The lithograph features illustrations, statistics and science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope. The accompanying classroom activity prompts students to use the images and text to generate questions about the telescope. Students then research... (View More) those questions on the Internet and present their findings. (View Less)

Using stickers created from the templates provided, students create a Venn diagram of objects in our solar system, our galaxy and the universe. This short activity can be used as a formative assessment.

Each of us is made from star stuff. But how are stars formed? Take a closer look at the life cycles of stars and learn where stars come from, how they've changed, and what happens to stars when their lives come to an end. Find out about your... (View More) connection to the cosmos. NASA eClips™ are short, relevant educational video segments. These videos inspire and engage students, helping them see real world connections. (View Less)

This two-page lithograph features an infrared image entitled, Pillars in the Monkey Head Nebula (the nebula also known as NGC 2174), located in the Orion constellation. The accompanying classroom activity "In Search of....Star Formation" is a... (View More) curriculum support tool designed for use as an introductory inquiry activity. During the classroom activity, students use the images and text on this lithograph to generate questions about the electromagnetic spectrum. They will conduct research to answer their questions, then create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material. (View Less)

This lithograph features a Hubble image of the galaxy cluster Abell 2744, which exhibits a special feature known as gravitational lensing. The backside includes a description of the image and its features. Students use the image and the information... (View More) provided to generate related questions, then conduct research to find the answers. Lesson details, including suggested research websites, are provided. (View Less)

This is a two-page lithograph featuring the Cepheid Variable Star RS Puppis, an example of a special class of bright pulsating stars whose light and energy outputs vary over a set period of time. The text on the lithograph explains the historic... (View More) importance of Cepheid variable stars as distance markers. The accompanying classroom activity In Search of … Cepheid Variable Stars is a curriculum support tool designed for use as an introductory inquiry activity. During the classroom activity, students use the images and text on this lithograph to generate questions about Cepheid variable stars. They will conduct research to answer their questions and will create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material, providing supporting evidence from their research. (View Less)

This image from the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a panorama of turbulent star birth, located close enough to Earth that Hubble can resolve individual stars. The star factory resides 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small... (View More) satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. Included are suggestions for using this in the classroom and an introductory activity in which students use the images and text on this lithograph to generate questions, and research answers, about star formation. (View Less)

Students read and analyze four different articles about the NuSTAR mission discoveries regarding black holes. This activity is from the NuSTAR Educators Guide: X-Rays on Earth and from Space, which focuses on the science and engineering design of... (View More) NASA's NuSTAR mission. The guide includes a standards matrix, assessment rubrics, instructor background materials, and student handouts. (View Less)

Students will use the law of reflection to reflect a laser beam off multiple mirrors to hit a sticker in a shoebox. Since X-ray telescopes must use grazing angles to collect X-rays, students will design layouts with the largest possible angles of... (View More) reflection. This activity is from the NuSTAR Educators Guide: X-Rays on Earth and from Space, which focuses on the science and engineering design of NASA's NuSTAR mission. The guide includes a standards matrix, assessment rubrics, instructor background materials, and student handouts. (View Less)

This is an annotated, topical list of science fiction novels and stories based on more or less accurate astronomy and physics ideas. Learners can read fictional works that involve asteroids, astronomers, black holes, comets, space travel where... (View More) Einstein's ideas are used correctly, exploding stars, etc. (View Less)