Lesson Plan

On Target

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

NASA's LCROSS mission is dropping a probe into a lunar crater. Groups design a system to travel down a zip line and drop a marble onto a target in the classroom. The groups then modify their designs based upon testing. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
NGSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Watch a video of an object being dropped from a moving platform
  • Increase the length of the zip line and the height of the drop
Classroom Considerations
  • Depending upon the drop height, the marbles will bounce
  • Module five of a six-part series
Pros
  • The second page of the handout connects the activity to the LCROSS mission
  • The leader pages provide instructions on what to prepare before beginning the activity
Cons
  • The plan does not go into detail on how to make the curriculum connections apparent to the class
Common Core