Each lesson or activity in this toolkit is related to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The toolkit is designed so that each lesson can be done independently, or combined and taught in a sequence. The Teacher Implementation Guide provides... (View More) recommendations for combining the lessons into three main strands: 1) Lunar Exploration. These lessons provide a basic introduction to Moon exploration. Note that this strand is also appropriate for use in social studies classes. 2) Mapping the Moon. These lessons provide a more in-depth understanding of Moon exploration through the use of scientific data and student inquiry. The lessons also include many connections to Earth science and geology. 3) Tools of Investigation. These higher-level lessons examine the role of technology, engineering and physics in collecting and analyzing data. (View Less)

This is an activity about similarities and differences between the Earth and Mars. Learners will investigate how Mars compares to the Earth, working together to create an Earth-Mars Comparison Poster to post in the program facility/library and share... (View More) with their community. Their poster will feature basic facts about Mars and the Earth, as well as a scale model using balloons to represent the two planets. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 2 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries. (View Less)

This is a lesson about landing site selection. Learners will work in teams to determine a landing site for their Mars Rover that best relates to their scientific question. They use technology skills to research Gale Crater through an online... (View More) interactive module and learn about features of Mars through use of Google Earth Mars. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, three Vocabulary Cards, and a Mini-Lesson. This is lesson 8 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

Learners will explore the features of Mars through a demonstration of Google Earth Mars, gather, and analyze data from multiple sources on the internet as well as print sources, develop and use strategies for reading informational text to... (View More) systematically find information, and understand that Earth and Mars have similar geological features. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, two Vocabulary Cards, and a reading strategy supplement. This is lesson 3 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

Learners will identify, become familiar with and use the Engineering Design Process, use the engineering design process to sketch a reasonable drawing of the rover that will be built, use the steps of the engineering design process to build a Mars... (View More) Rover prototype, develop a concept map to communicate requirements and features of the rover. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, three Vocabulary Cards, and a concept map Mini-Lesson. This is lesson 11 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

Learners will investigate probes and rovers to learn how they are built, learn about the propulsion, navigation, controls and daily handling of spacecraft, gather, and analyze data from multiple sources on the internet, and understand how rovers... (View More) communicate with Earth. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, two Vocabulary Cards, a Vocabulary Toolbox and four workstation handouts. This is lesson 9 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

This is a set of two activities about Saturn. Learners will create science journals called Saturn Discovery Logs, to chronicle their journey of discovery about Saturn and NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission. They will use observation skills and write... (View More) about their observations. In teams, they also discuss and record what they wonder about. Their writing forms the basis for "claims" and "evidence" as projects and presentations are formulated. Includes a glossary, information for families, and guidance for deepening the science. This is lesson 1 of 8 in the Jewel of the Solar System: From Out-of-School to Outer Space an adaptation for afterschool programs of the Cassini-Huygens educational product Reading, Writing, and Rings. (View Less)

This is a set of four activities about Saturn. Learners will read a series of Saturn minibooks, and then use this information to answer questions and construct a poster to display their learning. The fourth activity returns to the idea of size and... (View More) scale by comparing Saturn and Titan to our Earth and Moon. Includes a glossary, information for families, and guidance for deepening the science. This is lesson 3 of 8 in the Jewel of the Solar System: From Out-of-School to Outer Space, an adaptation for after school programs of the Cassini-Huygens educational product, Reading, Writing, and Rings. (View Less)

Children will learn to write with scientific accuracy to characterize Saturn and its features as they create their own multilayer 3-D book of Saturn, with diagrams showing its various layers, ring system and many moons. Includes a glossary,... (View More) information for families, and guidance for deepening the science. This is lesson 4 of 8 in the Jewel of the Solar System: From Out-of-School to Outer Space, an adaptation for afterschool programs of the Cassini-Huygens educational product Reading, Writing, and Rings. (View Less)

This is a lesson about how to plan a mission to explore another world in the Solar System. Learners will discuss the path of a spacecraft traveling between planets, examining the journey from the Earth to Mars as an example. In Activity 1, students... (View More) determine the pros and cons for different ways we can explore another world, either by observing from the Earth or by sending a spacecraft to fly by, orbit, or land on the world. In Activity 2, the students plan a complete mission to explore another world in the Solar System. By the end of the lesson, the students come to understand that what scientists want to learn about an object determines how they plan the mission, but real-life constraints such as cost and time determine what actually can be accomplished. (View Less)