Transit Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at transits, eclipses and occultations. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science…
Space Weather Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at space weather. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
Electromagnetic Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at electromagnetic radiation. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and…
Earth Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at the Earth and its atmosphere. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and…
Magnetic Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at magnetism. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 14 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering issues,…
Radiation Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at radiation, and will make the student familiar with many forms of radiation, how it is measured, and what different doses can lead to over time. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and…
Image Scale Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at image scaling, which is an important first step that all astronomers perform when looking at image data. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 14 years.…
Lunar Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at Lunar exploration. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
Solar Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at the Sun-Earth system. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 16 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
Space Math I - VI
This series of activities from NASA are based on a weekly series of space science problems distributed to teachers in the US, from 2004 to 2010. They were intended for students looking for additional challenges in the mathematics and physical science curriculum, from ages 9 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses…
Rocket Images and Video
NASA's Space Shuttle may be a well-known launch vehicle, but the majority of launches still take place using rockets. These regularly carry satellites into orbit. These materials show images of rockets, such as the Saturn V which powered the Apollo missions and current Delta and Atlas rockets. There is also a video showing the…
4/5- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Video
Rocket Science Activities
From NASA, these activities look at the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical foundations of rocketry to provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on experimentation. Rockets have formed the basis of space exploration. Extensive teachers' notes, guidance and lesson plans contained in this…
- 5/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Teacher guidance
Space Shuttle Mission Images
The space shuttle has been used by NASA as a re-usable orbiter since 1981. The programme's last flight is scheduled for 2011. These resources show all stages of a mission, from launch to landing. It includes a video of the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis.
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Video
Stars, Nebulae, Galaxies
NASA has been responsible for some fantastic images of space, especially from the Hubble Space Telescope. These are a few of the images of stars, nebulae and galaxies. More images are available from the NASA website.
Solar System Scale Model
From NASA, this activity helps students see the relative distances from the sun of the planets in our solar system. Astronomers refer to the distance from the sun to the Earth as one 'astronomical unit' or AU. This activity demonstrates an easy way to calculate the distances of the other planets from the sun and build a…
Solar System: Images of Individual Planets
From NASA, these high resolution images show separately the planets of our solar system. Images in this resource include: Sun, Earth, Moon, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto.
Drinking Straw Rocket
This simple activity from NASA allows classrooms to study rocket stability as students construct and fly small "indoor" paper rockets. The rockets can be used for a range of activities into forces and movement in which students collect data and interpret the results.
Lunar Rover Images
Humans have landed on the Moon. These images, from NASA, show some of the Lunar rovers that have been involved in manned Lunar explorations and some that may be developed for future missions to the Moon.
Satellites
This video from NASA shows why satellites are used and how they work. The video describes the four components of a satellite, the processes of uplinking and downlinking, and the information that satellites provide to scientists. The segment also explains the difference between geostationary and orbiting satellites.
- 5/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Video
Phoenix Mars Lander
This video, from NASA, examines the Phoenix Lander mission which provided new information about Mars and the possibility of life on the Red Planet. The Phoenix Lander explored Mars' polar region and the thick layer of ice directly below the planet's surface. Phoenix looked for signs of life on Mars and NASA scientists believe…
Science and Engineering on the Moon Challenge
These NASA materials describe hands-on science and engineering challenges for students, using space exploration as an engaging context. The activities are related to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite missions. Students design and build: • an air-powered…
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Teacher guidance
Images of Astronauts
From NASA, these images show astronauts from early space missions, to the space shuttle and international space station. The images can be used to illustrate human space exploration in a range of resources. Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space and Neil Armstrong, part of the Apollo 11 mission, was the first man on the moon.
Black Hole Mathematics
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at black holes. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in the maths and physical science post-16 curriculum. Problems consist of a student page and an answer sheet. Students need to be familiar with scientific…
Hubble Space Telescope
This video clip from NASA shows how the Hubble Space Telescope has changed the way scientists look at the universe, without the interference of Earth's atmosphere. Find out how this telescope works and a bit of history about the man after whom it is named. The presentation is aimed at primary students but the content is also…
Space-based Astronomy Educator Guide
These resources from NASA look at why telescopes are put into space. Students build simple spectroscopes and telescopes to learn the answer to this question. This educator guide is divided into units of study that include science demonstrations, lesson plans and student sheets so that students may learn about Earth's atmosphere,…
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Teacher guidance
Infra-red: More Than Your Eyes Can See
From NASA, this short video looks at how infra-red cameras see the world and are used to explore space. It describes the electromagnetic spectrum and how infra-red is a measure of heat radiation. The video concludes by showing how infra-red can be used in astronomy to observe distant stars and galaxies. The materials also include…
Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope
NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is a space-based telescope that looks at the universe in the gamma ray wavelengths. This telescope will study known sources of gamma rays in detail but will also discover thousands of new gamma-ray sources in its five-year mission. This resource has an image of the telescope…
Life of a Star: Planetary Nebula Lithograph
This resource from NASA describes how low-mass stars expand in size and become red giants at the end of their lives. Then they shed their outer layers and become planetary nebulae. The image of NGC 2440, a planetary nebula, is on the first page of the lithograph. Background information about the life cycle of stars is on the second…
- 2/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Information sheet
Light and Optics Teacher Resource and Class Activities
This teacher guidance from NASA describes color and light activities that can be used with students from Key Stage Two to Four. Using lenses, prisms and mirrors students create telescopes, periscopes, microscopes and kaleidoscopes. Other activities include finding focal length and understanding reflection, refraction and diffraction.…
Robotic Landers: Small with Big Benefits
NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are creating a new generation of smart, versatile robotic landers for exploring the moon, asteroids, and other airless bodies in our solar system. As small as a golf cart but big in performance, these multi-use landers will enable a variety of exciting missions into…
GRIP Hurricane Observation Satellite Programme
From NASA, this video shows how the GRIP project is using satellite observations from space to track and understand hurricanes on Earth. It helps to illustrate how satellites are used to monitor the Earth's climate.
Solar Power for Exploration Challenge
From NASA, Solar Energy for Space Exploration is a problem-based learning activity. The project requires students to propose and defend a design to provide power to a lunar or Martian research base for six astronauts. To prepare for the final project, students investigate the variables that affect the operation of solar panels;…