermal energy, but also how Earth observation helps us towards a sustainable future.

Discover more and plan a visit (only available in Dutch)