The activity is an observational lesson in the phases of the moon with an attached calendar and video links.
- Author:
- A. Lutz, Sky Oaks Elementary School, Burnsville, MN
- A. Lutz
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This activity is a classroom investigation where the students create, in size and distance, a solar system model in proportion to a selected sphere representing the earth.
- Author:
- Sam Greene
Projections and coordinates are key advancements in the geographic sciences that allow us to better understand the nature of the Earth and how to describe location. These innovations in describing the Earth are the basis for everything that is done in a GIS framework. Shape of the Earth is a critical starting point because in fact the Earth is not round but rather a more complex shape called a geoid. Coordinate systems are often referenced to a particular model shape of the Earth, but many different formats exist because not all coordinates work equally well in all areas. While projections and coordinates are abstract concepts in themselves, students eventually find them interesting because 1) it causes them to challenge their current ideas of the Earth's shape and 2) it is much easier to visualize these ideas for learning through interactive GIS such as Google Earth.
- Author:
- TeachEngineering.org
- Nathan Howell
- Andrey Koptelov
- National Science Foundation GK-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs,
This lesson will start with a brief history of robotics and explain how robots are beneficial to science and society. The lesson then will explore how robots have been used in recent space exploration efforts. The engineering design of the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will be used as prime examples. Finally, the maneuverability of their robotic arms and the functionality of their tools will be discussed.
- Author:
- Janet Yowell
- Malinda Schaefer Zarske
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
- Geoffrey Hill
- Daria Kotys-Schwartz
- TeachEngineering.org
- Chris Yakacki
This dilemma case, developed for a general astronomy course, provides an introduction to our solar system by highlighting the peculiarities of Pluto. The main character, Dr. Maria Ocasio, is the chair of the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the organization charged with assigning permanent names to asteroids and comets. After reviewing the scientific facts and historical background on Pluto, Dr. Ocasio is faced with the dilemma of deciding "What is Pluto" by answering the question, "What is a planet."
- Author:
- Teresa M. Schulz
This activity will help students understand Earth's rotation and the causes for day and night.
- Author:
- Jane Nechville
- Jane Nechville Oak Crest Elementaray Belle Plaine, MN
In this field lab students will go outside and observe a particular area of the schoolyard. Students will design investigations to complete outside and will use outdoor observations to provide evidence for our indoor activities.
- Author:
- Alissa Naymark
- Alissa Naymark
This unit begins by introducing students to the historical motivation for space exploration. They learn about the International Space Station, including current and futuristic ideas that engineers are designing to propel space research. Then they learn about the physical properties of the Moon, and think about what types of products engineers would need to design in order for humans to live on the Moon. Lastly, students learn some descriptive facts about asteroids, such as their sizes and how that relates to the potential danger of an asteroid colliding with the Earth.
- Author:
- TeachEngineering.org
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
In this lesson, students are introduced to the historical motivation for space exploration. They learn about the International Space Station as an example of recent space travel innovation and are introduced to new and futuristic ideas that space engineers are currently working on to propel space research far into the future!
- Author:
- Janet Yowell
- Jane Evenson
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
- Geoffrey Hill
- Jessica Butterfield
- Jessica Todd
- TeachEngineering.org
- Brian Kay
- Sam Semakula
- Karen King
This fictional public forum case study is centered on the 2004 decision by President George W. Bush to set NASA's primary goal as a return to the Moon, followed by a mission to Mars. The members on the expert panel and audience are fictitious but the views they express on the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) are representative of those articulated by actual advocacy groups, scientists, engineers, space enthusiasts, and lay persons. The case is not simply about public policy, but touches upon the relative merits and deficiencies of manned space exploration and robotic space exploration, the consumer products and industries derived from the space program, the scientific rationale for a return to the Moon, as well as what worthwhile space missions may be terminated as a result of the VSE.
- Author:
- Eric Zavrel
As an on-going project, students note the position of the sun by mapping a shadow on the classroom floor. They learn about the earth's tilt and the effect of the sun's light on our seasons.
- Author:
- Ellen Gevers
Students learn about traffic lights and their importance in maintaining public safety and order. Using a Parallax® Basic Stamp 2 microcontroller, students work in teams on the engineering challenge to build a traffic light with a specific behavior. In the process, they learn about light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and how their use can save energy. Students also design their own requirements based on real-world observations as they learn about traffic safety and work towards an interesting goal within the realm of what is important in practice. Knowledge gained from the activity is directly transferrable to future activities, and skills learned are scalable to more ambitious class projects.
- Author:
- Janet Yowell
- Pavel Khazron
- AMPS GK-12 Program,
- TeachEngineering.org
- Lindrick Outerbridge
This is a guided inquiry investigation where students record and gather visual information of what the moon phases look like.
- Author:
- Lind, Lisa
- Lisa Lind
This is a computer lab activity where students view images of stars, nebulas, and galaxies and discover factors in telescope design that allow scientists to study the universe. The students will write questions about the images and produce a power point presentation on features of the universe.
- Author:
- Andrew Scheid
- Andrew Scheid
This field investigation involves student dropping various objects into various mediums to find answers to questions that they propose, dealing with meteors and craters.
- Author:
- Erik Tvedten
Geographic information systems (GIS) are important technology that allows rapid study and use of spatial information. GIS have become increasingly prevalent in industry and the consumer/internet world in the last 20 years. Historically, the basis of GIS was in mapping, and so it is important to understand the basis of maps and how to use them as well as why they are different from GIS. In this lesson, students learn the value of maps, how to use maps, and the basic components of a GIS. They are also introduced to numerous GIS applications.
- Author:
- TeachEngineering.org
- Nathan Howell
- Andrey Koptelov
- National Science Foundation GK-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs,
This is an activity to help students understand the abstract concept about how planets move around the sun and their relative size compared with other planets in the solar system.
- Author:
- Akbar Rasheed Muhammad Saint Paul Academy and Summit School Saint Paul, MN 55104 Based on original activity from Sally Spooner, Sunset Elementary School, Cody, Wyoming
- Muhammad, Akbar Rasheed
This is a whole class activity in which the class will physically model how the planets move around the sun. I will have the balloons blown up, they will be labeled with the names of the planets, along with different sizes, and colors. Students will see all the planets smallest to biggest and their distance from the sun. The students will learn about vocabulary words: solar system, revolution, rotation, and orbit.
- Author:
- Akbar Rasheed Muhammad
- Akbar Rasheed Muhammad Saint Paul Academy and Summit School Saint Paul, MN 55104 Based on original activity from Sally Spooner, Sunset Elementary School, Cody, Wyoming
How do we know where we are? What happens if you are completely lost in the middle of nowhere? Does technology provide tools for people lost in their travels? A person cannot usually determine an accurate position just by looking out a window in the middle of the ocean or vast area of land, particularly if it has not been charted before. In this lesson, students explore the concept of triangulation that is used in navigation satellites and global positioning systems designed by engineers. Also, students learn how these technologies can help people determine their position or the location of someone else.
- Author:
- Janet Yowell
- Malinda Schaefer Zarske
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
- TeachEngineering.org
- Jay Shah