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Lesson Context:  To apply knowledge of remote sensing to real-world situations, students need to participate in the actual process of a remote sensing planning. The goal of this lesson is for students to plan a remote sensing mission to locate active lava flows over Kilauea. Based on their understanding of the concepts of swaths, spatial resolution, and temporal resolution, students will make the decisions necessary to create a plan for remote sensing mission. The activity in this lesson will work as the knowledge base to collect and analyze actual remote sensing data. 

Key Science Concepts:

• The concept of swath path 

• The concept of resolution: spatial resolution and  temporal resolution 

Links to teacher background information:

• The concept of swath
• Spatial resolution
• Spatial resolution, pixel size, and scale
• Temporal resolution

Problems Addressed in this lesson:

• What is the difference between temporal resolution and spatial resolution?
• What decisions need to be made when planning a remote sensing mission?

Activity Bursts:

• Investigating the different levels of spatial resolution:  What are we looking for
• Relationship between resolution and pixel: How well can a Satellite see?   
• Sensing changes over time (temporal resolution): The only thing constant is change
• Planning a remote sensing mission: Activity sheets: Planning a mission (PRSM-2, 2A, 2B).

Links to other resources: