Background
Using Real-Time images or data on the Internet instead of information out of a textbook not only engages students, but
also brings a real world connection right into the classroom.
In this project, remote sensors monitor seismic activity at various geographic locations throughout the
world and the collected data are posted to the Internet for
students to use in projects like this one.Is it Real-Time?
Real-Time data on the Internet does not necessarily mean that the information is available the moment it is collected,
but rather any data or information that is updated on a regular basis and frequently changes. For example, new weather
satellite images updated every hour are actually referred to
as "Real-Time data." However, temperature data collected from
1972 to 1986 from weather balloons would not be considered
Real-Time because these data do not change.
When were the data last updated?
Most sources of Real-Time data will have a clock or time stamp that
shows the time and date the data were
last recorded. Frequently, the time is expressed in increments of 24 hours and
as standardized universal
time, such as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Coordinated Universal Time (UTC),
etc. Students
may have difficulty comprehending the difference between
standard and local time so it might be worthwhile to review the following sites:
NOTE: If the images or data have not changed recently,
you should first click the Reload/Refresh button; this forces your computer to retrieve the most updated information on the Internet.
