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StarGATE 2008 » Space Task Cards
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Space Task Cards
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LIBRARY
Read a book from the Stars through the Gate library.
Report: The book read.
One new thing learned:
ASTRONOMY: OUR PLACE IN SPACE
Go to the website for the American Museum of Natural History and follow their journey for “Astronomy: Our Place in Space”
One new thing learned:
SPACE TRAVEL GUIDE
Write a science fiction story. Instructions and materials are in the SpacePac.
3D GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Take an interactive tour of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.
Go to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory site,
Click on the Icon: 3D Galaxy.
Report one new thing learned.
ALIEN SAFARI
Explore ‘life zones’ on a rotating globe to discover some of the most extreme organisms on our planet and find out what they are telling astrobiologists about the search for life beyond Earth. Go to:
Alien Safari
Report what you have learned.
INTERSTELLAR TRIP PLANNER
How long does it take to travel to the nearest planet? The nearest star? Find out! Plan a trip for the class and share the itinerary with the class. Go to: Interstellar Trip Planner
SCI-FACT/FICTION QUIZ
Planet quest
Test your knowledge of what is real and what isn’t in the search for life beyond earth. Share your results.
ALIEN VIEW OF TRANSIT:
Transit Method of Planetary Discovery. The Kepler Mission will discover and study planets around stars by looking for transit events, like the Venus Transit. What if an alien civilization looked back at our Solar System, using a Kepler-like spacecraft, from hundres of light-years away? What would they learn about us? See how aliens would use their spacecraft light sensor to detect planets in our Solar System. Report your findings.
FOUR WAYS TO FIND A PLANET
There’s a planet out there! Let’s see if you can find it!
Planet Finder
INVENT SPACE FUELS
Suppose you are a very smart spacecraft engineer. You have invented a new material to use for the fuel tanks on your spacecraft. Before you send your new material into the harsh environment of space, you must test it on Earth in a space-like situation. Instructions are in the SpacePac. Explain what happened and why.
“RADAR” THROUGH A CLOSED BOX
Imagine being able to make a detailed map of an object you can’t even see. Suppose someone shows you a box and says it contains a mysterious object. Figure out what’s in the box without looking or touching! Learn how radar works by “looking” inside a closed box. Instructions are in the SpacePac. Explain what happened and why.
IONS IN ACTION
See ions in action and learn how an ion engine works. Instructions are in the SpacePac. Explain what happened and why, and tell how this information is used in space travel.
TEACH MACHINES TO THINK FUZZY.
Humans understand complex problems with seemingly unquantifiable parameters, then manipulate the input parameters to come up with a probable solution. If that doesn't work, they take the less-than-perfect result as a new input and tweak the answer some more until satisfied with the result. This article and activity show how you could teach a robot to solve problems that way. Figure out the thrust values using fuzzy thinking. The activity is found in the SpacePac. Bring the values to the teacher to check on accuracy.
DAMPEN THAT DRIFT! This activity introduces vectors, and their addition and subtraction, without need for geometry, algebra, or trigonometry. To shed light on some of the greatest mysteries of the universe, space scientists and engineers are working to perfect a technology called space interferometry. Several spacecraft carrying telescopes or other types of instruments are flown in formation. They work together as if part of one giant, rigid instrument. This activity article explains a system for eliminating almost all the tiny disturbances in this virtual structure caused by random forces in space. Design a Disturbance Reduction System. Explain your findings. Look in the SpacePac for the information you need.
REINVENT TIME.
The material in the SpacePac summarizes the history of timekeeping technology and secondary inventions people used to reconcile our mechanical timekeeping with our master timekeeper, the Sun. Explain the analemma curve and how to use it to calculate the exact time of high noon in any location.
LISTEN FOR RINGS FROM SPACE:
This activity introduces gravitational waves and the NASA technology being developed to detect them in space. The activity involves building a metaphorical interferometer that demonstrates how the mission (and all interferometry) works. Use the materials in the SpacePac. Demonstrate your project.
TELESCOPE as TIME MACHINE.
Read about how the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft is looking into the ancient history of the universe and learn about different types of galaxies, and what scientists hope to learn from GALEX's survey of nearly the entire universe. Complete crossword puzzle and a word find puzzle using your new vocabulary. Find it in the SpacePac.
Write the Book on Weather Metrics.
Learn weather terminology. Investigate how we measure the weather and other characteristics of the atmosphere and create your own "Book of Weather Metrics." Find the instructions for this activity in the SpacePac.
From Smoke Signals to Cell Phones: Tracing How Technologies Evolve.
NASA’s New Millennium Program would love to see the timelines you create in this activity. We will send them to NASA from our class; and they will send a NASA poster for our classroom. Look in the SpacePac for the information you need.
