Students will use educational materials from NASA's Cosmic Times to create their own mash-up (an image, audio or video created by combining two or more sources of media into a new work). This lesson offers the opportunity to use media mash-up... (View More) technology, to acquire knowledge through differentiated instruction, and for students to present their knowledge, ideas and individual perspectives. The lesson includes links to handouts, procedures, and introductory mash-up videos. (View Less)

Students build background knowledge about black holes and active galaxies before taking on the roles of reporters to share information about a new NASA discovery. Students watch a simulated press briefing, gather notes, determine their target... (View More) audience and then write an article/produce a video. Instructions, handouts, answer keys and website links are provided. (View Less)

This series of curriculum support materials explores how our understanding of the nature of the universe has changed during the past 100 years. Students examine the process of science through the stories of the people and the discoveries that caused... (View More) our understanding to evolve from a static universe to a universe whose expansion is accelerating. The series illustrates the nature of science by tracing the process of discovery from the confirmation of Einstein's theory of gravity, to Hubble's evidence for the expanding universe, to the detection of the microwave background, and finally to the discovery of dark energy. The series includes six posters, each resembling the front page of a newspaper from a particular time in this history with articles describing the discoveries. Each poster is accompanied by an online teacher guide and downloadable, inquiry-based lessons. Downloadable newsletter versions of the poster are available for individual student use, with three editions for different reading levels (Early Edition for grade 7-8, Home Edition for grades 9-10, and Late Edition for grades 11-12). Lesson plans can be found by following the link from Teacher Resources to Curriculum Tools to the Sortable Table of Lessons. (View Less)

In this lesson, students will read about and research the major historical events that occurred throughout the year 1919. They will use different readings and articles to understand and describe what life was like during this time. In addition, the... (View More) students will present their case as to whether or not Albert Einstein should be voted "Man of the Year" for 1919. This activity is from the Cosmic Times teachers guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1919 Cosmic Times Poster. (View Less)

In this lesson, students identify and describe unfamiliar scientist heroes who contributed to the field of science until the year 1929. Students create a T-square graphic organizer about a specific group of women scientists of the Harvard College... (View More) Observatory (a T-square is provided that has Facts Learned on one side and Big Ideas or Contributions on the other). The students will also research and complete a product (e.g., written report, multimedia product, podcast, blog, skit, etc.) and give a presentation on one of the unfamiliar scientist heroes they researched. This activity is from the Cosmic Times teacher's guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1929 Cosmic Times poster. (View Less)

Students utilize two reading strategies that can be used to understand the Cosmic Times materials, as well as other readings that may be challenging to them. The first strategy, called Talking to the Text, is an independent strategy in which the... (View More) students write down their thoughts as they are reading the material. In the second strategy, the students pair up and help each other read and understand concepts through reciprocal teaching. This activity is from the Cosmic Times teacher's guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1965 Cosmic Times poster, however, these strategies can be used with any of the Cosmic Times articles. (View Less)