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Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Short Description: Using baking soda and vinegar, propel an object across the floor to introduce the idea of how things move through space.
Analyzing Elemental Abundances
Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud Mission: Genesis (Our Solar System) Short Description: Participants will practice and understand the use of ratios in describing the abundances of isotopes.
DPS Slide Set: Another Impact on Jupiter
Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Jupiter Short Description: This four-slide powerpoint by the Division of Planetary Science includes basic information for college-level introductory courses.
Europa Geology Jigsaw Puzzle
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter, Europa Mission: Galileo (Jupiter), Voyager 1 (Our Solar System), Voyager 2 (Our Solar System) Short Description: This activity introduces students to one of the moons of Jupiter (Europa) and how its icy crust has been broken apart.
Flexing Muscles and Moons
Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter, Europa Short Description: Students measure the effect of gravitational flexing (which keeps Io and Europa's interior warm) by taking the temperature of some flexible rubber balls. They also calculate the force of gravity.
How Much Rock is in an Icy Moon? (Student Page)
Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Short Description: In order to determine the percentages of rock and ice in a number of the satellites (moons) of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), students construct a graph of the amount of rock versus the density of the moon, using a simple equation. They then determine the percentage of rock from the densities of several moons and enter the answers in a table.
How Much Rock is in an Icy Moon? (Teacher Page)
Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Short Description: In order to determine the percentages of rock and ice in a number of the satellites (moons) of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), students construct a graph of the amount of rock versus the density of the moon, using a simple equation. They then determine the percentage of rock from the densities of several moons and enter the answers in a table.
In the Footsteps of Galileo: Observing the Moons of Jupiter
Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter, Europa Short Description: In this activity, students learn about the scientific method and do a simplified version of Galileo's pioneering observations of Jupiter's moons.
Jupiter's Family Secrets: Weather Stations
Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Jupiter Short Description: In this series of brief station activities, students may examine the turbulent weather that creates Jupiter's distinctive banded appearance.
Mars Pathfinder: Egg Drop and Landing
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon, Pluto Mission: Mars Pathfinder (Mars) Short Description: Design, build, and test a system for landing on the surface of Mars without breaking the cargo, an egg.
Measuring Solar Activity
Topic: Light and Spectra Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud Short Description: Measuring Solar Activity is a multi-part exercise in math and physics for high school students and above. Students will learn graphing, pattern recognition by looking at satellite images and 250 years worth of data, making predictions, and recognizing spacial relationships.
Modeling the Solar System
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Short Description: This PDF contains four lessons:
1) Modeling Orbits in the Solar System. This lesson models the orbital distances between the planets and shows that the solar system is mostly empty space.
2) Modeling Sizes of Planets. This lesson compares the relative sizes of the planets to those of familiar fruits and vegetables. It also uses size to calculate density and planet composition.
3) Looking Inside Planets. This lesson involves modeling the interior structures of the planets and shows that the solid cores of the gas giants are similar in size to the Earth or Venus.
4) Search for A Habitable Planet. This lesson looks at the characteristics of planets that make them livable, their temperature, and compositions of atmosphere and surface instead of size
or orbit.
Mud Splat Craters
Topic: Planetary Surface Processes Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon, Pluto Short Description: Observe crater formation in mud to introduce the idea of fluidized craters as seen on the surface of Mars.
Observing Jupiter's Moons
Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Jupiter Short Description: Students conduct a series of inquiries about the position and motion of Jupiter's moons using prescribed Internet simulations.
Orbits of Jupiter's Moons and Kepler's 3rd Law
Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Jupiter Mission: Galileo (Jupiter), Juno (Jupiter) Short Description: Students use images of Jupiter's Galilean moons to find their orbit periods and orbit radii, and find a "constant" relationship between orbit period and orbit radius to arrive at Kepler's 3rd Law.
Size and Shape Imaged
Topic: Life Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Short Description: This activity contains a series of images of very small things. Students will view the images, hear the information from a script, and make some observations and connections. They will see Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images of small living organisms and rock surfaces. Then, using their new perspective, they will view unidentified samples and speculate about the surfaces and the origins of the features in the images. The goal is to get the students to think about looking at very small objects and to realize
that observations are a great way to start scientific research.
Solar System Exploration Mission Timeline Activity
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Meteors & Meteorites, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon, Europa Mission: ARTEMIS (Earth's Moon), Cassini (Saturn), Dawn (Dwarf Planets), DSN (Our Solar System), GRAIL (Earth's Moon), Hubble (Beyond Our Solar System), Huygens (Saturn), IBEX (Our Solar System), InSight (Mars), Juno (Jupiter), Lunar Recon Orbiter (Earth's Moon), MESSENGER (Mercury), NEAR Shoemaker (Asteroids), New Horizons (Dwarf Planets), Phoenix (Mars), Stardust (Comets), Venus Express (Venus), Viking 01 (Mars), Viking 02 (Mars), Voyager 1 (Our Solar System), Voyager 2 (Our Solar System) Short Description: Extreme Exploration -- Solar System Exploration Missions Timeline involves students in the wide range of mission events of 2008-2015+. Using the Solar System Exploration Timeline poster as a guide, student teams research assigned missions and record events such as launch and landing, etc. It is expected that students will be drawn into the excitement of mission events as they follow along with NASA's Solar System Exploration -- past, current, and future.
The Moons of Jupiter
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12 Body: Jupiter Short Description: Students investigate how the density of Jupiter's moons is related to their diameter and distance from Jupiter.
The Period of Io and the Mass of Jupiter
Grade Level: 9-12 Body: Jupiter Short Description: Students find the mass of Jupiter using orbital data for Io.
Through the Eyes of Scientists Grades 4-6: Volcanoes - They're Everywhere!
Topic: Landforms Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Earth's Moon Mission: Cassini (Saturn), Galileo (Jupiter) Short Description: Learn about volcanoes on Earth and in the solar system through the eyes of Scientist Dr. Rosaly Lopes.This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product, and includes materials for students in grades 4-6.
Through the Eyes of Scientists, Grades 4-6: Volcanoes - Theyr'e Everywhere!
Topic: Landforms Grade Level: 5-8 Body: Our Solar System, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter Mission: Cassini (Saturn), Galileo (Jupiter) Short Description: Learn about volcanoes on Earth and in the solar system through the eyes of Scientist Dr. Rosaly Lopes.This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product, and includes materials for students in grades 4-6.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Around and Around - Everything is Moving
Grade Level: K-4 Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Mission: Voyager 1 (Our Solar System), Voyager 2 (Our Solar System) Short Description: Learning about the ever-moving objects in our solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Adventurer, Dr. Edward Stone. This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Moons - Many, Many Moons!
Grade Level: K-4 Body: Our Solar System, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Mission: Cassini (Saturn), Galileo (Jupiter), GRAIL (Earth's Moon), Lunar Recon Orbiter (Earth's Moon) Short Description: Learning about moons of the solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Moon Master, Dr. Bonnie Buratti.This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Space Can Be a Chilly Place - Ice Is Nice!
Grade Level: K-4 Body: Our Solar System, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Mission: Cassini (Saturn) Short Description: Learning about ice in the solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Arctic Space Explorer, Mr. Ben Holt. This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: What is a Planet?
Grade Level: K-4 Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon Short Description: Learning about the Sun and the planets as a "treasure map" through the eyes of Scientist-Treasure Hunter, Dr. Phil Chamberlin.
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