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Activity
NASA

How Far Away Is Space?

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Space is about 60 miles from the surface of Earth. Pupils make calculations to model that distance by stacking coins the appropriate height using scale. They then explore the distance to objects in space such as satellites and the space...
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Activity
NASA

Roving on the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Build a rover for pennies in a fun-filled activity! Young engineers design, build, test, and evaluate a lunar rover model. Using rubber bands, plastic straws, and cardboard, teams collaborate to make a rover model with spinning wheels....
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Activity
NASA

Touchdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Just how do astronauts stay safe during moon landings? Here's an activity that allows investigators to use the engineering process to explore how shock absorbers protect astronauts during landing. Applying knowledge of gravity, force,...
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Activity
NASA

When Do Lunar Eclipses Happen?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Who needs the daylight to simulate a lunar eclipse? Astronomers model the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to explain the necessary conditions for a lunar eclipse. Investigators cut and label a paper plate to represent the Earth and...
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Activity
NASA

The Types of Clouds and What They Mean

For Teachers K - 3rd Standards
Learn to forecast the weather using cloud types. Budding meteorologists identify cloud types and learn to use a dichotomous key. As scholars develop observation and identification skills, they discover how different cloud types cause...
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Activity
NASA

What Do You Know About Mars?

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Learn exciting facts about Earth's neighboring planet—Mars! Young scientists collaborate on a KWL chart about Mars, adding information as the activity progresses. Scholars listen while teachers read an article about Mars and watch...
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Activity
NASA

Evaluating a Lunar Eclipse

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Do all lunar eclipses look the same? Find out in an activity where astronomers use the Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness to describe the color and brightness of the moon during an eclipse. Explorers make three observations using...
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Activity
NASA

Code a Mars Sample Collection Video Game

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Video game designer meets science in a lesson examining the science of space exploration. Young learners use online software to create a video game that mimics the process of sample collection on Mars. They must make appropriate...
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Activity
NASA

Collecting Light: Inverse Square Law Demo

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Light, distance, and mathematics come together to help scientists plan for space missions. Groups examine the relationship between distance from the sun and light availability in a hands-on exploration activity. They model the inverse...
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Activity
NASA

Explore Mars With Scratch

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Learn what it takes to explore Mars in the comfort of a classroom. Individuals experiment with computer programming using a free online resource while learning about the factors affecting Mars Rover explorations. They create a...
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Activity
NASA

Parachute Design

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Bring the science of space exploration to the classroom. Young learners explore the mechanics of the parachute-landing mechanisms on the Mars Rover. They design and build their own parachute models and test their ability to land a probe...
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Activity
NASA

Exploring the Colors of Mars

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Minerals on Mars are not that different than those on Earth. Using mineralogy concepts and satellite images, individuals use color to highlight the different surface minerals on Mars when creating a model of the planet. They enhance...
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Activity
NASA

What Tools Would You Take to Mars?

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Having the right tool for the job is a must. Young space explorers design their own missions to Mars by deciding what they would like to learn about the planet. At the end, they draw and write about the tools they need to accomplish...
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Activity
NASA

Marsbound! Mission to the Red Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Changing one aspect of a mission impacts all the others. Learners consider a list of criteria as they develop their own science questions related to Mars and design a solution while considering all the important systems: computer,...
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Activity
NASA

Build a Satellite

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Shake, rattle, and explore space with satellites. Engineers learn how satellites work before designing, building, and testing their own models. Groups engage in quality assurance reviews with colleagues to improve their designs, and the...
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Activity
NASA

Water Filtration Challenge

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Can the class think like the scientists on the International Space Station? Engineers design, test, collect data, and improve a water filtration device similar to a system found on the ISS. Participants use pH strips, optional...
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Activity
NASA

How to Do a Science Fair Project

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Build problem-solving skills with science! Step-by-step videos walk investigators through each stage of completing a science fair project. Scientists learn to formulate a testable question, design an experiment, collect data, draw...
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Activity
NASA

Exploring Exoplanets with Kepler

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Calculate the movement and properties of planets like professional astronomers! Scholars use Kepler's third law to find Mercury and Venus's distance from the sun. Using changes in brightness of distant stars and Kepler's third law,...
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Activity
NASA

Lava Layering: Making and Mapping a Volcano

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Looking for an out-of-this-world volcanic activity? Geologists study Earth's volcanic history and the neighboring planet Mars by modeling volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and building a shield volcano. Participants use graph paper and...
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Activity
NASA

Comet on a Stick

For Teachers 2nd - 8th Standards
Since you can't go to the comet, bring the comet to you. Young scientists build models of comets using everyday materials and then participate in a simulation of the interaction between the comet and other bodies in the solar system....
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Activity
NASA

Measuring Solar Energy During an Eclipse

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Don't leave your classes in the dark! An inquiry-based lesson has young researchers analyze the light intensity before, during, and after a solar eclipse. They use their data to make inferences about the solar energy available during...
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Activity
NASA

Soda-Straw Rockets

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Launch a great lesson exploring engineering design. Using a template, young scholars create rockets that can be launched from a straw. After analyzing the function of the rocket, pupils try to modify the rocket to enhance its function.
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Activity
NASA

Art and the Cosmic Connection

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Solar art inspires! Scholars study planetary geology with an artistic analysis. Pupils view a PowerPoint presentation on the solar system and space exploration and then try their hand at planetary image analysis using art techniques. 
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Activity
NASA

Feel the Noise

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Can you hear it now? Young scientists experiment with sound waves using metal objects and string. They strike metal objects while they hold them and as the objects hang from a string to compare the sound. They discover that sound travels...

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