Middle schoolers reivew the seven traditional reasons why people explore. They write a summary of their reasons why humans explore. Pupils illustrate their exploration summaries. Students relate the reasons for exploration to the...

Students travel with Christa McAuliffe through space demonstrations. In this space lesson, students follow through the past to the present air travel. Students understand the benefits and problems associated with zero gravity and how it...

Pupils study Mars and Odyssey's mission to Mars. In groups, they plan a community that could live on Mars.

Students research facts about each of the nine planets and record them on Planetary Trading Cards. Students use these cards to later construct a poster that is part of their mission day. Students use a variety of resources to research...

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

Students evaluate the notion of aging by reviewing some of the studies that occurred on John Glenn's space shuttle mission.

The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...

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...

Space scientists investigate the cosmic phenomena in order to search for answers to possible origins of the solar system. They consider the concepts of elements and  isotopes. Data is analyzed looking at tje abundance of elements...

Students use the Internet and other reference sources to gather information on a space topic. They create a trading card displaying the information learned and import pictures from libraries and the Internet.

Mathematicians participate in an hands-on activity to investigate the binary number system and write messages in binary code and have classmates decipher the messages. A said video on the topic does not seem to be available, but the...

In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...

Students examine core samples from Mars and discover what they can use it to tell the history of Mars.  In this core sample activity students create and analyze their own core samples then eat them at the end.

Students create paper comet models. They discuss facts about comets and build a model to determine the way the sun affects a comet. They create a comet and label the head and tail portions. They discuss their comet model and share it...

Students use cross-multiplication to find the unknown respiration rate of an astronaut. In this multiplication lesson plan, students also use the same process to find missing values in proportions.

Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net...

Students, working in small groups construct scale models of the planets and solar system. They examine images of Mars and discuss what might have caused the features. They record facts about their planetary research in their journals 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. 

The reason people first began trading was because of their desires for objects other societies possessed. In the activity, classes discuss why exploration has been a common thread in all societies and where these desires have taken...

How can we identify shapes in the Universe? High schoolers will compare and contrast elliptic and hyperbolic geometry. They will also explore one possible way to measure the curvature of the Universe, namely, by measuring the sum of the...

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 discuss what they know about Saturn. They create drawings to show what the planet looks like and identifies its characteristics. They write a paragraph about the planet as well.

Students recognize that our ability to explore the extremes of the ocean is directly related to the technology of remote sensing. Students will recognize the deep submergence vehicle, Alvin, and the advanced sensors on board as tools for...

Students investigate various aspects of the planet Mars. They examine a core sample that is simulated to make observations. Then compare the known sample with one that is unknown and differentiate between the two. Students hypothesize...