Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Students study robotic spacecrafts that have provided detailed information about the inner and outer planets. In this exploring the planets lesson plan, students use posters and diagrams to study the various robotic spacecraft sent to...
Messenger Education
Can You Hear Me Now?—Communicating with Spacecraft
Radio signals transmitted to Pluto take five hours to reach their destination! In these two activities, young scientists explore data communication in space. In activity one, pupils learn how data is gathered and sent back to Earth....
Curated OER
Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. In this space travel instructional activity students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
Curated OER
Lakes of Methane on Titan
In this methane lakes worksheet, students read about the false-color synthetic radar map taken by the Cassini spacecraft indicating methane lakes on Titan. Students solve 4 problems about the surface area of the lakes from the image, and...
NASA
Rendezvous For Two
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...
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Students explore the world of robotics. In this robotics lesson, students discover what a robot is and work with partners to find out how hard it is to accurately guide robots through simple tasks.
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Students discuss the needs for robots in space discovery, and take turns simulating a robot and controller to demonstrate the difficulties of programming a robot to successfully complete simple tasks.
Curated OER
The Cassini Robot
Learners compare the functions of a robot to that of the human body. In this technology lesson, students identify the important components of the Cassini robot that would enable it to carry out space missions. They design and build their...
Curated OER
The Big Arm
In this "The Big Arm" worksheet, students answer multiple choice questions about "The Big Arm" and the space shuttle that launched it. Students complete 4 questions.
Curated OER
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Young scholars contemplate the questions raised by the book/movie I, Robot. In this theoretical physics activity, students consider the pros and cons as well as the possibility of robots that can think.
Curated OER
Robot Earth
Students construct a simple robotic energy transformer. In this space science lesson, students explain how energy is transformed from one form to another. They identify the different uses of robotic devices.
NASA
The Robotic Arm
Working as teams, class members try to rescue an astronaut using the shuttle arm on a TI-Nspire simulation. Teams must determine the different angle measures in order to reach the stranded astronaut.
Messenger Education
Mission: Possible—How Can We Plan an Exploration of Another World?
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...
American Museum of Natural History
A Closer Look at Mars
A website looks at how we know so much about Mars—telescopes, robots, and spacecraft—and the search for martian life. Following the informational text are three questions that quiz pupils about possible life on Mars.
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Students investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The students demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.
Curated OER
Robots
Students play the parts of robots and their controllers. In this robot lesson plan, students learn about robots, and use verbal commands to simulate how a robot would command to it's controller.
Curated OER
Recreating A Mission
Middle schoolers role-play a satellite recovery mission. They explain and appreciate the complexity and planning involved in carrying out a shuttle mission.
International Technology Education Association
Dampen That Drift!
The spacecraft is drifting too far off course! Two games help explain how a spacecraft can use its thrusters to maintain its position. The games have pupils be the components of vectors in order to create and counteract the disturbances.
NASA
It All Comes Full Circle
How long does it take spacecraft go around the earth? Using the circular orbits of the space shuttle and the International Space Station, groups determine the distance traveled in one revolution, then calculate the distance traveled...
NASA
Space Images
As technology advances, so does our understanding of the universe around us. Thanks to the Hubble Telescope, Mars rovers, and other high-resolution cameras, there are amazing photographs of celestial bodies, planets, comets, and more...
Curated OER
Satellite Drag and the Hubble Space Telescope
In this satellite drag and Hubble space telescope worksheet, students solve two problems using a graph showing the altitude of the satellite vs. the year with two lines showing two different types of re-boost and one line without...
Curated OER
Program Your Partner
Students explore the world of robotics. In this robotics lesson, students study the history of robots and work with partners to find out how hard it is to accurately guide robots through simple tasks.
Curated OER
Introduction to Robotics
Young scholars explore robots as it relates to artificial intelligence and mechanics. In this introduction to robotics lesson, students examine the technology related to design, research the concept of fabrication theory and the...
American Museum of Natural History
Beyond Planet Earth
Scholars take a journey through space with 16 eye-catching images. Along the way, learners read captions starting with the moon, then move onto asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter.