A Grapefruit Saturn
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Voyager 1 (Our Solar System), Voyager 2 (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Students will construct a scale model of Saturn; use it to explain a Voyager image of Saturn's shadow on its rings; and, by trial and error, discover that light moves through space in straight lines.
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.
Antenna Activity
Topic: Communication
Body: Saturn
Short Description: Demonstrates how signals are focused.
Can Photosynthesis Occur at Saturn?
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Participants learn the basic principle of photosynthesis and explore the intensity of sunlight on Saturn and its affect on photosynthesis.
Capturing a Whisper from Space
Topic: Communication
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: DSN (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Participants learn how a worldwide system of antennas is used with NASA's interplanetary spacecraft. Participants construct a cardstock antenna to demonstrate how the radio waves would be used to communicate.
DPS Slide Set: A Sunlit Lake on Titan
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: This four-slide Powerpoint by the Division of Planetary Science includes basic information for college-level introductory courses.
Edible Cassini Spacecraft
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Short Description: Participants construct an edible spacecraft to better understand the nature of the design.
Gingerbread Spacecraft
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Short Description: Participants understand the nature of spacecraft design by constructing their own model using edible materials.
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.
How to Make a Saturn Model
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students create a model of Saturn using discarded CDs.
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.
Methane Lakes on Titan
Topic: Size and Scale
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students use a recent Cassini radar image of the surface of Titan to estimate how much methane is present in the lakes that fill the image, and compare the volume to that of the fresh water lake (Lake Tahoe).
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.
People of the Cassini Team
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Profiles of people who work on the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan.
Reading, Writing and Rings (Main Portal)
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System, Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: These activities blend the excitement of space exploration with reading and writing. Activities are available for Grades 1-2 and Grades 3-4.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #10 Awesome Saturn
Topic: Life
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students generate a word list, then create one or more poems about Saturn. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #2 Where Is Saturn in the Solar System? Where Am I in the Solar System?
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: This lesson introduces students to Saturn and its place in the solar system. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #1 What Do You Know About Saturn?
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Pre-assessment of students knowledge about Saturn. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #3 Wow, Saturn Is Much Bigger than Earth!
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students explore the comparative sizes of Saturn and Earth; they make to-scale illustrations and caption their illustrations using scientific language. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #4 Amazing -- Saturn Is So Far, Far Away!
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students create an outdoor, to-scale model of the distances between the sun, Earth and Saturn to get a glimpse of the vastness of space. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #5 My Spacecraft Model
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students engage in basic problem-solving as they design and construct a model of a spacecraft, document their work and complete a Design Review Summary. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #6 Earth to Saturn, Earth to Saturn!
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Earth, Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students use drawing and writing to explore the comparative features of Saturn and Earth. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #7 Rotating Rings of Ice
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students create a 3-D model of Saturn and its rings and write about the model; students draft and write a paragraph explaining what they know about the ring system. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #8 Titan and the Other Moons of Saturn
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students learn that Saturn has many moons and that the Cassini mission may discover more moons; they examine characteristics of Saturns moons and sort the moons by attributes, then write about the moons and explain how they sorted them. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 1-2) #9 Focus on Saturn's Fascinating Features
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students create a multilayered book showing Saturns layers, ring system and moons; then develop their own texts to explain their Saturn diagrams. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #1 What Do I See When I Picture Saturn?
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students will create and use a Saturn Discovery Log to chronicle their journey of discovery about Saturn, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, and non-fiction writing. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #10 What Do I See Now When I Picture Saturn?
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: To reflect on what they have learned, students repeat the exercise that they did at the beginning of the unit in lesson 1. Students draw everything that they picture when they hear the words "Saturn" and "Cassini", add labels and captions to their drawings, and look back at their first exercise and compare the two. They end the lesson by sharing their work with a partner. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #11 Pulling It All Together
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students will organize notes to prepare to write one of the following types of nonfiction for their final piece: descriptive, compare and contrast, or summary. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #12 Celebrating Saturn and Cassini
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: For the final lesson, students will use prewriting notes to write a nonfiction piece about Saturn or Cassini. These final projects provide a way for children with varying learning styles to consolidate and share their learning. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #2 The Mysteries of Saturn and Cassini
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: The students will look at pictures of Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft and the Huygens probe and write what they notice, know and wonder. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #3 Wondering About Saturn: A Short History
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students hear a read-aloud of the history of Saturn discoveries. Next, they learn two reading comprehension strategies (visualizing and wondering) that they can use to become more powerful readers of non-fiction text. Finally, students share their work with partners and the class. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #4 How Far Away Is Saturn?
