NASA eClips Guides

NASA eClips Guides are resources that can be used in formal and nonformal educational settings.

Educator Guides provide examples of ways teachers may effectively use video segments as an instructional tool. All lessons are presented in the 5E delivery model and are aligned to national standards for science, math, and technology.

Guide Lites are individual activities from approved NASA eClips Educator Guides that are well-suited for informal settings. NASA eClips video segments that support each activity are identified in the lesson.

Engineering Design Packets introduce students to a formal design process. A rubric is included to assist with evaluation. These open-ended packets can be applied to any design project and can be used to enhance existing curriculum.

Interactive Lessons use a variety of digital technologies and hands-on activities to bring about conceptual change and deepen scientific knowledge.

Educator Guides (Grades K through 5)

Guide	Summary
Our World: Crater Maps and Earth Landforms	Our World: Crater Maps and Earth Landforms asks students to compare physical features of the moon to those found on Earth. Students first use a tennis ball and basketball to visualize scale relationships and distance between Earth and the moon. Students then use maps of the moon to identify lunar surface geography, comparing lunar landforms to similar ones on Earth. They learn how NASA uses satellite technology, such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, to learn more about the moon.
Our World: Designing a Cloud Cover Estimator	Students think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow five steps of a Design Process to successfully complete a team challenge. Students view the NASA Spotlite Clouds video that corrects the misconception that: a cloud's only purpose is to produce precipitation. Within this work, students design, measure, build, test, and re-design a cloud cover estimator to measure the amount of cloud cover in the sky. Once the cloud cover estimator is built, students discuss the role clouds play in Earth's energy budget.
Our World: Designing a Shower Clock	Our World: Designing a Shower Clock allows students to think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the five steps of the Design Process to successfully complete a team challenge. Within this work, students design, measure, build, test and re-design a shower clock. Once the shower clock is built, students discuss ways to conserve and recycle water.
Our World: Dirt	Our World: Dirt guides students to use two separate KHWL (Know-How I Know- Want to Know- Learn) charts to organize their knowledge of Earth's soil and moon dirt. Working in teams, students create several slides of Earth soil for analysis. Through NASA eClips(TM) video segments, students review the rock cycle for rocks on Earth and learn about three types of lunar rocks. Students analyze simulated lunar regolith to make inferences about the formation of regolith. Student understanding is assessed using overlapping circle Venn diagrams.
Our World: Insulators	Our World: Insulators introduces students to thermal insulating properties of different materials. Students review their understanding of insulators and conductors and extend this understanding to the Hubble Space Telescope's thermal blanket. They work in teams to test the insulating properties of cups made of three different materials and use the design process to improve the insulating properties of the best performing insulator from their previous experiment.
Our World: Keeping the Beat	Our World: Keeping the Beat has students in grades 3-5 measure and record their pulse rate before and after physical activity to learn more about the heart. Students have the opportunity to use a math model to look for patterns in the pulse rate data. They participate in a cardiac relay to deepen understanding of the circulatory system and make observations of gravity's effects on a water balloon to learn about its effects on water in the body. Thinking and acting like scientists and engineers, students learn more about the design of exercise equipment to keep astronauts healthy in space.
Our World: More than Just Dirty Snowballs	Our World: More than Just Dirty Snowballs guides student teams in grades 3-5 to create ice cream comet models to be analyzed by another team of students. They evaluate basic facts about comets to determine how scientists discovered this information. They explore the Stardust Mission and Deep Impact Mission and discuss the scientific contributions of each mission.
Our World: Recycled Crew Exploration Vehicle	Our World: Recycled Crew Exploration Vehicle asks students in grades 4-5 to compare NASA's new Orion space capsule to the Apollo space capsules. Students then design their own capsule and transform a 2-D drawing into a 3-D model using recycled materials. Students utilize a design process to create and evaluate their designs.
Our World: Rose Colored Glasses - A New Camera for Hubble	Our World: Rose Colored Glasses - A New Camera for Hubble teaches fifth and sixth grade students about visible light, wavelengths of different colored light and the electromagnetic spectrum. Working in teams, students observe images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope through different colored filters and analyze how the filters affect what they can see. This models one of the processes used by Wide Field Camera 3 on board Hubble Space Telescope to collect information about the universe and how NASA scientists use this information to learn more about the universe.
Guide	Summary

Educator Guides (Grades 6 through 8)

