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Imagers: The Adventure of Echo the Bat Number to Pictures: How Satellite Images are Created
Students examine the three primary colors of light and design a numerical code to represent those colors. They tell how satellites use numbers to create satellite images after completing a number of experimental activities.
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Water and Ice
Students investigate how water goes from a solid to a liquid then back again. In this experimental lesson students conduct their own experiment and see how water changes form.
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Weightlessness Demonstration
Students explore the concept that free-fall eliminates the local effects of gravity. They discuss what an Earth-orbiting spacecraft experience is like as well as the terminology of weightlessness. Their lab experiment commences.
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Animating Motion
Students apply what they recall about objects in motion by animati ng sequences of pictures that model a set of physical conditions. They animate the orbital motions of the Earth, the space shuttle, and the Moon based on calculations of...
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Nature of Meteor Showers
Ninth graders describe, in general terms, the distribution of matter in space and
identify evidence for, and describe characteristics of, bodies that make up the solar system. They then investigate predictions about the motion,...
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Time That Period!
Students analyze data received from high-energy satellites of various binary star systems' orbital periods or stellar rotation periods.
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Third from the Sun
Students examine images from space. In this third from the Sun lesson, students examine images from, Landsat, the satellite launched by NASA in 1972.
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Tracking Satellites Using Latitude and Longitude
Students, viewing an Internet site, plot the path of several satellites using latitude and longitude over the course of an hour. They learn the four basic types of satellites and their purpose.
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Meet the Neighbors: Planets Around Nearby Stars
Young scholars explain why a transiting planet causes a periodic dimming in the light from its parent star. They determine the radius of a planet, and its orbital distance, by analyzing data and manipulating equations. Students compare...
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Water and Ice
Students explore the physical properties of water. In this water lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this lesson that one can access via the Internet links provided.
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Balloon Staging
Students explore rocketry using balloon rockets. They demonstrate how rockets can achieve greater altitudes by using the technology of staging. By using two inflated balloons that slide along a fishing line, they simulate a multistage...
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Make A Comet
Students make a comet out of corn syrup, ammonia, dirt, ice cream sticks, and more. In this comet lesson plan, students view how these ingredients turn from a solid to a gas.
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Gravity Gets You Down
Students investigate the force of gravity and how it effects different objects that are put into acceleration when applied the experiment of free falling. They drop different objects that have a variety of masses and some that cause air...
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Seasonal cycles
Students understand that the rotation of the Earth is responsible for the seasons. In this seasonal cycles lesson, students learn how the rotation of the Earth affects the seasons. Students answer questions about the rotation, the...
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Cosmic Collisions and Risk Assessment
In groups, middle schoolers create their own scientific impact experiments using ordinary materials, and observe and measure results with a variety of impacting bodies and velocities.
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Colonizing the Stars
Students compare and contrast the size, composition and surface features of the nine planets of our solar system with the possible sizes and compositions of extra -solar planets.
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Dangers of Radiation Exposure
Students calculate their yearly exposure rate to harmful high-energy radiation and cumulative effects over time. They use the information to evaluate the various sources of radiation that are of greatest concern for them.
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Determining the Altitude of Iridium Flares
Students examine what iridium flares are and when they occur. In this iridium flare lesson students complete an activity to see how far overhead Iridium satellites are.
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Modeling the Big Bang and the Formation of the Universe
Sixth graders conduct an experiment to understand the Big Bang Theory. For this Big Bang Theory lesson, 6th graders will observe a balloon with confetti popping to emulate and analyze information related tot he Big Bang theory. Students...
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Program Your Partner
Young scholars explore the world of robotics. In this robotics lesson plan, students study the history of robots and work with partners to find out how hard it is to accurately guide robots through simple tasks.
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Newton Rocket Car
Young scholars observe a demonstration of Newton's third law of motion using a small wooden car. They discuss Newton's third law of motion and what happens to motion if the mass or acceleration is increased, construct their car, and...
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Speeding up the Fizz
Students investigate temperature and chemical reactions. They explore the effect of temperature and particle size has on the rate of a simple chemical reaction. In addition, they graph their results and answer assessment questions.
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Foucault's Pendulum
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
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How Far... How Powerfu
Students work with a real optical spectrum of a gamma ray burst afterglow taken at the Keck Observatory. They measure the shifts of spectral lines, deduce the velocity of the astronomical object, and then use Hubble's Law to get its...