Teachers around the world instruct students on how to take measurements, help students understand the relevance of their observations, and explain the significance of the global visualizations. Scientists and students analyze the data in conjunction with information obtained from other sources. The students conduct an array of observations ranging from basic weather parameters such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation to more sophisticated measurements such as water chemistry, biodiversity and biomass assessment. Students take progressively more sophisticated measurements as they advance through school, and improve their mathematics and science capabilities while learning more about the environment. Students, guided by trained teachers, take environmental measurements identified and designed by an international group of scientists and educators.
Students send their data via the Internet and other means to a processing center.
The data are made available to environmental scientists around the world, contributing to efforts to better understand the Earth. The students' data are combined with data from other science sources. The visualizations emphasize how each school's observation are an important part of understanding the global environment.