Taking Apart the Light: Quantum Mechanics Made Easy (Really!)
This activity introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and how scientists use spectroscopy to know what kinds of atoms and molecules are in a star or gas through which starlight passes. Go through the materials in the SpacePac and fill in the individual worksheet activity.
BECOME A WEATHER WIZARD.
Look in the SpacePAC for this activity, which introduces common weather concepts and terminology and shows common weather map symbols. Show real weather scenarios by drawing symbols on maps. Be a weatherman as you explain those symbols and talk about the weather they represent.
WATER WORKS ON A BLUE PLANET. Learn about Earth's water cycle and water budget. Do a poster or mural that shows some of the ways water is transported from place to place on Earth. Find this information in the SpacePac.
BE A COSMIC POET.
Learn how advanced space technologies extend our knowledge of the Universe. Write a poem about the tools that make humans unique in the world--or the Universe! Investigate the SpacePac for your instructions.
PUT YOUR OWN SPIN ON TECHNOLOGY.
Understand how technologies developed for space can be used to create beneficial new products and materials for everyday life. Think of some new uses for some of NASA’s space program developments in such areas as health and medicine, the home, the environment, public safety, recreation, transportation, and computer technology. Your ideas can be as far out as you want. Draw a picture of your invention, design, or new technology application. Then, write a description of your idea that you might use to help convince someone to invest money or time in helping you make the product. The SpacePac has the materials you need.
DESIGN AND BUILD YOUR OWN SPACECRAFT.
Use found objects and materials to design and build a model spacecraft. Explain what practical application all the parts of your spacecraft have. Read the material found in the SpacePac.
TITAN
Explore Saturn’s moon Titan with this interactive tour and report your findings. How is Tital like Earth? How is it different? How important is it that we explore Titan? Take a virtual tour of the Solar System, then take a test-yourself quiz. Report on your results.
Mission to the stars. One day, we may have to leave Earth. The Sun may start to expand as it nears the end of its life, or there may be an environmental disaster. How can we escape?
Imagine that this is your mission. You and your friends are to board a spacecraft, where you will be put into a deep sleep. After hundreds of years, your craft will reach a different planetary system, orbiting a different star. You will be woken up, and then your work begins. You will have to examine the planets of this new solar system. You will study their orbits and look for signs of life. •Your task is to design your spacecraft.
What instruments must it have, in order for you to examine the new planets? How will you decide which is the most suitable for life?
Where will you land, to establish a new human colony?
•It is up to you how you present your ideas: As a poster, or as a piece of written work, or as a presentation to the class.
CHANGING THE EARTH
We live on the Earth. It is a great home for life.
Now imagine that you could change the Earth.
What would happen? Would we still be able to live here? Complete the activity “Changing the Earth” found in the SpacePac. Share your design for a new Earth with the class.
Telescopes from the Ground Up.
Explore the history of telescopes, from Galileo to NASA's Great Observatories. Work through all the different telescopic eras. Fill out the Telescope Timeline from the SpacePac.
Investigate the role of air resistance when objects are dropped near the surface of Earth. Use a sheet of paper and a textbook about the size of the paper (if the textbook is smaller, trim the paper to the size of the book) Predict which will hit the floor first if they are released at the same time from the same height. Place the paper under the book and drop them. Which hits first? Place the paper on top of the book and drop them. Now which hit first? Next, crumple the paper into a ball. Drop the crumpled paper and the book from the same height at the same time. Which hit first? Can you explain why? Would you need to do the same things on the moon (where there is no air resistance)? What would happen to the book and paper on Jupiter, a gas giant, provided we could stand on the planet? Since Jupiter is a gas planet, will there be "air" resistance? Can you explain all this?
What's Your Angle? In this interactive module, vary the comet's angle of approach to see the effect of gravity on its trajectory towards Jupiter. The speed and masses of the two bodies are held constant. The goal is to figure out the relationship between the distance from the planet and the force of gravity. Notice that as the angle decreases from 90 to zero degrees, the distance from the planet is also decreasing. An explanation of the science behind this can be found in "Science Scoop." More information on the crash of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter can be obtained from "Gravity Gallery" and "Comet News." Go to: Planet Impact and click on “What’s your angle?”
Step On It!
Change a comet's speed and observe the effect of gravity on its path. The angle of approach and the masses of the two bodies are held constant. The goal is to help you understand how a comet's speed affects its path. An explanation of the science behind this can be found in the "Science Scoop" section. More information on the crash of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter can be obtained from "Gravity Gallery" and "Comet News." Go to: Planet Impact and then click on “Step on It!”
