This is an activity about planning a planetary mission. Learners will play a card game to design a mission to Mars. This game will allow them to experience the fundamentals of the engineering design process as they use collaboration and... (View More) problem-solving skills to develop a mission that meets constraints (budget, mass, power) and criteria (significant science return). This activity can introduce many activities in technology education, including robotics and rocketry. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, vocabulary, student journal and reading. (View Less)

This activity is about planetary rovers. Learners will simulate the challenges in communications that engineers face when driving a rover on Mars. They will particpate as part of a rover team to design and execute a series of commands that will... (View More) guide a rover made of people through an obstacle course simulating the Martian surface. Students will learn the limitations of operating a planetary rover and problem solving solutions by using this simulation. The lesson models the engineering design process using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, vocabulary, student journal and reading. (View Less)

This activity is about rocket shape and performance. Learners will test a rocket model and predict its motion. They will launch their rocket multiple times, make observations and record the distance it traveled. They will have the opportunity to... (View More) answer a research question by collecting and analyzing data related to finding out the best nose cone length and predicting the motion of their model rockets. The lesson models the engineering design process using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, vocabulary, student journal and reading. (View Less)

This is a lesson about the design and operation of an ion propulsion engine. Learners will study the essential components and variables of an ion propulsion system. Activities include an on-line ion propulsion engine simulation and design. Included... (View More) are changes in energy and fuel consumption as a result of variable changes (dependent/independent variable relationships). This is activity 5 of 5 in Structure and Properties of Matter: Ion Propulsion. (View Less)

This is an activity about motion in a frame of reference. Learners will develop an understanding that motion is relative by reading the text "Frames of Reference." As a follow-up to the reading, students engage in a writing-to-learn strategy that... (View More) can help them understand how motion depends on specific frames of reference, as they are asked to assume a specific frame of reference and describe motion in relation to multiple perspectives. This is activity 3 of 5 in "Structure and Properties of Matter: Ion Propulsion." (View Less)

Learners will work in groups to design a water rocket that will be tested. They will be able to test two preliminary designs before deciding on the final one for the contest. Prior to launch, the rockets are put through a series of design tests.... (View More) This is activity 7 of 7 in Dynamic Design: Launch and Propulsion. (View Less)

This lesson is about the assembly of the Genesis collector arrays. Learners will work in teams to complete the assembly of the array frame that they began in the "Working Together" lesson (lesson 9 in the module). Includes a teacher's guide and... (View More) students handouts. This lesson is 10 of 10 from the module, titled Dynamic Design: The Cleanroom. (View Less)

This lesson is about cleanroom technology and the importance of contamination control. Learners will discover the different types of industries that use cleanrooms. The activity centers on drawing a parallel between suiting up for the Genesis... (View More) cleanroom and dressing to do a certain job or activity, and presenting the findings to the class. Includes a teacher's guide and students handouts. Video and audio clips are provided. This lesson 3 of 10 from the Dynamic Design: The Cleanroom module. (View Less)

This lesson is about cleanroom technology and accompanies the Genesis mission cleanroom video, Cleanroom Technology: NASA Genesis Mission, available on the Genesis outreach Web site. Learners will understand the conditions that are necessary for the... (View More) assembly of the spacecraft scientific payload. Includes a teacher's guide and students handouts. Video and audio clips are provided. This lesson 2 of 10 from the Dynamic Design: The Cleanroom module - although it can also serve as a stand-alone lesson. (View Less)