Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Space Station

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view pictures of the space station and discuss their feelings about living in a space station. They discuss the materials needed to build a space station and its various needs for operation. They read the NASA contest rules...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Apollo-Soyuz: Space Age Detente

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The Space Race saw the Soviet Union and the US go from competitors to partners. Scholars read a letter regarding the first docking of the US and Soviet space craft. Young historians also complete a written assignment and participate in...
Activity
NASA

Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables

For Teachers 5th - 8th
How long do fresh foods last in space at the International Space Station? Which foods perish quicker than others? How can astronauts preserve their foods to make them last longer in space? Young scientists test the rates at which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

First ISS Crew Heads Home

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners read an article on the first crew of the international space station and answer a series of critical thinking questions.
Unit Plan
1
1
BioEd Online

Butterflies in Space

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
How does gravity affect the life cycle of a butterfly? Learn first-hand what types of investigations astronauts perform in space by following along with one of NASA's experiments. Create butterfly habitats in the classroom with specific...
Lesson Plan
Oceanic Research Group

Heat Transfer and Cooling

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Astronauts train underwater to simulate the change in gravity. An out-of-this-world unit includes three hands-on activities, one teacher demonstration, and a discussion related to some of the challenges astronauts face. Scholars apply...
Activity
DiscoverE

Design a Folding Solar Panel

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Solar energy is an amazing alternative ... but, not always particularly portable! Challenge young scientists to a folding solar panel build-off with an easy-to-execute activity. Scholars brainstorm around specific design needs, construct...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Planetary Mysteries

For Students 6th - 12th
A website all about planetary mysteries—it's a one-stop-shop for all things, stars, planets, and space travel. Scholars read an astronomy overview to discover the page's big ideas, then choose from the plethora of resources, including...
Unit Plan
NASA

Food For Thought

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Science can be quite tasty. A delectable unit from NASA shows learners why it's important to consider food, nutrition, and health in space. Four lessons explore the idea in great depth, including testing cookie recipes. Along the way,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Milestones in the Space Program

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students brainstorm names of astronauts from NASA space missions. They are explained that the Cold War was not actually a war but pervasive tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union for several decades...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Challenger Explosion Photograph Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young 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....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Silicate Gardens

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students take digital pictures of their Silicate Gardens as an analysis of measurements of silicate tube growth. In this silicate measurements lesson, students download pictures of Silicate Gardens being grown on the International...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

There's More to Light than Meets the Eye

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore the concept that not all light is visible to the human eye. Although UV light is not visible, it can still be harmful, causing sunburns or skin cancer. They use special beads to detect UV light around the school....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outerspace: Frontier for Personal Health and Hygiene

For Teachers K - 5th
Pupils view photos of astronauts sleeping, eating, bathing, and using the toilet, and discuss hygiene problems in a zero-gravity environment. They contrast hygiene habits in space to those on Earth, and create storybooks illustrating...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

BOUNCING INFORMATION AROUND

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine how satellite signals are sent and duplicate it with a mirror, flashlight and black paper.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planet/Constellation Mobile

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars construct three-dimensional solar system mobiles.