Pick a Comet – Any Comet Select comet masses from very light to heavy and observe the comets' paths. The angle, speed, and mass of the planet remain unchanged. An explanation of the science behind the animations can be found in "Science Scoop." More information on the crash of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter can be obtained from "Gravity Gallery" and "Comet News." Go to: Amazing Space then on “Pick a Comet.”
It's a Matter of Mass. ?Launch a comet at a variety of targets. The comet's angle, speed, and mass remain unchanged. Observe the difference in your comet's path when it passes an asteroid, the planet Earth, and the planet Jupiter to understand the relationship between the mass of the celestial object and the gravitational force it can exert on the comet. An explanation of the science behind the animations can be found in "Science Scoop." More information on the crash of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter can be obtained from "Gravity Gallery" and "Comet News." Go to: Planet Impact and click on “It’s a Matter of Mass.”
Target Practice: Hit…or Miss? ?
Apply the knowledge you have gained in the previous modules to launch a comet at Jupiter that will either hit the planet or miss it. Set the angle and speed prior to your comets' launch. "Comet News" and the "Gravity Gallery" are both available from the "Hit" and "Miss" modules. Go to: Planet Impact and click on “Target Practice.” Make a graph according to the instructions found in the SpacePac.
Space Work:
With a partner, simulate how astronauts wearing cumbersome space suits manipulate objects in space so that you can understand the difficulties of working in space. Find the instructions for this learning activity in the SpacePac.
Mission Mastermind: While NASA was preparing for Servicing Mission 3B, technicians found that a computer virus had scrambled the mission masterplan! The masterplan is the sequence of events for the mission, including the shuttle launch and EVAs (extra-vehicular activities, or spacewalks). We’re depending on you to un-muddle the mission! Help put the events back in order! HELP! THE MISSION’S IN A MESS! The materials you need are in the SpacePac. Share your worksheet to receive your Mission Mastermind Certificate.
Galaxy Hunter: Journey to the wildest regions of space and wrestle with cosmic giants: galaxies. Billions of galaxies populate the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope has unmasked many of them. Mathematics has unlocked many galactic secrets in these images. Use sample statistics based on actual HDF data to unravel some cosmic mysteries. You will go on a photo safari Find out: What’s out there? Does the universe look the same in all directions? Does the universe look the same at different depths? Use your ”Galaxy Hunter Travelogue” in the SpacePac.
Comet Myths, Facts and Legends: Great balls of fire … er, ice! Explore comet facts and fantasies through the ages. Go to: Amazing Space and click on: “Comet Facts, Myths, & Legends.” After you have explored the site, prepare a report from the following choices:
1. Identify a fact associated with comets.
2. Identify a legend associated with comets.
3. Identify a myth associated with comets.
4. Comets are small solar system objects, yet ancient cultures knew about comets. Identify one property of comets that explains why humanity has known of comets for so long.
5. Describe the path of a comet and explain how this affects its reappearance.
6. Short-period comets tend to originate from the Kuiper belt — a region beyond the orbit of Neptune and similar in shape to the Asteroid belt. Long-period comets tend to originate from the Oort Cloud — a spherical region well beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. Based on the reading, explain where each of the following comets is likely to have originated: Hale-Bopp, Swift-Tuttle, Hyakutake, and Halley’s comet. Explain your choices.
Read Eyewitness: Astronomy to discover the mysteries of the world’s oldest science – from constellations to moon rocks. Report your findings. This book is in the Space Library.
Read How Big is a Million? A million is a very big number. But exactly how big? Pipkin the penguin wants to know just that. Come with him on a journey of discovery and you can see for yourself. You can find How Big is a Million? in the Space Library. The answer is on a huge poster inside. Show the poster and talk about how big a million is.
Galaxies Galore I: Galaxy construction timeline: billions of years. For you: ten minutes. Click on link and then click on “Build our Milky Way.” After the Galaxy Guide sorts your Galaxy, play one of the Galaxy Games to demonstrate what you have learned. Share your results.
Galaxies Galore II: After you have learned about galaxies, choose one of the following activities:
Art- draw a picture of your favorite galaxies.
English- write galaxy poems and stories.
Math- try to estimate the number of stars, attempt to estimate the vast distance between galaxies, or try to estimate how many solar systems might be found around stars other than our Sun. Interesting fact: there are more stars in the universe than one hundred times all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the Earth.
Biology- draw and write about what life might be like in another galaxy.
Create Colliding Galaxies: Find a partner, and take two magnetic marbles to. Stand at opposite ends of a table. Each of you is to roll your marble toward the center and try to hit your partner's marble.
The results will be similar to what actually happens to galaxies in the universe:
Marbles will totally miss each other
Marbles will collide and move away from each other
Marbles will meet, connect and spin
Research the actions of galaxies to each other and explain why they behave the way they do.
