This is a lesson about generating hypotheses and testable questions. Learners will use critical thinking and a collaborative approach to pose questions related to the study of Mars and evaluate the quality of their questions. They will explore... (View More) remote-sensing data collected by a camera orbiting Mars - the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) and develop a team science question. Students will practice critical thinking skills, use a collaborative approach to this first critical step of the scientific process. Exploring the images of the surface of Mars in Visible (VIS) images, students will come up with a topic of study, their team science question and hypotheses. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes and vocabulary. (View Less)

Learners will brainstorm possible solutions for the scientific question generated in lesson 5 of this unit and determine the reasonableness of solutions. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards... (View More) alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, two Vocabulary Cards, and a concept map supplement. This is lesson 6 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

This is a lesson about the variety of careers in space exploration. Learners will examine the want ads and discuss the types of jobs advertised, brainstorm ideas for careers of the future, and then write want-ads for a future paper. This is lesson... (View More) 16 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module. (View Less)

This is the concluding lesson in the Astro-Venture Biology Unit. Learners will draw and explain concept maps that show how the members of the food web interact with many different systems to support human habitability and write a report of their... (View More) findings explaining how astronomical, atmospheric, geological, and biological features work together as a system to support human habitability and how this balance can be maintained. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, prerequisite concepts, common misconceptions, student journal and reading. This is lesson 7 in the Astro-Venture Biology Training Unit that was developed to increase students' awareness of and interest in astrobiology and related STEM career opportunities. The lessons are designed to be used with the Astro-Venture multimedia modules. (View Less)

This is an extension activity to "DAWN: Find a Meteorite." Learners will use a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to look at a piece of the meteorite and try to determine if it has the Widemenstatten texture, chondrules, and/or a unique chemical... (View More) signature. (View Less)

In this activity, learners will explore the question, What is the chance that we are the only life in the universe? They determine what we need to know to predict the chances of extraterrestrial life. They then make estimates of the number of worlds... (View More) in the Milky Way galaxy that have life using the Drake equation. This is activity 5 of 5 in "Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere?" and builds on the previous activities. (View Less)

This is a lesson about meteorite investigations. Learners will listen to the story of an actual meteorite fall, participate in a brainstorm session intended to focus their interest on and arouse their curiosity about meteorites, view a slide show... (View More) that provides background information, and compose a conclusion to the narrative. Advanced preparation and procedural tips are included. This is lesson 1 of 19 in Exploring Meteorite Mysteries. (View Less)

This is a lesson about the effects of large impacts. Learners will use critical thinking skills to evaluate and apply data from a narrative to a scientific selection process, will demonstrate or visualize simulations of some of the effects of a huge... (View More) impact, and will write a point of view narrative. Materials and vocabulary lists, and advanced preparation and procedural tips are included. This is lesson 14 of 19 in Exploring Meteorite Mysteries. (View Less)

This activity is about landing on the Moon. Learners will design a spacecraft, choose a suitable lunar landing site, and present their ideas before the entire class using visual aides such as maps, diagrams, and 3-dimensional models. This activity... (View More) is in Unit 2 of the Exploring the Moon teachers guide, which is designed for use especially, but not exclusively, with the Lunar Sample Disk program. (View Less)