It is very dangerous to look directly at the Sun, even briefly. In this craft activity, you will create a safe viewer so you can look at the Sun without damaging your eyes.
Children ages 8 to 13 help create and then navigate an outdoor course of the traditional "planets" (including dwarf planet Pluto), which are represented by small common objects. By counting the jumps needed to reach each object, children experience firsthand the vast scale of our solar system. The children's posters from Jump Start: Jupiter! may be used to construct the course.
Students are introduced to the International Space Station (ISS) with information about its structure, operation and key experiments. The ISS itself is an experiment in international cooperation to explore the potential for humans to live in space. The space station features state-of-the-art science and engineering laboratories to conduct research in medicine, materials and fundamental science to benefit people on Earth as well as people who will live in space in the future.
Through discussion and two experiments, participants will explore how the maria that covers about 16% of the moon's surface was formed and the science behind moon craters. We will also discuss the different types of rock that have been discovered on the moon and how they differ from those found on Earth.
NASA's webpage for educators. Includes lesson plans, videos, published articles, and additional teaching resources and websites to improve your science curriculum.
NASA's webpage for students. Includes videos, apps, blogs, projects, games, contests, and more!
This unit begins by introducing students to the historical motivation for space exploration. They learn about the International Space Station, including current and futuristic ideas that engineers are designing to propel space research. Then they learn about the physical properties of the Moon, and think about what types of products engineers would need to design in order for humans to live on the Moon. Lastly, students learn some descriptive facts about asteroids, such as their sizes and how that relates to the potential danger of an asteroid colliding with the Earth.
This is an activity about asteroids. Learners will shape mashed potatoes into their own odd-shaped asteroids. They can then bake them in the oven to turn them (more or less) asteroid color, and eat them for dinner.