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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

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

Comet on a Stick

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
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

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

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

How to Do a Science Fair Project

For Teachers 5th - 12th
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

Water Filtration Challenge

For Teachers 5th - 12th
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

Design a Crew Exploration Vehicle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Make a splash from space. Participants use the engineering design process to create a waterproof space exploration vehicle capable of an upright landing. Young engineers test and modify designs as needed and participate in a group...
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Activity
NASA

Build a Satellite

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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

Feel the Heat

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Heat water up like a NASA engineer. Using the engineering design process, investigators create a system to trap and move heat through a water-filled tube. Designers participate in a post-activity discussion that highlights the role of...
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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

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

Collecting Light: Inverse Square Law Demo

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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

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

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

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

Touchdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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

On Target

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Crash into engineering by sending a marble to land on a target by way of a zip line. Using a zip line, pupils put engineering design processes into practice by modifying a cup to carry and release a marble onto a target. Scientists test,...
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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

Build a Relay Inspired by Space Communications

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learn how the professionals at NASA send information across space. Engineers use a microdevice, laser pointer, and mirrors as relays to model data transmission in space. Scholars program a microdevice to detect light received and test...
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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

Mars Rover Driver Board Game

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Driving a Mars rover is a challenging task. Learners play a board game that simulates the decisions scientists and engineers make while controlling the rover. Their task involves building a command sequence to get from point A to point B...
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Activity
NASA

Mineral Mystery Experiment

For Teachers 2nd - 12th
One way to study something is to try to replicate it. Young scientists do just that as they use solutions to recreate mineral structures on a dwarf planet. They make solutions with different types of salt, evaporate them, and observe the...
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Activity
NASA

Build a Light Detector Inspired by Space Communications

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Data can travel on light waves ... who knew!?! Pupils explore the idea of using light waves to transmit data through space. They then build their own boards that detect a specific wavelength of light.