How Big is Our Solar System? I: Use the chart in the SpacePac to help you build a virtual model of our Solar System. Use GPS or local maps to help identify the positions of the different bodies of the system, assuming the sun is in our classroom. Make a map showing the placement of each of the virtual bodies of our solar system, and explain it to the class.
How Big is Our Solar System? II: Use the chart in the SpacePac to prepare a demonstration for the class on the size of the bodies in our Solar System.
SUPERNOVA: DEATH OF A STAR
Once a second somewhere in the universe a star explodes with the brilliance of an entire galaxy. Small sunlike stars age slowly into dwarfs that explode only if they steal fuel from a companion star. Massive stars live fast and ultimately explode when their cores collapse. All that remains is a dense neutron star or black hole. Learn about the life and death of stars in the National Geographic articles: “Supernova”, May 1988, page 618, and “Cosmic Explosions”, March 2007, page 78. Share what you have learned.
ASKING INFINITE QUESTIONS
A distant galaxy and a model of DNA spiral into view with suggestive symmetry. The universe and life both seem to be self-organizing. But how do they work? Find out by reading “Asking Infinite Questions: Science” on page 3 of the October 1999 National Geographic. Report your findings.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: SPACE AND BEYOND
You were born on a spaceship traveling between galaxies. An experienced intergalactic adventurer, you are now on a mission to a distant planet. Suddenly on your screen you see an alien spacecraft – like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Will the aliens be hostile or friendly? There isn’t much time. Should you fight and hope to drive them off, or just go quietly with them? Here they come! What happens next in the story? It all depends on the choices you make. How does the story end? Only you can find out! Find this book the space library. Share the story.
SATURN: RIDDLES OF THE RINGS
As we probe Saturn, revealing the secrets of the ringed giant, we are finding clues to “the very beginning of the solar system. Read these articles from National Geographic to find the bizarre reality – puzzles in the rings and enigmas on the moons. “Voyage to Saturn,” page 38, December 2006, and “Voyager I at Saturn,” page 3, July 1981. Report your discoveries.
ORBIT: AN ASTRONAUT’S VIEW OF HOME
Learn about our Earth from a vantage point 269 miles above its surface. Read this article on page 2 of the November 1996 National Geographic. Try to draw how a photograph of our state would look to astronauts.
LIFE BEYOND EARTH
Once we realized that Earth was not the center of the universe, we began scouring the skies for company. So far we’ve found nothing to prove alien life exists, but science uncovered new prospects even as it dismissed others. We no longer expect Martians to attack from the night sky, but we may yet find signs of ife on the red planet – or on Jupiter’s moon Europa, or distant planets. Why the hope? Life is far hardier than we thought. Read this exciting particle on page 24 of the January 2000 issue of National Geographic. What did you find?
HUBBLE’S EYE ON THE UNIVERSE
Astronomers looked 8,000 light-years into the cosmos with the Hubble Space Telescope, and it seemed that the eye of deity was staring back. Thousands of nebula, once a rare sight, and myriad other cosmic surprises are now seen through Hubble’s unmatched eye. See these wonders in the article “Time Exposures”, page 2, National Geographic, April 1997. Describe what your eye has seen.
SEARCHING THE STARS FOR OTHER EARTHS
Astronomers are more certain than ever that other planets like our own exist in the universe. Now they just have to find them. Make an astronomical breakthrough, and discover planet after planet circling distant stars as your search narrows for a world like our own. Use the article “Someplace Like Earth”, page 68 of the December 2004 National Geographic. Report on what you find.
THE ONCE AND FUTURE UNIVERSE
What was inconceivably small as long as 20 billion years ago is now inconceivably large, yet still growing at nearly the speed of light. Join the search for the cosmic dawn and think about questions like, where all the material comes from that coalesced into galaxies. Read these National Geographic articles and report: “Galaxy Hunters: The Search for Cosmic Dawn,” page 2, February 2003, and “Universe,” page 704, June 1983.
PLANETARY EXPLORER: THE EMIGRANT TRAIL.
The year we are about to experience is 2037 A.D. Read a journal of the first commercial passage to the planet Mars. It written by a traveler only modestly familiar with the intricate infrastructure and advances in technology that have made it possible. This glimpse of spaceflight 30 years in the future is based on the imaginations and deductions of scientists and engineers engaged today in planning that future. Enjoy this National Geographic issue devoted to this peek into the future. “December 2038”
MARS: IS THERE LIFE IN THE ANCIENT ICE?
