Students discuss the benefits of the International Space Station. They evaluate the challenges the designers faced when trying to design the space station. Students discuss the use of scale models when designing large structures and...

Construct a maze in your classroom and have a blindfolded scientist act as a space rover, maneuvering unfamiliar terrain while another scientist plays commander. Classmates record the number of occurrences of the commander having to...

Young scholars learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore outer space as they visit the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in order to learn about our solar system.

Students investigate finding a solution to growing plants in space. They define key vocabulary terms, conduct an experiment growing plants, explore various websites, and participate in a live video conference with NASA regarding the...

Science can be quite tasty. A delectable unit from NASA shows learners why it's important to consider food, nutrition, and health in space. Four lessons explore the idea in great depth, including testing cookie recipes. Along the way,...

Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.

Students investigate space travel. In this science lesson, students discuss the space station and its representation in orbit. They talk about food, travel and survival in space with the correct equipment.

Students discover the vocabulary used for distances in space and review measurement units and instruments before creating a scale model of the planets. They determine how to calculate the relative distances between the planets using a...

Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...

Students simulate different spacecraft missions using materials provided. In this space science lesson, students observe and record a planetary model's features from a distance. They relate this activity to scientists' space exploration...

Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...

Students identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. In this space science lesson, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and navigate...

Students experiment with growing food using hyrdroponics. In this science lesson, students grow lettuce in a confined space with weight limitations. Students start a plastic pop bottle garden observing the growth and charting it....

Young scholars observe clouds. In this deep convective clouds lesson, students analyze cloud data recorded over one month and draw conclusions based on results.  Young scholars predict "Thunderstorm Season" and prepare to defend...

Young scholars investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times...

Students describe unique exploration studies of the ocean floor and space. They utilize research skills and write summaries of research studies using the Internet. Students answer a variety of questions over their research findings.

Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...

Young scholars use iChat AV and an iSight camera to "meet with" a space scientist to ask and answer questions, visit relevant websites, and broaden their understanding of the solar system and space. They videoconference with a sientist...

Students examine the dust in their classroom and relate it to the dust in space.  In this investigative instructional activity students collect dust and graph their findings.

Students model the preparation needed for a soft-landing on a planet or object in space. They do this by packaging a raw egg with certain material, and dropping the egg from a given height to test the packaging effectiveness.

Students explore, examine, experiment and study the energy believed to exist in the vacuum of space called zero-point energy. They design and build a machine and then place their machines to test zero-pointed energy into a competition.

Students demonstrate a cloud formation and the relation between pressure and temperature in gases. They explain how clouds could be created in space settlements and see the relation between pressure and temperature in gases.

Students explore space science by participating in a shadow experiment. In this sky observation lesson, students identify how the sun creates different sized shadows by moving across the horizon. Students utilize yard sticks, markers,...

Aspiring astronomers study stars. They compare stars and explain the relationship between radius, mass, and diameter. By creating a star simulation, they discover how a binary star system's orbit can cause changes in the observed...