NASA eClips Real World:  Food Security -- Monitoring Crops from SpaceVideo Description:  Discover how NASA's Earth-observing satellites gather data to monitor food growth. Dr. Inbal Becker-Reshef describes how mathematics is used to interpret satellite data and describe vegetation and crop yield. Dr. Hannah Kerner shares how algorithms and models use NASA data to describe and predict food supply and food shortages. This work through NASA Harvest provides tools for farmers and governments to describe and predict food security worldwide. Video Length:  5:25.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Real World segments (grades 6-8) connect classroom mathematics to 21st Century careers and innovations.  They are designed for students to develop an appreciation for mathematics through real-world problem solving.

This lesson allows students to experience coding in a low stress, engaging environment while reinforcing thier learning about food webs and the interrelationships of the animals.  No prior coding experience is required for the teacher or the students.  Teachers and students will be walked through the steps of creating a cartoon demonstrating the transfer of energy in the food web.  They will learn to use sequencing, loops, variables, and opperations on those variables all while creating a fun moving cartoon.  Once students have learned the basic moves, they will be able to code further steps independently to add more interest to their cartoon.

Use an online simulation and a spinner wheel to compare food webs to understand how presence of food and/or predators will affect their life stability, how relationships exist between predators and prey, that these relationships are modeled in food webs; how the availability and use of resources may lead to competition/ cooperation; and how the symbiotic relationships support the survival of different species.