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In this lesson, students participate in a skit presenting a mock-up of a planetary surface rover they designed. Students will be able to: demonstrate their knowledge of Mars and rovers by presenting their team skit; present their rover, its... (View More) requirements and features to the class; answer questions asked by the class based on research conducted during the unit; incorporate feedback from others and ideas from other presentations into student work. The lesson plan has a number of appendices, including: standards alignment, essential question, and exit ticket. This is Lesson 15 of the middle school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)
In this lesson, students will design a planetary surface rover to conduct a planetary surface investigation. It uses the 5E learning cycle and is designed around an essential question: How will creating a prototype of your rover help you prepare for... (View More) the Mars Rover Celebration? The lesson objectives are to: learn about scientific careers to gain a better understanding of a sampling of careers that have contributed to designing and developing Curiosity; draw a detailed, final-design sketch/diagram of the rover that will be built; identify missions, requirements and features of the rover using labels and captions when necessary. A number of appendices are provided, including standards alignment. This is Lesson 12 of the middle school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)
In this multi-day activity, students use infrared and visible images of animals and sort them into broad categories based upon the learner's own reasoning and observations of the images. Further explorations reveal that warm and cold-blooded animals... (View More) can be identified and characterized using infrared images. The lesson features background information for the teacher, pre-requisite skills and knowledge for the student, a mini-exploration of Infrared Image Technology, multiple image sets, assessment information, student worksheets, extension and transfer activities, and additional resources. This is lesson 1 on the Infrared Zoo website. (View Less)
This is a lesson about the requirements for life on another planet. Learners will grow organisms in one of 12 classroom environments and identify common requirements (such as water, nutrients, and energy). They will also design a mission to identify... (View More) habitable places by searching for water, nutrients, and energy. A math extension explores measuring calories. Includes background reading for teachers, student pages, reflection questions, and blackline masters. This is activity 2 of 5 in Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere? (View Less)
This is a lesson about the characteristics necessary for life. Learners will identify the top candidates for life in the solar system by examining Habitability Cards, which discuss each planet and the six large moons in terms of water temperature,... (View More) atmosphere, energy, and nutrients. A math extension is provided on the Inverse Square Law. Includes background reading for teachers, student pages, reflection questions, and blackline masters. This is activity 3 of 5 in the educators guide, Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere? Note: See Related & Supplemental Resources (right side of this page) to download a separate PDF of the Habitability Cards used in this lesson. (View Less)
In this activity, students are challenged to predict the next day's weather based on cloud observations, prevailing winds, and barometric measurements over a period of several days. The activity can be done as guided or open-ended inquiry and serves... (View More) as an authentic assessment to conclude a unit on weather. Resources needed to conduct this activity include weather instruments, some of which can be constructed from household materials. The resource includes background information, a pre-activity inquiry exploration for students, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is chapter 16 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $5 - $10 per group of students
This is a lesson about the field of astrobiology, the study of life in the universe, and ice as a preservative for evidence of life. Learners will consider the relationship between ice and life as they investigate the conditions required for life to... (View More) exist and sustain itself. They will study the impact of freezing on microbes and life processes and will learn about extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme conditions. Activities include small group miming, speaking, drawing, and/or writing. This is lesson 8 of 12 in the unit, Exploring Ice in the Solar System. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $5 - $10 per group of students
This lesson is an introduction to the use of a magnetic compass. At a specific location, learners will locate an object using a compass, identify its bearing, and others will attempt to locate the object by only knowing the bearing reading and the... (View More) corresponding location where the bearing was obtained. Next, learners will develop a method for determining if a magnetic storm is occurring, and they will test this method using online information and a compass. This activity requires compasses and access to the Internet. This is Activity 5 in the Exploring Magnetism on Earth teachers guide. (View Less)
This is a lesson plan for an activity about the nature of the Sun's apparent motion throughout the day. Learners will follow detailed instructions to construct a sundial using everyday materials and make measurements of the shadow cast by the... (View More) sundial. Learners use the shadow cast by the sundial to track the motion of the Sun throughout the day and use these measurements, geometry, and trigonometry to make calculations of altitude and azimuth of the Sun, as well as the time of true local noon and the altitude of the Sun at true local noon. Measurements can be taken during one day only, for a few days, or on many days throughout an entire year to get a more complete picture of the Sun’s apparent motion. This activity requires daytime access to a sunny outdoor location over the course of several hours. This is an activity in the Touch the Sun teacher's guide. (View Less)
This is an activity about the effect of solar storm events on Earth's magnetic field. Learners will construct a soda bottle magnetometer, take it home, collect data over the course of three days, and analyze the results from several of these data... (View More) collection sessions to detect magnetic storm events. This is the eighth activity in the Exploring the Earth's Magnetic Field: An IMAGE Satellite Guide to the Magnetosphere educators guide. (View Less)