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Exploring Deep-Subsurface Life: Capstone
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This is a lesson about using analogues to look for life on other planets. Learners will use the results of previous lessons to write a scientific proposal to explore another planet or moon in our solar system for signs of life. This proposal should predict the types of energy and nutrients available to sustain life and describe equipment and instruments necessary for exploration and characterization of the target environment. This is activity 4, the capstone activity, in Exploring Deep-Subsurface Life. Earth Analogues for Possible Life on Mars: Lessons and Activities.

Subject:
History
History, Law, Politics
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Assessment
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Icebreaker Activity: Is It Alive?
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This is a set of two improv-style activites that encourage participants to participate in learning about living and nonliving things. Learners will get to know each other through an icebreaker activity and state their ideas and previous experience with living versus nonliving things. This will help prepare them to explore how scientists define and look for life in worlds beyond our own. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is the icebreaker activity in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
History
History, Law, Politics
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Integer Arithmetic
Unrestricted Use
Public Domain
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This is a set of three, one-page problems about the size and area of solar panels used to generate power. Learners will will use integer arithmetic to tally the number of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon atoms in a molecule and determine the number of methane atoms that can result. Options are presented so that students may learn about how NASA is using signs of methane gas to search for life on other planets, such as Mars, through a NASA press release or about how astrobiologists who are looking for life beyond Earth are using spectroscopy to identify methane plumes on Mars by viewing a NASA eClips video [7 min.]. This activity is part of the Space Math multi-media modules that integrate NASA press releases, NASA archival video, and mathematics problems targeted at specific math standards commonly encountered in middle school.

Subject:
Astronomy
Mathematics
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Lesson
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
Space Math
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Life Beyond Earth Exhibit at Maryland Science Center
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The Maryland Science Center is working with formal education providers in local underserved schools around a combined project including an interactive exhibit, a Davis Planetarium program and associated Educator Workshops, and will provide outreach to the informal science education community to explore the subject of Astrobiology. Topics covered in both the exhibit and the Davis Planetarium program will include Earthly extremophiles (organisms that survive in extreme conditions), potential other life in the Solar System, locations on nearby worlds where life may exist, the search for exoplanets, the techniques used to discover them, and the NASA missions engaged in the hunt. With an engaging, interactive approach, the exhibit will detail the challenges, questions and techniques of the search for exoplanets, especially Earth-like worlds. The exhibit will help visitors understand the scale of both the Milky Way galaxy and the Universe, and by doing so comprehend the difficulty in searching for other worlds, especially smaller Earth-like worlds.

Subject:
Applied Science
Information Science
Life Science
Physical Science
Physics
Space Science
Material Type:
Lecture Notes
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Life…Out of This World?
Only Sharing Permitted
CC BY-NC-ND
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In this collection of science activities, seven thorough lesson plans regarding distinct topics in Astrobiology are presented. Each lesson plan has direct and descriptive rationale, objectives, materials, instructions, assessments, reflections, standards, grade levels, and evaluations. The activities range in age and grade level, allowing for variations and optional add-ons. The lesson plans cover a variety of topics including extraterrestrials, the Seagar equation, the Drake equation, exoplanets, life’s essentials, NASA exploration, and NASA scientists.