It’s not news that icecaps cling to the Martian poles. But now scientists believe that ice encrusted much of Mars in the recent past. What’s more, astonishing images from two orbiters show present-day signs of remnant snow packs and glaciers. With landers exploring the planet’s surface, what other surprises await? Find out by reading “Mars Revisited: Planet Ice,” page 2, National Geographic, January 2004.
THE COLDEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE
Where is the coldest spot in the universe? Not on the moon, where the temperature plunges to a mere minus 378 Fahrenheit. Not even in deepest outer space, which has an estimated background temperature of about minus 455 F As far as scientists can tell, the lowest temperatures ever attained were recently observed right here on Earth. Learn about this phenomenon in the article in the SpacePac. Make an absolute report.
PLANET IMPACT!
Our Solar System may have a star, nine planets, and a few dozen moons, but often overlooked are the billions of small bodies that orbit the Sun. Comets, asteroids, and meteoroids, range in size from a grain of sand to a large state. Small bodies make big impacts in the Solar System. Discover what happens when impactors hit the surface of a planet using balls of different sizes. If a large enough comet impacted Earth, the result could affect ecosystems. Your mission is to make craters and examine them closely. What you learn about craters will help you tell a story about the life of planets and moons. Choose a partner and record your data the worksheet found, along with instructions, in the SpacePac.
Heroes in the stars
Have you ever looked up at the glittering night sky on a fine evening and wondered about all the weird and wonderful creatures and heroes that make up the constellations – the Great Bear, Scorpio, Orion, Andromeda? Our illustrated stories guide you through some of these starry myths and legends. Explore how different cultures have viewed the stars and learn how to find the patterns in the night sky that make up the constellations. Share your stories!
Make Your Own Sundial
You run into Londinium's crowded amphitheatre. You spot your friends waving at you from the sea of faces surrounding the racetrack. As you dash up the steps to join them, your toga catches on a statue, and you fall over amidst much laughter. "Late again!" laughs your friend when you finally get to your seat. "I... I didn't realise what the time was," you gasp. "You should get one of these horizontal sundials" he replies. "Latest design by Ptolemy, that Greco-Egyptian astronomer. They tell you what time of day it is to the minute. Here, I've got a parchment sundial scroll, have a go at making one..." His voice is drowned by a roar from the crowd as the charioteers come onto the track.
Find the parchment scroll in the SpacePac. To make the sundial you will need Scissors, Glue or tape, and Cardboard. To use the sundial you will need a compass (or other way of finding north), and Sunshine!
Make Your Own
Make Your Own Rocket
It is a cold, crisp lunar night. All you can see through the narrow visor of your space helmet is the dark sky pricked with bright stars and the lonely craters on the moon stretching out before you. As you turn your head slowly in your heavy space suit an enormous pillar of gleaming metal homes into view. This is the rocket that is going to take you back to earth, but will it have enough energy to launch into space? You strap yourself in to prepare for take off. 7, 6, 5, 4... you hear the powerful motors beneath you roar into action. The cabin violently vibrates. You close your eyes... 3, 2, 1, this is it...
Follow the instructions in the SpacePac and find out how fast a rocket launches into the air with our real model rocket.
To make the rocket you will need scissors, glue or tape, coloring pens, and a 35mm film case with lid, and to launch you will need*An alka seltzer tablet and Water
THE DAILY COMET
Extra, extra, read all about it! Read the special edition of comet news. Articles include: “A Comet Cracks Up Close to Earth,” “Impending Impact,” and “A Fateful Breakup.” After reading this newspaper, choose one article and write a letter to the editor, and send it to the “editor” (your teacher!)
ASTROLAB
The astrolabe is a very ancient astronomical computer for solving problems relating to time and the position of the Sun and stars in the sky. Astrolabes are used to show how the sky looks at a specific place at a given time. This is done by drawing the sky on the face of the astrolabe and marking it so positions in the sky are easy to find. Learn all about them at this site.
Try to make your own or demonstrate how one works using a picture you find of one.
CALCULATE YOUR MOON WEIGHT
Sure, you could take your bathroom scale along with you the next time you hitch a ride to the Moon, but it’s far easier to figure out your Moon weight using your mind back here on earth. Go to the book Out-of-This-World Astronomy and read pages 30 – 35. Follow its directions for calculating your moon weight (except we don’t have a scale – you need to already know how much you weigh!) Also, figure out how high you could jump on the moon. Share this information.
FIND THE MOON’S PHASES
We all know that the moon has different phases, but if you thought these phases had something to do with the shadow of the Earth (like many people think), you’d be wrong. Try this activity and see how the Moon’s phases really work and then describe or show it. Read pages 36 – 39 of Out-of-This-World Astronomy for the instructions.
THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON
Sunlight hits both sides of the moon, but you’ll never see its far side from Earth. Try this activity to see how the Moon can rotate and, yet, still show the same side to Earth all the time. Read all about it in Out-of-This-World Astronomy, pages 40 – 47 to learn about the surface of the Moon. You will also find the instructions for this learning activity. Tell how it worked. (The crater experiment is found on the card Planet Impact.)
A DAY TRIP TO THE SUN
Go with an adult to the gym to get a big ball, find a pea-sized rock, and a tape measure. This activity will give you some idea of the distance between Earth and the sun, and how they compare in size. Ready to be surprised? Be sure to take along a buddy or an adult, and then be able to describe it. See pages 48 – 67 in Out-of-This-World Astronomy. You will learn a lot about the sun along with the instructions for this activity. Can you explain the other activities? We’ll be trying some in class, and you can be an expert.
HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW?
Your birthday is actually a celebration of the Earth traveling one complete revolution around the sun. How old would you be on other planets? Read pages 68 – 86 from Out-of-This-World Astronomy and learn about our Solar System and its wandering planets. Take the quiz and then figure out how old you really are. Share these with the teacher.
A WEIGHTY MATTER
Planets that have more mass than the Earth have more gravity, which means things would weight more on that planet. Check out this phenomenon with this activity. Learn about the planets by reading pages 68 – 87 of Out-of-This-World Astronomy, and then try this activity. But first, you will need to take $9 to the bank to get enough pennies! Would your mom help with this? Make a demonstration.
DIRTY SNOWBALLS IN SPACE
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteoroids, oh my! Learn all about shooting stars by reading Out-of-This-World Astronomy, pages 92 – 95. When is the next meteor shower? Can you figure out when and where you will see the International Space Station pass next? Give this information to the teacher, and make a plan to watch for one of these events. What did you see?
HOW DOES THE SUN MEASURE UP?
If the sun is the biggest thing you can see, and it’s only a medium-sized star, just how big are those other stars? Read Out-of-This-World Astronomy, pages 96 – 103 to figure this out. Take a teacher and some friends outside to do this activity. Be sure you are ready to perform and explain it! You will also need to answer the questions in step 4.
CONSTELLATION IN A CAN
A Native American legend says that the stars were made when the Great Spirit walked over the night sky with a walking stick. The walking stick poked little holes in the night sky and light came shining through. You can make constellations in this same way in a tin can. (No sky-walking abilities necessary.) Read pages 104 – 113 of Out-of-This-World Astronomy to learn about these constellations and how to make this for yourself. Show the class.
THE THREE-D CONSTELLATION
If your spaceship got lost orbiting Alpha Centauri, you wouldn’t be able to find the Big Dipper and follow it home. Why? The constellations look like themselves only when you’re standing on Earth. The stars that make up the constellations are all at different distances from us. They line up in different ways depending on where you are standing. Take a look at Orion with this activity. Read Out-of-This-World Astronomy, pages 104 – 115. You can make the stars out of paper or any other material you would like. After it is attached to the ceiling, show a teacher and a classmate the constellation, and explain its stars and how they look.
NASA’S KIDS CLUB
Enter this site and have all kinds of spacey experiences. This is a place where you can challenge yourself to see how quickly you can learn and how quickly you can make choices. If you hate timed math tests, this is the place for you! Find a math game and report your successes. And if, while you are there, you meet other challenges as well, then celebrate by sharing.
21ST CENTURY EXPLORER SONG
Listen to the song at this site. (It takes a long time to load.) Be sure and use your headphones! What is the message? Describe why this song is a good choice for a theme for NASA and the 21st Century. Think about the words, the music, and the mood. How did it make you feel? Are you pleased to be part of 21st Century exploration?
THE MOON: GETTING THERE AND BACK IN 4 EASY STEPS!
Read Kids’ Discover: Moon found in the Space Library. Choose one of these: 1) Greater Crater Crossword – your copy is in the SpacePac, or 2) “Who’s in the Moon” on page 18, or 3) Painters and photographers explore the way the Moon seems to change. What mood do you think van Gogh was trying to capture in the painting on page 15? Share your work.
SEEING 2 MILLION YEARS IN THE PAST
Read Kids Discover: Galaxies. As you read, keep track of the kinds of galaxies there are. Draw or describe them. Many galaxies tour the universe in packs. Why? Share your discoveries.
IT’S A HOT TOPIC
Read Kids Discover: Sun. Have fun with the “Check it Out!” questions. Then choose one activity: 1) Make the Pinhole camera. 2) Fill out the Sunspot Crossword found in the SpacePac. Show and describe these to the teacher.
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!
