Curated OER
Risks and Benefits
Students research and discuss the risks and benefits of cell phones and driving. They analyze the mechanical and administrative causes of the accident of the Space Shuttle Challenger. They write an essay explaining the risks and benefits...
Curated OER
The Big Arm
In this "The Big Arm" activity, students answer multiple choice questions about "The Big Arm" and the space shuttle that launched it. Students complete 4 questions.
Curated OER
SALLY RIDE
Students express what it would be like to launch off into outer space in a space shuttle. They include what it might feel like, look like, sound like, and any thoughts that go through their mind as they dart away from the Earth's...
Curated OER
Women In Space: Sally Ride
Second graders explore the life and accomplishments of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Through reading and discussion, they recall details from Sally Ride's life.
Curated OER
Doctor Mae C. Jemison - First African American Woman in Space
Seventh graders trace and analyze the life of Doctor Mae C. Jemison and the circumstances that enabled Dr. Jemison to achieve her goal of becoming an astronaut. They explore the role of NASA in the development of America's Space Shuttle...
Teach Engineering
Alloy the Way to Mars
Future engineers test different alloys to determine the specific strength of each one. Based on the results, they make a recommendation to NASA on which alloy to use on engines for spacecraft.
Curated OER
Food for Spaceflight
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting, testing, and...
Curated OER
Christa McAuliffe: Teacher in Space
Students study the life of Christa McAuliffe who was on the Challenger space shuttle lost their lives when the ship exploded.
American Museum of Natural History
Beyond Planet Earth
Scholars take a journey through space with 16 eye-catching images. Along the way, learners read captions starting with the moon, then move onto asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter.
Newspaper Association of America
Cereal Bowl Science and Other Investigations with the Newspaper
What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...
Curated OER
Navigation and Trajectory
Middle schoolers prepare a creative demonstration of how Earth and Mars revolve around the Sun. In this astronomy lesson, students determine the different challenges engineers face when building spacecrafts. They draw possible paths for...
Curated OER
Math Challenges
Students engage their critical thinking skills to solve challenging math problems. In these problem solving lessons, student work with tessellations, weights/measurement, reasoning, surface area, geometric shapes, and algebraic procedures.
Curated OER
Moving and Working in Space
Young scholars complete four tasks with certain restrictions. In this astronomy instructional activity, students explore different ways that astronauts can anchor and maneuver in space. They recognize the challenges they face from day to...
Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits are used...
Curated OER
Space Shuttle Statistics
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,...
DiscoverE
Touch Down
Protect the marshmallows! Groups create contraptions that will keep marshmallows in a cup, even after dropping them from a certain height. This is a fun way to model the shock-absorbing capabilities of spacecraft.
PBS
Invisible Force
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.
Curated OER
The Ultimate Field Trip
Students view a video to understand the set-up of the shuttle aircraft. In this shuttle instructional activity, students recognize the functions of parts of the space ship and why they are important. Students research the shuttle and...
Curated OER
NEXT GENERATION SPACECRAFT-Orion
Students investigate the volume of a solid. In this calculus lesson, students use integration to find the volume of a solid generated by a region, the Orion crew module.
Curated OER
Basketball Shuttle Run
I would use this basketball shuttle run activity as one of several drills in a days lesson. There are several components to the drill and some lead up activities could be done before the basketball shuttle run. I would suggest a basic...
NASA
Cleaning Water
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 shuttles, young...
PBS
Inspector Detector
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...
101 Questions
Apple Mothership
Explore Apple's spaceship office building. Built in the shape of a circle, the office building offers a unique floor plan challenge. Young scholars use the dimensions of the building to estimate the square footage for each employee.
Curated OER
The New Space Race
The race to explore space is on and students can learn about the latest developments with these activities and lessons.