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In this activity, teams of learners will model how scientists and engineers design and build spacecraft to collect, store, and transmit data to Earth. Teams will design a system to store and transmit topographic data of the Moon and then analyze... (View More) that data and compare it to data collected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. (View Less)
This is an activity that compares the magnetic field of the Earth to the complex magnetic field of the Sun. Using images of the Earth and Sun that have magnets attached in appropriate orientations, learners will use a handheld magnetic field... (View More) detector to observe the magnetic field of the Earth and compare it to that of the Sun, especially in sunspot areas. For each group of students, this activity requires use of a handheld magnetic field detector, such as a Magnaprobe or a similar device, a bar magnet, and ten small disc magnets. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
In this lesson, students will be introduced to how the Doppler effect changes our perception of wavelengths of sound (pitch) and light (color). Students will model how astronomers use the line spectra of stars to identify elements in the stars and... (View More) the speeds of galaxies in the universe. Requires some special equipment for spectral analysis and a darkened room for viewing spectra. Suggestions are included for introducing the Doppler Effect for students unfamiliar with this concept. This activity is part of the Cosmic Times teachers guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1929 Cosmic Times Poster. (View Less)
Using a graphing calculator and a Norland Research calculator robot, students create programs in TI-BASIC to direct their robot through a variety of tasks. Ten robot missions and three exploration extensions are included in this lesson booklet.... (View More) Beginning missions include step-by-step programming instructions; the missions become increasingly challenging throughout. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
In this fieldwork activity, students learn that when setting up a research design a system's boundaries are based on the question(s) a scientist wants to answer. Students ground truth, or validate, a pixel within a homogeneous area of a satellite... (View More) image and ask and answer questions related to their observations. Equipment needed to do this activity include a compass and camera. This is a learning activity associated with the GLOBE Land Cover/Biology investigations and is supported by the GLOBE Teacher's Guide, Land Cover/Biology. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
This is an activity about polarized light. Learners will use a polarizing filter to build and calibrate a simple polarimeter, use the constructed polarimeter to find sources of polarized light, and measure the angle of polarization of polarized... (View More) light sources and attempt to measure the strength of polarization. This activity is from the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
In this activity, learners will explore the properties of color filters and filter bandpass by observing light sources using diffraction grating and color filters and create a graph of percent transmission versus wavelength to characterize the... (View More) bandpass of the filter. This activity requires various light sources, a diffraction grating, and two or more color filters that are transparent to some wavelengths of light and opaque, or nearly opaque, at other wavelengths. This is an activity in the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
This is an activity about the movement of sunspots. Learners will project an image of the Sun using a telescope, binoculars, or a pinhole projector, observe and record sunspots over the course of several days, and calculate the speed of the observed... (View More) sunspots to, therefore, determine the rotation rate of the Sun. This activity is from the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
Students determine the ability of various lenses and mirrors to gather light in order to compare and calculate their light gathering power. This activity is part of Unit 3 in the Space Based Astronomy guide that contains background information,... (View More) worksheets, assessments, extensions, and standards. (View Less)
Using remote control cars and other materials, learners will simulate the experience of trying to operate a planetary rover and working as a team to address challenges and meet a common goal. Student information sheets and worksheets as well as... (View More) websites for additional information are included. This is activity 13 of 24 from a collection, titled Mars Activities. Note: Find the latest information and updates on Mars missions at the NASA Mars Exploration website (see Related & Supplemental Resources to the right). (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students