Read Kids Discover: Astronauts found in the Space Library. You will learn lots of fascinating facts about being an astronaut. Then answer these questions: Picture a long, boring car ride that lasts for three years. The view doesn’t change much, and there’s only one rest stop, with no signs of civilization. That’s the fate that currently awaits future Mars astronauts. Why would you want to go? What would you bring along on such a trip? What would you do to fill empty time? How would you feel about being away from family and friends that long?
THE TWO FACES OF MARS
Read Kids Discover: Mars found in the Space Library.
Then answer these questions: Nearby planets, moons, and asteroids have more fuel and minerals than Earth does. They could support a population many times greater than Earth’s. Will there come a time when more humans live off of Earth than on it? Why? Terraforming forever changes a planet. Do we have the right to remake a planet that has been around for billions of years?
CREATURE FEATURE
Read Kids Discover: Mars found in the Space Library.
Try this activity on the back page. Animals on Earth must be adapted to the environment they live in. What would a Martian animal look like? Draw a Martian animal that could live in harsh conditions following the directions in the magazine. Share your drawing.
MUSIC FOR THE PLANETS
You will need headphones for this! Click on this and
listen to the music for the planets. (You may have to click around a little to find all the places you can listen.) Record in your DailyLog how the music for each planet sounds to you. Then write why you think the composer used this music to describe each planet. You may have to listen to each one more than once! Share this information. If you like, try to dance each piece and see if it helps you think about the music and the planets.
Designing a Moon Base
Use what you've learned about the Moon, Sun, and Earth to build a model of a future Moon base. All the instructions and links for information can be found at this site
Demonstrate your design and explain how it would work. Keep your notes in your DailyLog.
WAY TO GO, EINSTEIN!
Or, how the world’s #1 genius changed our lives. Work through this web site and be sure to go to each site.
There is a worksheet to help you in the SpacePac. Learn everything you can about Einstein and then report. Be sure and share your worksheet.
What does jello have to do with bending space? Space is the stuff that surrounds all matter. It may be invisible, but there's space surrounding you, and everything in the universe. Did you know that space can bend? Albert Einstein proved that space bends around anything that has mass — planets, stars, even you. The more mass an object has, the more space bends around it. To see Einstein's theory for yourself, make your very own edible space out of Jell-O. Of course, space isn't exactly like Jell-O, but you will be able to see how invisible space bends around different kinds of matter. Directions are in the SpacePac. Make your report.
Think light is just the glow that comes from the Sun, a flame, or your desk lamp? Light is actually energy made of small particles called photons. To get a better idea how atoms create light, play Light Quest! The game and instructions are in the SpacePac. Show an adult what you have learned about light while you played this game.
THIS OLD GALAXY: I ZWICKY 18
A timeless island of stars changes the way we look at cosmic evolution. Read the article in the SpacePac, and then go to this website to learn more about galaxies and how they evolve.
Write a report in your DailyLog to show what you have learned about primordial galaxies and how stars acted in the early universe. Describe how one can tell the age of a galaxy. Try your hand at looking at galaxy photos and guessing their relative ages. Add your thoughts on anything new and interesting that you have learned. Share this with an adult.
SEE THE SOLAR SYSTEM!
Take a virtual tour of the Solar System, and then take a test-yourself quiz, found in the SpacePac. On which level did you land? (The teacher has the key.) What was your score? Choose one answer you did not get right and research that topic. Record your scores and the new information you found in your DailyLog. Share this with an adult.
THE FORGOTTEN PLANETS
Thanks for the Dawn probe; scientists will finally get a close look at two giant time capsules from the birth of the solar system. Read this article found in the SpacePac. Be sure to explore all the topics about Dawn found in the tab on the left.
In your DailyLog record the most interesting facts and ideas. Then write down what you think will be found there and why that information is important. What will you be doing in March of 2009, September 2011, and February 2015?
WHAT’S OUT THERE?
Discover and calculate the abundance of elements in substances in space, and then identify them! You will need the directions in the SpacePac plus the bottles of materials. Good luck! Use the key to estimate the composition of each container by giving the approximate fractions of the elements. Then, use the chart to figure what each container represents. What could the “MYSTERY” bottle contain? Turn in your worksheet and see how well you did. Did you need to find a copy of the periodic table?
BUILD YOUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM
To learn about our Solar System and its size, work through the first website, answering the “class discussion” questions in your DailyLog as you go. When you have finished, go to the next website to build your own Solar System. There is toilet paper in the supply box! Just for fun, when you have finished, click on one of the links at the bottome of the page. Which link did you choose? What did you learn? Share all this with an adult.
Link 1
Link 2
The Sun and Moon pull on the Earth, the water, even you! Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the ocean waters. They are caused by the gravitational pulls of the Moon and (to a lesser extent) Sun, as well as the rotation of the Earth. Learn about how this happens by watching the animations at this site. Be sure to take the quiz at the end and record your score in your DailyLog. Show this to an adult.
