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...

Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 

Young scholars read a news article about a space mission being launched to the planet Pluto. They study the necessary vocabulary and complete an anticipation guide of questions which they revisit after they read the article.

Here is a case study for high school or college-level learners about space exploration equipment that has failed. The class reads about the Mars Climate Orbiter that was destroyed in 1999 and discusses the costs and benefits of space...

Students observe negative space in drawing. In this negative space lesson, students discover that sketches include negative space or background. Students produce a drawing while paying attention to the negative space.

Students study the unique environment of the moon and Mars. In this space science instructional activity, students design a city located in the outer space. They create a computer aided design, models or drawings of their cities and...

Learners research the history and accomplishments of the American space program and ponder its role in the future. They gather research on NASA and make small group presentations to the class on their findings and assessments.

Project Paperclip, the Redstone Arsenal, and the Huntsville Space Center are all featured in a resource that investigates the contributions of Dr. Werner von Brawn and other German scientists to the US space program....

Students identify important figures in space travel and advancements made possible because of their contributions. They identify the parts of an astronaut's space suit and construct a realistic replica of an astronaut dressed for a space...

Students explore the meaning of personal space. For this social skills lesson, students are taught to respect others personal space by discovering their own personal space, and reading a story to identify when that personal space was...

Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...

Learners investigate the history of robotics in space exploration. They design and create a robot using various online resources, develop a list of questions about robots in space, and participate in a video conference with the Johnson...

Demonstrate how the Skywatch website works, locating your city via The International Space Station. Have cooperative groups use string and a protractor to identify an azimuth. When each groups' height has been marked, you will have a...

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...

Learners build a scaled model of the solar system. In this space science instructional activity, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and relative...

Learners 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.

Is the sun the only celestial body with magnetic fields? A guided discussion on the weather in space is designed with a mix of questions, discussions, explanations, and applications. Additionally, the resouce includes an...

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...

Learners take photos of spaces that imply the figure. (Students could also pull images from magazines from the web if they do not have access to a camera.) Using the photograph as a source, make a drawing as you usually would with black...

Students role-play the jobs of space shuttle astronauts, conduct experiments, and research space using the Internet and offline experiments. Student-astronauts hold a "press conference" to share their information with others in a...

Fifth graders discover what it would be like to live in space. In this technological advancements instructional activity, 5th graders discuss how space life would be different from Earth life. Students also identify how technology has...

High schoolers investigate the historical events that have surrounded The Space Race. They conduct research using a variety of resources and focus upon the progress between Russia and The United States. Students describe the events that...

Students demonstrate personal space in a gym. In this physical education instructional activity, students move creatively by using their spot markers. Students jump side to side and back to front.

Students research space flight exploration and technology. In small groups, they research a significant event from early time until the start of the space age. A class time line is created from the research groups.