Subject:
Astronomy
Biology
Life Science
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Assessment
Lesson Plan
Date Added:
03/27/2019
Live Tonight: The Planets!
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This activity is about viewing the planet Mars (and others) through a telescope. Learners will go outside on a clear evening to view the planets and other celestial bodies for themselves. Using sky charts and other resources, and possibly in partnership with a local astronomical society or club, children and their families view Mars with binoculars and/or telescopes. The children who have participated in the other Explore: Life on Mars? activities may serve as docents at this public, community event, sharing what they have done and learned about what life is, the requirements for life, and the possibility for life on Mars now — or in the past! It is recommended that the viewing event be paired with the hands-on experiment within the Searching for Life activity if space and time allow. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 8 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Mars Engineering
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This activity focuses on the relationship between science of looking for life and the tools, on vehicles such as the Mars Rover, that make it possible. Learners will create their own models of a Mars rover. They determine what tools would be necessary to help them better understand Mars (and something about life on Mars/its habitability). Then they work in teams to complete a design challenge where they incorporate these elements into their models, which must successfully complete a task. Teams may also work together to create a large-scale, lobby-sized version that may be put on display in the library to engage their community. The activity also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 6 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Technology
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Mars From Above
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This is a set of three activities about how scientists study other worlds. Learners will explore and compare the features of Mars and Earth, discuss what the features suggest about the history of Mars, and create a model to help them understand how scientists view other worlds. The activities help to show why scientists are interested in exploring Mars for evidence of past life, and address the question: "Why are we searching for life on Mars?" It also includes specific tips within each activity for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 4 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
History
History, Law, Politics
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Diagram/Illustration
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Nurturing Life
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This is an activity about the requirements of life. Learners will explore what living things need to survive and thrive by creating and caring for a garden plot (outdoors where appropriate) or a container garden (indoors) at the program facility. The garden will be used to beautify the facility with plant life with many planting and landscaping options provided. Children will consider the requirements of living things, compare the surface conditions on Mars to those found on Earth, view images/video of a NASA Astrobiology Institute "garden" where astrobiologists are studying life under extreme conditions, and consider the similarities and differences in the type of life that would be possible on Mars as compared to their garden on Earth. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 3 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
History
History, Law, Politics
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Protecting Life:The Martian Challenge
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This module focuses on ultraviolet radiation on Earth and in space and how it affects life. Learners will construct their own "martian" using craft materials and UV beads. They will explore how UV radiation from the Sun can affect living things, comparing conditions on Earth and Mars, and then discuss ways in which organisms may protect themselves from UV radiation. They will then take part in a Mars Creature Challenge, where they will change their creature to help it survive harsh UV conditions — like on Mars. They will then test their Mars creatures by subjecting them to different environmental conditions to see how well they "survive" in a martian environment. This investigation will explore shelter and protection as one of life’s requirements and how Earth’s atmosphere protects life from harmful UV radiation. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 5 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

Subject:
History
History, Law, Politics
Life Science
Physical Science
Physics
Space Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Data Set
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Science Bulletins
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This Website brings current science to the general public, informal learning centers, and classrooms. The three Science Bulletins -- Astro, Earth, and Bio - present ongoing research and recent discoveries in astrophysics, Earth science, and biodiversity. Each bulletin has three types of stories: features, data visualizations, and weekly news snapshots. The Astro Bulletins weekly update includes a sequence of current images of the Sun provided by NASA. The video and editorial crew follows scientists into the field to capture original video material and interview scientists about their work-in-progress for the feature stories, which are presented as high-definition videos for informal learning centers and as rich-media collections on the Web. Data visualizations, presented in high-resolution for informal learning centers and in interactive formats on the Web, are based on satellite data sets from NASA, NOAA, and other sources for Earth and Bio; while AstroViz draws from the Museum's Digital Universe project, a growing three-dimensional map/database of celestial objects which has been developed with NASA support to enable science visualizations for research and education purposes. A free Educator's guide and learning activities tailored to the changing content are provided for the Science Bulletins web site.

Subject:
Geoscience
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
Space Math IX
Unrestricted Use
Public Domain
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This collection of activities is based on a weekly series of space science mathematics problems distributed during the 2012-2013 school year. They were intended for students looking for additional challenges in the math and physical science curriculum in grades 5 through 12. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering issues, often involving actual research data. The problems were designed to be one-pagers with a Teacher’s Guide and Answer Key as a second page.

Subject:
Applied Science
Astronomy
Geoscience
History
History, Law, Politics
Mathematics
Physical Science
Space Science
Technology
Material Type:
Lesson
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
Space Math
Date Added:
11/05/2014
What Does Life Need to Live?
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This is a lesson about the requirements for life on another planet. Learners will grow organisms in one of 12 classroom environments and identify common requirements (such as water, nutrients, and energy). They will also design a mission to identify habitable places by searching for water, nutrients, and energy. A math extension explores measuring calories. This is activity 2 of 5 in "Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere?"

Subject:
Life Science
Mathematics
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Student Guide
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014
What Makes a World Habitable?
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This is a lesson about characteristics necessary for life. Learners will identify the top candidates for life in the solar system by examining Habitability Cards, which discuss each planet and the six large moons in terms of water temperature, atmosphere, energy, and nutrients. A math extension is provided on the Inverse Square Law. Includes background reading for teachers, student activity guide, reflection questions, and blackline masters. This is activity 3 of 5 in the educators guide, Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere?

Subject:
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
NASA
Provider Set:
NASA Wavelength
Date Added:
11/05/2014