Video clips show footage from the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, an anniversary of the disaster, a report from the shuttle commission, and information about astronaut Christa McAuliffe. Young academics also learn how events like the...

One slide details the features of Space Shuttle Discovery in graphic form. Another shows a faulty hydrogen fuel sensor. The final slide is a picture of the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger and the ill-fated crew. If you wanted to...

Blast off! How do satellites, space shuttles, and space stations escape Earth's gravity and achieve orbit? Young astronauts study rocket science (literally) with an interactive lesson. They discover the four main uses for satellites, how...

Your charges will enjoy putting together this model of the space shuttle and completing the three challenge activities described in the lesson. The worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use to cut out their gliders are beautifully...

Some startling evidence regarding the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster is convincingly presented in this video. Apparently, engineers knew that the launch was risky due to the low temperatures in Florida leading up to the launch. Under...

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. And so begins your invigorating, innovative learning experience in the JFK Challenge app! Learners choose from two "missions" and...

How does society prevail in the face of challenge? After reading President Ronald Reagan's speech to the nation after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986, learners evaluate and discuss the tone of the speech itself and...

Students work with a partner to plot the trajectory of a spacecraft traveling between Earth and Mars in the 2018 and returning in 2020. They examine the key factors when planning a mission to and from Mars such as travel time, distances...

Young scholars read Challenger: America's Space Tragedy by MichaelD. Cole. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy. Included are reading, art, math, science,...

What will it take to explore space? Teams of pupils determine the needs of a lunar outpost and research the required systems. The pupils then learn about the past space exploration vehicles. The third and final lesson challenges project...

Students study about the Columbia crew and their mission, how space shuttles work, and explore the history of the shuttle program. By accessing many websites imbedded in this plan, students gain a deep understanding of the Space Shuttle...

New ReviewYoung historians turn into detectives in a thought-provoking activity on the Challenger Explosion. The activity uses an image of President Reagan watching the Challenger explode on live TV to help academics practice historical analysis....

Students analyze popular feelings and beliefs about two major disasters: the sinking of the Titanic (1912) and the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger (1986). They compile evidence, through research and interviews, about how much...

Students explore the challenges that are faced when transporting materials into space. They review the various forms of energy, including solar arrays, that are used on the International Space Station and how generating this energy calls...

The inside of the spacecraft Messenger, which explores Mercury, will experience temperatures from 32 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. In the final installment of a series of four space-related activities, groups spend time discussing and...

What kind of design challenges are there in building structures to support rocket engines? The unit takes design teams through the process of building the lightest possible thrust support structure that can withstand the necessary forces...

Help your class understand the design challenges when trying to land a remote spacecraft on a planet. Class members examine the provided information to understand how each component of a spacecraft is designed in order to safely land a...

The propellant needed for space explorations runs in the thousands, while paying to get the craft into orbit costs millions! In the second installment of three, two activities explore laws of conservation of energy and momentum. Using...

Students examine how spacecraft land on Mars. Using eggs or lightbulbs, they design a craft that withstand a drop from a table or ladder, competing in groups to see which module demonstrates the most successful landing.

Students are introduced to the space environment. This lesson covers the major differences between the environment on Earth and that of outer space and the engineering challenges that arise because of these discrepancies. In order to...

Imagine the challenge of getting the space shuttle to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Groups must determine the elliptical transfer orbit needed to get the space shuttle from its orbit to the orbit of the International...

Students work together to develop their own model of a spacecraft. They complete illustrations and writings to document their work. They present their information to the class.

Students interpret a message sent to space using a radio telescope and draw inferences from the interpreted message. Working with a partner, they interpret data that scientists believe is a message from aliens. They work on organizing...