Using an online interactive platform, learners will explore our solar system from the perspective of the Sun. They will observe the motion of different worlds to determine their location in the solar system. Then they will launch probes to search... (View More) these small worlds (bodies in the solar system not classified as a planet or a moon) for the caches hidden on them in order to collect the astrocoins inside. A 5E instructional lesson allows students to analyze a model to locate small worlds, define speed/distance relationships, and identify model limitations. Images, worksheets and a rubric are included. Instructional objectives and learning outcomes are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts; and A Framework for 21st Century Learning. (View Less)

This is a poster about the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), an instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Learners can find out what it does and how it works, then go online and start exploring the Red Planet... (View More) with real Mars data. (View Less)

Learners create art inspired by authentic NASA planetary image data while learning to recognize the geology on planetary surfaces, uniquely inspiring learner engagement. This presentation and accompanying activity use the elements of art - shape,... (View More) line, color, texture, value - to make sense of features in NASA images, honing observation skills and inspiring questions. It aligns with the NGSS cross-cutting concept of Patterns. Videos, images, and an interactive poster that breaks down activity elements deepen user access. (View Less)

This poster shows comparison images of Earth and Mars on the front, with 11 Mars activities on the back. Learners can investigate: how far away is Mars, why does Mars have craters, water on Mars, Mars' minerals, how high the mountains are on Mars,... (View More) and are invited to create a martian calendar and travel guide. See Related & Supplemental Resources (right) for link to poster back where the activities are located. (View Less)

This lithograph shows an image of Mars on the front, with informational text on the back about how the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has been used to study Mars weather. HST took this image on March 30, 1997, just as it was making a close pass to... (View More) Earth some 60 million miles (100 million km) away. It shows Mars during the transition between spring and summer in the northern hemisphere (summer solstice). The north polar carbon dioxide (dry ice) frost cap is rapidly evaporating from solid to gas, revealing a much smaller permanent water ice cap. Bright water ice clouds are visible across the center and along the bottom of the image. (View Less)