In this activity, students design and build scientific instruments to study the Sun using inexpensive, everyday materials. Precision in construction and measurement are emphasized, as well as re-design to improve the quality of data. Activity theme areas include instrumentation, observation, and satellite engineering. The activities are aligned with National Science and Mathematic Education Standards. ... Full description.

This collection of activities and resources for teaching astronomy and space science includes classroom-tested activities drawn from many sources,educator resource guides,articles on astronomy teaching and background information, and more. Full description.

This Web site includes over 50 individual Earth system science modules that faculty can select from to use in their courses or directly with their students. Online courses for school teachers are offered by colleges and universities across the United States as part of the NASA-NOAA-NSF-funded ESSEA Program (Earth System Science Education Alliance). The courses are structured as a collaborative experience ... Full description.

The hands-on activities in this educators guide lay the conceptual groundwork for understanding questions fundamental to the field of astrobiology. They enable students to examine the nature of life, what it requires, its limits, and where it might be found. Through these experiences, students learn ideas related to the search for extraterrestrial life. Full description.

This curriculum includes ten missions and three exploration extensions that provide activities for up to a semester and focus largely on the space exploration theme. It is designed to engage students in hands-on inquiry based learning. It addresses science and technology standards, and specifically focuses on math content and process standards. Although other models will work, the curriculum is geared ... Full description.

This fact sheet describes the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program. This educational program uses a 34-meter antenna for classroom radio astronomy observations via the Internet. It introduces students from elementary school through high school to the process of science with the goal of improving science literacy among American students. Full description.

In this curriculum, students can participate in a student-directed, authentic research project that will allow them to investigate Mars using an image they target using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) camera onboard the Mars Odyssey spacecraft. Full description.

Marine video programs designed to enhance science education in middle schools. Broad range of ocean science topics, participating teachers can download teaching guides. Archived program packets are downloadable as pdf files. Fees apply for purchase of videos. Full description.

Set of six interdisciplinary lesson plans from the Smithsonian, complementing their online "Ocean Planet" exhibit. Topics include: ocean bottom features and seafloor mapping; marine habitats and biodiversity; consumer goods from the ocean; oil spills impacts and solutions; causes of marine strandings; ocean-inspired vocabulary. Units contain: background; instructions for the teacher; maps, data and ... Full description.

This tactile experience aims to enhance or assess the students? knowledge of the characteristics of comets. After engaging in some opportunities to gather background knowledge about comets through readings and online interactives, students will reach into a series of boxes with their hands (without looking) and feel different types of materials. Then students will describe what characteristic of a ... Full description.