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EROS Resources for the Classroom

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

has several educational resources that demonstrate how satellite imagery is used to 

understand our changing world.

Tracking Change Over Time

Enhance students’ learning of geography, map reading, Earth science, 

and problem solving by observing landscape changes as seen from 

space. Using the free software MultiSpec, students can compare 

Landsat images from multiple years to better understand how 

scientists use satellite data to identify changes to the Earth’s surface. 

Intended for grades 5–8, the lesson plan is flexible and may be used as 

a student self-guided tutorial or as a teacher-led class lesson.

The lesson plan includes an introduction to satellite images, an 

introduction to remote sensing, and instructions on how to use 

MultiSpec, as well as modules that provide greater detail for specific 

areas using remote sensing. 

http://eros.usgs.gov/educational-activities

Earthshots—Satellite Images of Environmental Change

Earthshots shows how satellite imagery is used to track change over 

time. Each Earthshots page features a different location and explains 

the changes that the satellite images reveal. Natural disasters, urban 

growth, and glaciers are just a few land change topics covered in 

Earthshots. The “About Earthshots” page shows how the Landsat 

satellites work and what the colors in the images mean. 

http://earthshots.usgs.gov

Image of the Week

Whether natural or human-caused, changes on the surface of the 

Earth are happening all the time. The Image of the Week gallery on 

the USGS EROS Center Web site shows how these changes have 

local, regional, national, and even global effects. Brief descriptions 

clearly explain the changes seen in the images. A poster is available to 

download and can be freely used as needed. Keep checking this page 

for new examples of the changing Earth as seen from satellite images.

http://eros.usgs.gov/imagegallery/image-week-2

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2015–3046

June 2015
Views of the News

Human impact on the land sometimes makes big news. Natural 

disasters also highlight the need to monitor the changing land from 

space. Visit the Views of the News gallery on the USGS EROS Center 

Web site for examples of how unbiased views from space help make 

sense of these news stories. At this page, using the image slider 

makes natural and human-caused land changes crystal clear. A brief 

description usually accompanies a link to more detailed information.

http://eros.usgs.gov/views-news

LandsatLook Viewer

Interactively explore the Landsat archive from a Web browser using 

the LandsatLook Viewer. The LandsatLook Viewer displays natural 

color images for all Landsat 1–8 images in the Landsat archive. The 

viewer allows screen captures of the viewing window. This allows for 

easy visualization of the archived Landsat imagery without the need 

for specialized software or technical expertise. LandsatLook makes it 

easy to compare images and see changes over time.

http://landsatlook.usgs.gov/

Contact Information

U.S. Geological Survey 

Earth Resources Observation and 

Science (EROS) Center 

47914 252nd Street 

Sioux Falls, SD 57198–0001

Tel: 800-252-4547 

Tel: 605-594-6151 

Email: custserv@usgs.gov

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153046