Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...

Being an astronaut takes not only high mental acuity, but also a high level of physical fitness, especially for those who spend a long amount of time away from Earth, such as the astronauts serving on the International Space Station....

Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...

Students are introduced to the space environment. This lesson covers the major differences between the environment on Earth and that of outer space and the engineering challenges that arise because of these discrepancies. In order to...

These full-color handouts feature two activities. The first is a reading on comets, meteors, and meteoroids. Your space science learners will examine ten phrases and determine which of the three each characterizes. The second activity...

Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...

Students research volcanoes on the Internet to compare/contrast the volcanoes on Earth to the ones found on Io, a moon of Jupiter. Students list the similarities and differences in science journals, and illustrate pictures of the volcanoes.

Learners observe pictures taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. From a given website, students observe images of the Einstein Cross, Black Eye Galaxy, Hoag's Object, merging and interacting galaxies and more. This lesson plan gives a...

Students examine images from space.  In this third from the Sun lesson, students examine images from, Landsat, the satellite launched by NASA in 1972.   

Students examine digital images and how satellites orbiting Earth send information and pictures to Earth over the Internet. They use a digital camera to put pictures on a computer and decode a satellite image from space.

Fifth graders prepare five activities to do then show their energy saving skills.  In this investigative activity students create five projects then participate in an energy saving demonstration. 

Students examine the three primary colors of light and design a numerical code to represent those colors. They tell how satellites use numbers to create satellite images after completing a number of experimental activities.

Students investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. In this space science lesson, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the mission. As a...

Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa.  In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel. 

Students use CERES percent coverage surface data with a world map in locating landmasses and bodies of water at Earth's Equator.

Students take pictures and write a paragraph about a rock they have found. In this rock lesson plan, students also send their information to the Mars Space Flight Facility.

Students create their own Saturn Discovery logs. They draw pictures of the planet and its founder. They share their drawings and writings with partners.

Students download information from a NASA website into a database. They transfer it to a spreadsheet by completing the information and analyze the information. They determine temperature averages, mode, and graph the results. They write...

Students describe in words and graphic displays the elevation or depression profile of sections of Mars' Olympus Mons and/or Valles Marineris. They explain how orbiting spacecraft build up global maps one data slice at a time.

Students read and study an article then answer questions on Saturn.  In this investigative lesson students identify ways space exploration has helped humanity and then they search the Internet for space pictures and sketch a drawing...

Students design an experiment for NASA's STEREO/IMPACT mission to measure the interplanetary magnetic field. This instructional activity includes 3 excellent hands-on and critical thinking activities in which students explore magnetism...

Fourth graders use candy to make a comet. In this lesson, 4th graders examine the role comets have played throughout history, students watch NASA videos about comets and complete the lesson by making an edible model of a comet. This...

Students explore the characteristics that distinguish different forms of animal life on Earth which are the results of natural selection and adaptations to their environment. The creatures are created using a game and then drawn by the...

Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...