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Description

Discover Earth from space and how satellites help us to explore our world.

Resources

Pens or pencils
Printed images of Earth from satellites
Worksheet (optional)
Devices with internet access (optional)

Print at least five different satellite images per group that can be easily looked at. You could also have a device with internet access for each group, using a satellite programme, such as Google Maps.
Each group of Scouts should have access to different images to encourage exploration.

Instructions

Gather the group together and ask if anyone knows what a satellite is.
See if anyone can think of any other ways satellites might help us. They can:
track and predict weather
help scientists to monitor and tackle climate change
track endangered wildlife
help with navigation
help farmers by providing data on the health of cattle and crops and for water and soil management

Explain that a satellite is a moon, planet or machine that orbits a planet or star. For example, Earth is a satellite because it orbits the sun. But usually, the word ‘satellite’ refers to a machine that is launched into space and moves around Earth. Thousands of artificial, or human-made, satellites orbit Earth. Some are used to track weather, some are used to take pictures of space, other planets and galaxies. These pictures help scientists better understand the solar system and universe. Some satellites are used for communications: beaming TV signals and phone calls around the world. A group of more than 20 satellites make up the Global Positioning System, or GPS.

Ask if anyone can think of something that might use GPS. If you’ve a GPS receiver, satellites can help figure out your exact location, such as on your phone or your satnav. GPS can help emergency services reach incidents much quicker, and enables planes, trucks, trains, ships and cars to be tracked and traced.

Explain that you’re going to try and spot things using satellite images, just like a big game of i-Spy.

Ask everyone to get into groups and give out either the printed images or the devices. If you're using the devices, you could use Google Earth or NASA’s Worldview to see satellite images of Earth.

Each group should layout their printed images or make sure they can see the device.

Give each team a ‘GPS-ISpy’ worksheet. If you don’t want to print the worksheets, you can read out the clues. You could also make it into a race, with the first team to find it getting a point.

In their teams, each group should:
Find as many locations or objects as they can from the list provided.
Each clue will guide them to what they are looking for
They should mark down the location they find and write down its name or description.

Once everyone has completed the scavenger hunt, gather everyone back together.

Ask each team to share what they found. You could discuss which locations were hardest to find, which were the most surprising, and which were the easiest.

Then, explain that today, the images were still pictures, but when taken over time, they can show changes in the environment and track important shifts like climate change, deforestation, or the health of ecosystems. Reflect on how satellites can help us understand and address these changes.

Can you think of any other ways satellites might be used in the future to protect the planet or deepen our understanding of the world?

Reflection
This activity was all about observation, exploration, and thinking like a scientist—just like the people who use satellites to study and protect our planet. Think about the satellite images you explored. Which one was the most interesting? Which was the hardest to find?

Today, satellites help us track weather, monitor climate change, and even protect wildlife. If you could design your own satellite, what would it do? How do you think satellites will help us in the future? What new discoveries could they help us make?

Tags

• satellites

Badge Links

• Space - Satellite