The GLOBE program is in a major expansion program in terms of its scientific data gathering efforts at schools around the world. In addition to continually adding nations, schools, teachers and students to its program, GLOBE is expanding existing protocols. Beginning 1998, a new effort is underway to improve training materials for teachers who supervise students taking cloud observations. The daily measurement of fractional cloud coverage and cloud type(s) are one of the most commonly made observations by GLOBE schools. Despite this high level of interest in these types of observations, GLOBE teachers and scientists express concerns about the quality of such observations, in part due to the need for better training materials. We will develop a variety of materials that will enhance understanding about clouds from a systematic perspective which will help teachers to guide students more effectively in taking accurate observations.
Curricula and lesson plans which are grade level appropriate will be developed for the measurement of cloud fraction and cloud type. Training materials will include WWW-based tutorials and cloud charts, a new videotape, and activities which will tie in the water cycle with other GLOBE measurements. In addition, we will develop an active archive of geostationary satellite imagery so that each GLOBE school will have access to a noontime satellite image of its area, to further aid in the observation of clouds. Activities which are involved in the comparison of cloud observations from the surface to the satellite view will be constructed using visible imagery (most times). These observations will be available to all GLOBE schools between 60oN and 60oS worldwide (the range of limit of coverage of geostationary imagery) provided that the present constellation of geostationary weather satellites remains active (GOES-East, GOES-West, GOMS, Elektro/Insat, Meteosat). The GLOBE program office and FSU science team will coordinate with necessary Federal agencies the provision of these images on a central server for easiest access to the schools