This activity allows students to apply knowledge of barometric pressure and gravitational pull to the study of physical science and mathematics. Students will: use the Internet to investigate and compare/contrast body weights at different regions; define barometric pressure and gravitational pull; describe how barometric pressure and gravitational pull affect body weight; and apply knowledge of the ... Full description.

This site is the Educator Guide of an archived NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) CONNECT program designed to teach students about microgravity and to introduce them to combustion science and the importance of fire safety on the International Space Station. Students will also learn how chemistry plays an important role in microgravity research. An activity has students determine ... Full description.

In this activity students have the opportunity to build a model of a submersible. Within its clear plastic hull, a balloon will serve as a type of ballast tank. By varying the inflation of this balloon, they will be able to control the buoyancy of the submersible. This activity will offer students a hands-on experience in buoyancy, an observation of a working ballast tank, and an operational definition ... Full description.

In this activity students design, construct, and test an original model of a bouncing Mars lander. They will hold a classroom contest to see which landers work best to keep the cargo (an egg) from breaking. Students also learn that early missions to Mars sent rockets and robotic vehicles in a quest to learn more about the red planet. Now the goal is to find a way for people to get there. Space travel ... Full description.

This site introduces students to the dangers of avalanches. The site explains: the different types of avalanches, such as loose snow and slab avalanches; the mechanism of avalanche release; the forecasting of snow avalanches; avalanche control techniques and hazard ratings; and avalanche training for dogs. Full description.

This experiment can be completed in a single class period and examines how pressure affects water flow. In small groups, students work with water and a soda bottle, and then relate their findings to pressure in the deep ocean. The printable six-page handout includes a series of inquiry-based questions to get students thinking about pressure, both in the air and under water, illustrated experiment ... Full description.

Before the 17th century, people generally believed that Earth was at the center of the universe, a system originally developed by Ptolemy. Galileo, however, was not afraid to challenge existing beliefs when he published his work in support of the Sun-centered, or heliocentric, theory developed by Copernicus. This video segment describes the two opposing worldviews and Galileo's observation that Venus ... Full description.

This article explains the difference between the three South Poles. It describes the south magnetic dip pole which is not even on the Antarctic continent, the ceremonial South Pole, and the Geographic South Pole, the marker of which is constantly on the move. The article also explains why the Geographic South Pole is resurveyed each year and the difference between the Chandler wobble and the precession ... Full description.

In this activity, students will gain an understanding of how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. Using a strip map of the North Atlantic seafloor, they will measure distances and note the ages of the strips of seafloor basalt. They will also gain experience applying some basic, useful mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and ... Full description.

This activity will help students in their understanding of the complexities of snowpack formation and using this data to make predictions about how particular slopes might behave. The kind of snow, the incline of the slope, and the terrain all play a role in when and where avalanches will occur. In this activity, students layer foodstuffs to mimic the strong and weak layers within a snowpack and then ... Full description.