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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look Ma! I'm a Rocket Scientist!

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students use a ball to push and pull to demonstrate the concept of force. In this force lesson plan, students talk about the importance of force in space and use balls to demonstrate this phenomena.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 1st
Students observe, measure and sort leaves.  In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Wall of China

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the Great Wall of China. In this world wonders lesson, students discover facts about the wall and its construction as they research the landmark. Students build their own replica of the wall in their classroom.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Tropical Deforestation

For Students 8th - 12th
In this natural resources worksheet, students read a 1-page article about tropical deforestation and then respond to 11 short answer questions. Students then write a memo on deforestation and select 1 of 3 assessment activities to complete.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Testing the Caverns

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students make model caverns out of paper mache or clay. They bury them in a tray of sand, and test the models by dropping balls into them simulating as asteroid hitting the earth. They discuss the results of the activity in a whole class...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocket Me into Space

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the concept of thrust and how it propels rockets into space. They discover why airplanes cannot travel into space while considering the engineering techniques use in designing rockets. They look at how space...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Wall of China Lesson

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore The Great Wall of China and use materials to make a class Great Wall of China students measure a portion of the classroom, school or playground and construct a "Great Wall" to scale.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooler in the Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore how the amount of sunlight and heat change in areas that are shaded.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dangers of Radiation Exposure

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore sources of high-energy radiation and calculate student exposure to ionizing radiation over the past year.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Power! Discovering the Power of Sunlight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students estimate the energy output of the sun. They estimate how much power sunlight the sunlight provides to the earth. They build a simple device to measure the amount of solar radiation the earth receives from the sun.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Shuttle Statistics

For Teachers 6th - 8th
students are the opportunity to enhance their computation skills using real life statistics associated with the Space Shuttle. Skills emphasized include working with fractions, decimals, percents, ratios and proportions, comparing units,...
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Information on the Sts 51 L Challenger Accident

For Students 9th - 10th
The mission profile of the Challenger accident, including the sequence of events, images and movie clips, crew profiles, and the report of the Presidential Commission.
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Article
A&E Television

History.com: Challenger Explosion: How Groupthink and Other Causes Led to the Tragedy

For Students 9th - 10th
Seven lives were lost as communications failed in the face of public pressure to proceed with the launch despite dangerously cold conditions. January 28, 1986, The sun had been up for less than an hour and air temperatures were a few...
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Space Shuttle Basics

For Students 9th - 10th
Basics of space shuttle operations are explained, including details of launch vehicle and orbiter configuration. Information on each shuttle Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour is included. Has video and...
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Website
NASA

Nasa Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Water Filtration Challenge

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This educator guide provides students with a challenge to design, build, and test a water filtration system, simulating what is used in a spacecraft. Includes background information, lesson plans, and extension activities.
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Unit Plan
NASA

Nasa: Engineering Design Challenges: Spacecraft Structures Educator Guide

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This detailed educator's guide provides a lesson in designing the structure of a spacecraft. The design challenge contains pre-lab activities and instructions for how to test the models.
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Nasa E Clips: Nasa's Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use the principles of technological and engineering design to research and explain how airfoil shape affects flight characteristics and how it applies to boomerang flight.. They will work in teams to design, build, test, and...
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Website
NASA

Nasa Star Child: The Space Shuttle (Level 2)

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site has a description of the Space Shuttle and its uses. Included are vocabulary words linked to a glossary of terms, graphics and a printable version.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Gregory B. Jarvis

For Students 9th - 10th
Official NASA biography of Gregory B. Jarvis, the payload specialist for the Challenger. He was on board when the Challenger exploded in 1986.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Francis R. (Dick) Scobee

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA's official biography of Dick Scobee, the commander of the Challenger spacecraft which exploded after launch.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Michael J. Smith

For Students 9th - 10th
The official NASA biography of Michael J. Smith, the pilot on the Challenger which exploded shortly after launch.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Ronald E. Mc Nair, ph.d

For Students 9th - 10th
Official NASA biography of Ronald McNair, the mission specialist on the Challenger spacecraft which exploded shortly after launch.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Ellison S. Onizuka

For Students 9th - 10th
Official NASA biography of Ellison S. Onizuka, the mission specialist on the Challenger spacecraft which exploded shortly after launch.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Judith A. Resnik, ph.d.

For Students 9th - 10th
The official NASA biography for Judith A. Resnik who was the mission specialist on board the Challenger spacecraft when it exploded in 1986.