The inside of the spacecraft Messenger, which explores Mercury, will experience temperatures from 32 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. In the final installment of a series of four space-related activities, groups spend time discussing and...

Investigate invisible forces. Young engineers design a setup that changes the direction of a steel ball using a magnetic force. The purpose of the setup is to model the gravitational pull of spacecraft by planetary bodies.

Every year, the moon moves 3.8 cm farther from Earth. In the 11th part of 22, classes use the distance formula. They determine the distance to the moon based upon given data and then graph Galileo spacecraft data to determine its movement.

Students study data analysis methods. For this data analysis lesson, students study data compression and data editing methods used for the spacecraft Galileo. Students study the 'lossless' and 'lossy' techniques.

Learners study the orbital space plane, NASA's proposed spacecraft of the future. They work in groups to plan missions to take place twenty years from now and design orbital space planes in which to carry out the missions.

Students investigate the volume of a solid.  For this calculus lesson, students use integration to find the volume of a solid generated by a region, the Orion crew module. 

Young scholars learn about the characteristics of the planets Mercury and Venus. In this planets lesson, students learn about these planets and their differences from Earth. They also learn how the inventions of engineers have made it...

Students compare/contrast the environments of our moon and earth, and examine examples of how these differences would affect their daily activities on our moon. They develop lists of emergency supplies to bring if their spaceship crashed...

Young scholars are introduced to rockets and the space shuttle program. After viewing a 1960s show, they examine the role and history of NASA and how it evolved into having a space shuttle program. In groups, they create their own model...

Students plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science lesson, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Students work in groups to research an...

Learners participate in a gross motor and locomotor game of tag. A group of students, spaceship commanders, work together to capture all of the "aliens" in the class while wearing hula hoops and practicing a variety of locomotor movements.

Students consider the earth and its problems as a system. They examine the fragility of that system when population, pollution, 1st world verse 3rd world, terrorism, etc., are considered as interactive parts of a spaceship earth.

From their sweat to the water vapor in their breath, astronauts recycle every possible drop of water while in space. After watching a short video describing the different ways materials are recycled and reused in space...

Students explore paper rockets, learn about the Apollo Program and Apollo spin-offs, and use simple office supplies to design and create a new useful product. This amazing plan is incredibly well written and leads students through a...

Pupils design and construct an experiment that will be launched into space aboard a NASA research shuttle. How better to gain and appreciation for (and, hopefully, a love of) scientific investigation than to do real science and be...

Students explore the three-phase strategy used by NASA for scientific exploration. In this space science lesson, students research past missions to Mars. They share their discoveries and create a timeline as a class.

Students view a video to understand the set-up of the shuttle aircraft. In this shuttle lesson plan, students recognize the functions of parts of the space ship and why they are important. Students research the shuttle and present an...

Students explore the issues that might arise if humans were to go on an interstellar space mission. They synthesize their understanding of interstellar travel by writing scenes from a science fiction novel that would depict such a mission.

Young scholars simulate the search for water in Mars using simple apparatus. In this space science lesson, students explain how soil temperature affects the cooling of probes. They graph the data collected from the simulation.

In this literature book review activity, learners read a nonfiction book about space or space exploration before choosing a topic to explore further. They choose from 7 activities such as designing a model, writing a letter, write about...

In this math and social studies worksheet, students recall the poem "Thirty days hath September..." Students solve 4 time and space-related problems using that calendar rhyme.

Sixth graders explore space science by measuring distances between planets. For this solar system lesson, 6th graders view a Bill Nye video and discover the conversion between the metric system and imperial measuring systems. Students...

How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...

Does the space shuttle have an odometer? Maybe, but all that is needed to determine the distance to the moon is a little geometry! The lesson asks scholars to sketch the relationship of the Earth and moon using shadows of an eclipse....