OBSERVING THE NIGHT SKY
The Sun, Moon, stars, and planets are all regular features of our night sky. There are other objects in the sky that we see for just a few seconds, weeks, or months. These include meteors, the aurora, and comets. Read all the information at this site and watch the animations. Prepare a report for an adult.
THE CELESTIAL SPHERE
To make it easier to understand the motions of objects in our skies, astronomers often depict the heavens as a sphere surrounding the Earth. Everything we see in space is drawn on this celestial sphere, ignoring the fact that the Sun, Moon, and stars are really at different distances from us. To learn more about how to observe the sky and to make a report.
PRECESSION OF THE EQUINOXES
You've probably heard of at least twelve of the official constellations, known as the Signs of the Zodiac. These constellations are along the Sun's path, so we say that on any given day the Sun is "in" a certain constellation. Read about this precession at this site, and be sure to watch the animations. You will be surprised at what you learn! Make a report for an adult.
STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT
When you look up at the night sky, you see lots of stars. Can you know anything about the stars just by looking? Go to this site and see! Click on each tab: “Catch the Waves,” “Making Waves,” and “Heating Up.” Learn all you can! Then go to “Stellar Encounters” and show how much you have learned. Keep track of your score and share it with an adult.
A SHORT GUIDE TO STAR HOPPING
Sorting out your Pleiades from your Plough – Not as painful as it sounds! Go to this website and follow along as star constellations are identified. Show some of these constellations at one of the star pictures in the room to an adult.
COSMIC COLORS
See the Universe in all its colors with a Cosmic Colors viewer! The "visible" images in the viewer are what we see with our unaided eyes or ordinary telescopes. The other images shown here were made by instruments that detect light our eyes cannot see. Then those images were colored so that we can see what the instrument saw.
Read all about it and then use the viewer to explore the astral bodies offered. What did you learn? Report to an adult.
HOW TO YELL ACROSS A SOLAR SYSTEM
You’ll need a partner for this one to hear you! Read about the X-band Transponder at this Website, watch the animation, then go to the SpacePac to read more. Go to the section titled “Let’s Get Rhythmic!” and try the experiment. When you and your partner are able to “talk” to each other this way, then give a demonstration. See if anyone can figure out what you are saying!
DEEP SPACE PROPULSION
You experience the motion of ions in everyday life, but it still seems a mysterious process. How can the energy of the ion motion be harnessed to send a spacecraft to a distant destination? This activity will help you understand the science of ionization and the advanced technology of the ion drive engine. You will need a few friends, and some rehearsal time! When you are prepared, ask to share your presentation with the class. Look in the SpacePac for this script.
CATCH A GRAVITATIONAL WAVE LISA Space Mission gives humans a sixth sense. Learn more about this by going to these two sites: site 1 and Site 2 Make sure your presentation to an adult has the proper gravity.
ORBITS ‘R’ US
When we talk about how Earth and the other planets travel around the Sun, we say they orbit the Sun. Likewise, the moon orbits Earth. Many artificial satellites also orbit Earth. When it comes to satellites, space engineers have different types of orbits to choose from. They can pick an orbit that goes around Earth's equator, or one that goes over Earth's North and South Poles . . . or anything in between. They can pick a low-altitude orbit of just a few hundred miles above Earth's surface or one that is thousands of miles out in space. It all depends on what job the satellite is sent up there to do. Find out more at this site. Be sure to watch the animations, and then make an explanation to an adult.
THE RIDDLE OF THE HIDDEN PLANETS
Riddle:
How is playing a game of darts like looking for planets around other stars? To solve this riddle go to this website. Be prepared to explain it to an adult.
HONEY, I SHRUNK THE DATA!
Spacecraft that study Earth have a lot to keep an eye on! Every second they may pass over a different location. Every second they take pictures of Earth or measurements of the atmosphere. All this information adds up quickly! If you were downloading this information from the Internet to your computer, it might take hours for you to receive just a few minutes-worth of data collected by a spacecraft. Data Compression fun: Read this page and then play the game. Share with an adult what you have learned and how well you played the simulation.
WAY OUT!
A Cosmis trivia quiz game. Try all the levels! How far could you go? Where can you learn more about the answers? Share the results with an adult.
http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/way_out/
Make a Topographic Map!
A topographic map, or "topo map," is a way to show mountains and valleys on a flat piece of paper. Topo maps are handy and necessary for many uses, including building roads and hiking trails in the mountains. The map shows where the hills and valleys are and how steep they are. Go to your SpacePac for instructions. Then, learn what topo maps have to do with Space. Show your map to an adult and help them read it.
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