NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.
American Museum of Natural History
Are YOU Cut Out for Mars?
A brief, 6-question quiz identifies whether or not a scholar is ready for a mission to Mars.
Curated OER
Solar System
Explore the solar system in detail, from it's origins to its components. Visual data gathered by actual space missions has been used to create the images and animations on each page of this stellar electronic book about the solar...
Curated OER
The Frontiers Decade: CyberDecade
Students explore robotics. They design and draw a robot that will search for deposits of underground minerals.
NASA
Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology
Space, the Final Frontier. The nine NASA-created challenges in this unit are designed to teach class members the engineering design process. Each challenge comes with teacher and student pages that can be used individually or as a...
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...
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.
DiscoverE
Rubber Band Rovers
Get your learners interested in space exploration. Groups design space rovers using design software and then build prototypes of their designs. The farther the rovers can travel, the better. The catch? The rovers must be powered by...
Curated OER
Volume, Mass, and Weight
Study the difference between mass and weight. Your math group will compare the weight of an item to the amount of space that it uses. They'll then use conversion factors to find the difference between kilograms and pounds. Essential...
Curated OER
Shine On, Moon
Students explore space science by conducting an experiment in class. In this Moon lesson, students define a list of space science vocabulary and read the book The Moon. Students utilize shoeboxes and string to conduct a sunlight...
Curated OER
"I, Robot"
Seventh graders define vocabulary and discuss the characters in a movie. In this solar station lesson students explore robots on the Internet.
Curated OER
Rover Races
Students simulate driving a rover on the surface of Mars. In this space science lesson, students identify the challenges experienced by astronauts in operating a vehicle. They recommend some changes to make their 'rover' better.
Curated OER
Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
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...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
To Boldly Go, or Not
Here is a different way to combine social studies and science. Have your high schoolers read a passage about the 2004 vision for space exploration and then discuss the practicality, costs, and reasons for returning to the moon. Then, the...
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.
Curated OER
Space, the Final Frontier...
Students study a common theory on how the solar system was formed and examine the relative scale of the size and distances among the bodies of the Solar System.
NASA
Marsbound! Mission to the Red Planet
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.
Curated OER
How Do We Explore Strange Environments?
Students identify and label the different parts of a robot, rover, or a spacecraft. They discuss and record all of the features their robot will need to accomplish its mission and be able to explain why they chose these features to...
Curated OER
Using a Number Line to Count Forward
Your youngest charges practice counting on a number line up to 10. They print out the page on the screen, and can click a button to have the directions read to them. Counting forward, they fill in blank spaces on the number line Then...
Curated OER
Moonwalking to Mars?
Young scholars examine a quote from George W. Bush's recent speech on space exploration. They evaluate one writer's stance on Bush's space exploration goals by reading and discussing "Plea to Policy Makers: Let's Take Another Giant...
Curated OER
NASA Search
In this space worksheet, students identify and locate vocabulary terms related to NASA and space. There are 31 words located in the puzzle.
Curated OER
Stars and the Sun
Sixth graders research and state the differences between different stars and the sun. They tie the magnificence of space with the science fiction novel, "I Robot." Several worksheets and discussions are also covered within this lesson.
Curated OER
Martian Mummies
Learners participate in "Raiders of the Future", a role play about futuristic scientists sending a spaceship to Mars for research and exploration. They collect geological samples for analysis, discover the ruins of an ancient...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Write My Name With Shaving Cream
Students write their names using shaving cream. In this write my name lesson, students practice forming letters using shaving cream. Students follow appropriate conventions of print to convey a message and use spacing and letters correctly.