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Eyes in the Sky
Students examine the use of satellites. In this research instructional activity, students discuss the history of satellites and how we use the information today. They will conduct interviews with older adults who have lived in the...
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Technology at Work 2
Learners discover the positive and negative effects of technology. In this technology lesson, students give examples of technology advances from the past few years. Learners get into groups and debate whether a particular item has hurt...
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You Can Die Here – Death Valley California
Students use Google Maps to explore the rain shadow desert. In this climate lesson, students use the Internet, Google Maps, and directed inquiry worksheets to understand how rain shadow deserts form. Students apply climate concepts to...
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Scientists Track the Rising Tide
In this tracking the rising tide worksheet, students use the data in a graph showing the seal level change versus time from 1900 to 2000 to answer 3 questions about the rising tides. Students determine the slope of a line drawn from 1920...
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The STEREO Mission: Getting The Message Across
In this STEREO satellites activity, students are given a chart with the intensity of the signals from the satellites received on Earth and the distances of the satellite from Earth. Students convert the intensity at each distance to...
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Annotating Change in Satellite Images
Learners construct a movie using Landsat images to observe changes over time on Earth. For this satellite images lesson, students observe changes in land use over time and document one type of change they observe. They produce an...
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NASA Juggles Four Satellites at Once
In this NASA satellites worksheet, learners read about the Magnetosphere Multi-Scale satellite constellation that NASA will launch in 2013. They solve 4 problems including finding the volume of the MMS constellation, finding how long it...
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A Matter of Timing
In this orbital period worksheet, students solve 2 problems about satellites and their orbits. They determine how many days it takes for two satellites to be in "opposition", they find the least common factor between their orbit periods...
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Spies That Fly
In this spy aircraft worksheet, students watch a video about unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft used by the military and answer 20 questions.
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Stars in Your Eyes
In this solar system worksheet, students answer 20 short answer questions about the stars, the planets, the sun and moon, meteorites and constellations.
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Reflections on Earth: Exploring Planet Earth from Space
Young scholars examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the...
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Flight Paths of Orbiting Satellites
Students examine the path a satellite follows as it orbits the earth. In this space science activity, students use a globe as they illustrate a satellite in its orbital plane, then plot points on the satellite's path on the globe to see...
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Moon Crash
In this moon crash worksheet, students research information about the moon. In a given scenario, students decide which emergency supplies to take in order to survive on the moon.
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Satellite Mobiles K-2
Young scholars explore satellites and their function. They view a photo essay about the many kinds of satellites and the jobs they do. Afterwards, they construct satellite mobiles, discuss the various features of their satellites, as...
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Birds on the Move
Students observe the migrational path of the Swainson's Hawk from northern Minnesota to the southern portion of South America. They study the migratory path of the hawk and observe how the vegetation in a particular region of the earth...
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Cities and Seasons
Students explore how satellite images show seasonal changes in seven cities in North and South America. Through a sequence of images, they study the green-up and brown-down of the seasons and how seasons change over time. Afterwards,...
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Scientist Tracking Network
Students correlate surface radiation with mean surface temperature of several geographic regions. They observe how these parameters change with latitude and construct an understanding of the relationship of solar radiation to seasonal...
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Image Classification
Students explore what are "multi-spectral" or "multi-band" images? They investigate how landscapes change over time- at least over the time-span of satellite imagery, particulary due to human influences. Students explore how to train...
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Introduction To Orbital Mechanics
Students use NASA drawings to build a model satellite for a specific mission. They design a set of drawings for their satellite showing its subsystems as well.
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The Universe
In this space science activity, students use the clues given at the bottom of the sheet to complete the crossword puzzle relating to the universe. There are 16 clues to solve in the puzzle.
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What Color is the Ocean?
Students view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Middle schoolers demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Hot air Balloons
Students study how hot air balloons were created and the different types there are. In this density and lift lesson students build their own hot air balloon.
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Sputnik
Students study Sputnik and what it looks like. In this Sputnik lesson students complete several activities while in groups.