To go or to not to go — the question for a mission to Mars. This resource provides details for a possible manned mission to Mars. Details include a launch schedule, what life would be like on the surface, and how the astronauts would...

Modern animation presents an overview of the history of space exploration. Beginning with Sputnik in 1957, the international space race was on. Eventually, space exploration became, not a competition, but rather a collaboration. Also,...

It keeps going, and going, and going ... how does the Juno space probe have enough power to travel to Jupiter? Junior astronauts use a THNKR "Why with Nye!" video to discover solar-powered science with the one and only Bill Nye. Topics...

Students discuss the terms exploration and technology. They read about the MESSENGER, Mission to Mercury, and answer questions. Next, they design and plan the technology for a space mission using an online interactive activity.

Does space have its own gravity? And, if so, why do astronauts just float around in the space station? Science sleuths examine the forces acting upon astronauts in the International Space Station with help from the narrator. He...

Can we journey to outer space to learn more about inner Earth? Discover the method to NASA's madness with an enlightening short video. The narrator explains the composition of the asteroid the resource is studying, what scientists hope...

Taking somewhat of a humorous, paranoid viewpoint, this video explores the question of whether or not space objects are likely to take us out. From asteroids, to the sun dying out, to the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, the...

Students investigate space travel. In this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.

Can we use the stars to navigate if we're actually among them? Space-age scholars explore the precise planning that goes into long-distance exploratory missions using a video from THNKR's Why with Bill Nye! playlist. Bill Nye explains...

It's time to go to Mars. Using the provided cards and mat, groups design a mission to Mars. The cards contain information about the different components of the launch and warn about a few mishaps that might occur along the way.

It was a bittersweet event when the space shuttle Atlantis touched down for the last time on July 21, 2011. Space science learners read an article about this event in The New York Times and then write answers to who, what, where, when,...

An astronaut's spacesuit weighs 280 pounds and takes 45 minutes to put on — that's a serious suit! The second activity of a three-part series allows pupils to see all that goes into space exploration. Through simulations, groups analyze...

What is the concept of a mission as it relates to religion? Your young historians will consider the missions of various world religions and their traditions. They will then write a persuasive essay arguing the overarching effect of a...

In this space missions worksheet, students read about the launch of the space shuttle Magellan and its exploration of Venus. Students complete 2 short answer questions based on the reading.

Using the CEVIS space bike as a context, groups work together to calculate the settings required for astronauts to reach their necessary exercise. Pupils calculate the prescribed exercise settings and complete the last section, which can...

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. 

In this space station worksheet, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write, and...

In this space missions worksheet, students will review 15 terms associated with the first space missions and early space exploration. Then students will find the terms in a word search puzzle.

Middle schoolers discuss the benefits and limitations of space exploration. Working in pairs, they design, write, edit, and publish a brochure outlining a commercial space mission. Students persuade their fellow classmates through...

Space science superstars examine two data tables: one detailing manned space missions and one with unmanned missions. Seven tasks compare the two types of space exploration. This fascinating information is a great introduction to any...

Lasers are so precise, they can detect a change the thickness of a human hair in the distance from here to the nearest star. To replicate NASA's LISA mission to measure gravitational waves in space class members build a model of a laser...

After the first American space walk, the hatch would not close on the spacecraft. Engineers later identified the problem as cold welding. An out-of-this-world video shows scholars how this discovery led to many changes in space crafts as...

If you don't use it, you lose it. Groups work together to compare bone loss on Earth as opposed to bone loss in space. They determine the equations that model bone loss and make calculations to determine the amount of bone loss for...

From the USSR's launch of Sputnik in 1957 to Neil Armstrong's mission to the moon in 1969, review major events in the timeline of the space race during the mid-twentieth century.