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students use simple props to create a playground model for size and distance for the sun, Earth and Saturn. Writing activities engage students in reflecting on experience and in comparing and contrasting. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #5 Discovering Saturn, The Real "Lord of the Rings"
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students extend and enhance their current understandings about Saturn by reading a series of Saturn minibooks, and learn a note-taking technique that will help them better understand nonfiction text. They use their notes for descriptive writing and to compare and contrast with new information learned. For the final activity, students build 3-D models of Saturn and its rings. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #6 My Spacecraft to Saturn
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students work with partners to think of solutions to problems that the NASA team faced when designing a spacecraft to travel to Saturn. They use these ideas to sketch their spacecraft. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #7 My Spacecraft and Cassini
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students hear how NASA solved the design problems that they wrote about in the previous lesson. Students write a nonfiction piece comparing their spacecraft to Cassini, and share these pieces with the class. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #8 All About Titan and the Huygens Probe
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students listen to a narrative "told" by the Huygens probe. Visualization and drawing are used as motivators to enhance comprehension and to get students thinking about Titan and what we might find there. Next, they read an article about Titan and the Huygens probe and write a summary. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings!: (Gr 3-4) #9 Drop Zone! Design and Test a Probe
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Using the information learned in lessons 6, 7 & 8 -- and their own creativity and problem solving skills -- students design and test a parachuting probe that will withstand a fall from a high point and land intact, be able to float in a liquid, descend slowly, and cost the least to launch into space. This series introduces science into a reading and writing curriculum.
Reading, Writing and Rings: Grades 1-2 Overview (Teacher Introduction)
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Information on Reading, Writing, and Rings, using science notebooks throughout the lessons, student assessment, student growth indicators, and a wealth of invaluable information to make your journey more exciting.
Be sure to download the "Introduction" found here.
Reading, Writing and Rings: Grades 3-4 Overview (Teacher Introduction)
Topic: Language Arts and Science
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Information on Reading, Writing, and Rings, using science notebooks throughout the lessons, student assessment, student growth indicators, and a wealth of invaluable information to make your journey more exciting.
Sand or Rock
Topic: Planetary Surface Processes
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Participants understand how scientists remotely determine the composition of an object in outer space and observe the differences in thermal behavior making a series of temperature measurements and plotting the results.
Saturn Educator Guide -- Getting to Know Saturn: #2 Saturns Moons
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students use the data provided on a set of Saturn Moon Cards to compare Saturn's moons with Earth's moon, and to explore moon properties and physical relationships within a planet -- moon system. For example, the farther the moon is from the center of the planet, the slower its orbital speed, and the longer its orbital period. The lesson enables students to complete their own Moon Card for a mystery moon of Saturn whose size, mass and distance from the center of Saturn are specified.
Saturn Model
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Short Description: Participants create a model of Saturn using discarded CDs; they are then able to contemplate Saturn's rings using the fact sheet Why Does Saturn Have Rings?
Scattering: Seeing the Microscopic Among the Giants
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: K-4, 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Participants observe that reflection from light comes from the objects around us. Participants will demonstrate how light waves pass through a medium to determine the size of particles using a laser beam and milk.
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 Cassini Robot
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Saturn
Short Description: Participants compare humans to robotic functions.
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: 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.
Transit Math
Topic: Math
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Short Description: The introduction clearly explains the apparent "collisions," eclipses, transits, and occultations. The collection includes problems on synodic periods, planetary conjunctions, geometry, fractions, linear equations, and probability. The Table of Contents clearly separates middle school level problems from high school problems.
Unveiling Titan's Surface
Topic: Planetary Surface Processes
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Participants learn how Cassini is viewing Titan's surface and draw maps based on the data.
Using Spectral Data to Explore Saturn and Titan
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Students compare known elemental spectra with spectra of Titan and Saturn's rings from a spectrometer aboard the NASA Cassini spacecraft. They identify the elements visible in the planetary and lunar spectra.
Voyager 1 and 2: Where are You?
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Saturn
Mission: Voyager 2 (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Participants model the solar system using Voyager data.
FacebookFB
FL
TW
IT
YT
PR