Guide	Summary
NASA's Real World: Abiotic Conditions	NASA's Real World: Abiotic Conditions challenges students to lift an ice cube floating in water using only a piece of string and salt. This introduces students to the concept of water's phase changes. Students investigate the freezing point of distilled water and solutions and modify and perform a self-designed experiment.
NASA's Real World: Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge 1 and 2	NASA's Real World: Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge 1 and 2 allows students to think and act like scientists and engineers as they follow the steps of the Design Process to complete the team challenge. Learners design, measure, build, test and re-design a neutrally buoyant helium balloon and demonstrate how different forces affect motion. Learners apply what they have learned about balloons and density to design a series of balloons that float at different heights.
NASA's Real World: Measuring Atmospheric Heating	NASA's Real World: Measuring Atmospheric Heating asks students to think and act like engineers and scientists as they conduct an inquiry experiment about aerodynamic heating using everyday inflatables - balloons. Students discover the difference between qualitative and quantitative data; collect, organize, and interpret data; and use their data to explain transfer of heat energy.
NASA's Real World: Measuring Raindrops	NASA's Real World: Measuring Raindrops asks students to look at NASA technology and how the study of clouds provides scientists with information about the global environment, weather patterns and climate changes. Students then collect and analyze data about the size and shapes of raindrops. They have the opportunity to compare a 2-D representation to a 3-D representation to understand why scientists use multiple sources of data to study Earth Systems. Students may also build a simple cloud chamber.
NASA's Real World: Polyimide Foam	NASA's Real World: Polyimide Foam introduces students to sound and the properties of polyimide foam. They investigate the sound insulating properties of different materials. Thinking and acting like engineers, students use the design process to find the most effective and cost efficient combination of materials to suppress sound.
NASA's Real World: Preparing for a Soft Landing	NASA's Real World: Preparing for a Soft Landing introduces students to NASA's plans to return to the moon. Thinking and acting like scientists and engineers, students design and build models representing Orion. Students calculate the speed and acceleration of the models during test flights.
NASA's Real World: Self Healing Materials	NASA's Real World: Self Healing Materials has students look at NASA technology and how advanced materials are being developed and projected for use in many applications. They make a simple polymer, explore its properties and investigate what effect changing the proportion of ingredients has on the properties of the polymer.
NASA's Real World: The Light Plants Need	NASA's Real World: The Light Plants Need asks students to observe and compare three types of light sources. They then conduct an experiment to determine how different colored light affects plant growth. Students analyze data collected from the experiment by creating a line graph and calculating three measures of central tendency. Finally, students design a plant growth chamber to observe the effects of colored-plastic, filtered light on plant growth. Students have an inside look at an atmospheric chemist's career.
NASA's Real World: What Causes Global Climate Change	NASA's Real World: What Causes Global Climate Change demonstrates student attitudes towards and prior understanding of global climate change. Working in teams, students then observe, measure and record data gathered from simulated ice core samples to model the work of climate scientists. Students graph and analyze real ice core data looking for patterns and trends, as well as analyze graphs and models developed by climate scientists.
Guide	Summary

Educator Guides (Grades 9 through 12)

Guide	Summary
NASA Launchpad: Analyzing Spectra	Analyzing Spectra introduces students to the concept of line spectra and how they can be used as an analysis tool. Students are first introduced to the concept of visible light and the fact that white light is made up of different colors. Working in teams, students construct a spectroscope and observe and analyze different light sources. They are then challenged to apply their knowledge to identify the composition of an unknown.
NASA Launchpad: Biomes	NASA Launchpad: Cooling Off introduces students to the challenge of maintaining temperatures while in space. Thinking and acting like scientists and engineers, students learn to measure specific heat capacity and design an improved cooling system like those used in spacesuits. Students utilize a design process to create and evaluate their designs.
NASA Launchpad: Cooling Off	NASA Launchpad: Cooling Off introduces students to the challenge of maintaining temperatures while in space. Thinking and acting like scientists and engineers, students learn to measure specific heat capacity and design an improved cooling system like those used in spacesuits. Students utilize a design process to create and evaluate their designs.
NASA Launchpad: In Case of Emergency	NASA Launchpad: In Case of Emergency introduces students to NASA technology and how basic laws of motion relate to spacecraft safety. Working in teams, students conduct an experiment and analyze data to explore projectile motion. Then, students are challenged to apply their knowledge to develop a working model of the Orion launch abort system.
NASA Launchpad: Lunar Habitats - Home on the Moon	NASA Launchpad: Lunar Habitats - Home on the Moon teaches students about the design of lunar habitats and then as teams explore the mathematical relationships between length, area, and volume by exploring the volume of cubes. Students apply what they have discovered by manipulating the scale of one proposed design for a lunar habitat. Working as a team, students compare the size of the lunar habitat to the size of a one bedroom apartment.
NASA Launchpad: Making Waves	NASA Launchpad: Making Waves asks students to organize different energy images into a logical pattern. Working in teams, students investigate and research different sections of the electromagnetic spectrum and share their findings with the class. Students are challenged to apply their knowledge to determine relationships between wave frequency, wavelength and energy of electromagnetic radiation.
NASA Launchpad: Satellite Orbits	NASA Launchpad: Satellite Orbits teaches students about the purpose, function, and orbits of satellites. Then, they plot positional data of several satellites to investigate different satellite orbits. Students use a globe and scaling to visualize the orbit and altitude of the International Space Station. Using real-time data, students record, plot, and analyze positional information of different satellites to categorize the satellites' orbits
NASA Launchpad: The Colors of Ice	NASA Launchpad: The Colors of Ice introduces students to the topics of polarized light and birefringence. Working in groups, students use polarizing films to examine the crystal structure of ice. They document their results using digital images and organize their work by creating a multimedia presentation. Students apply what they have learned by creating 3D sculptures to be viewed through cross-polarizers. Students analyze cross sections of natural and man-made ice to transfer learning to a real-world application.
NASA Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge	NASA Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge gets students to think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the eight steps of the engineering design process to successfully complete a team challenge. Within this task, students design, build, test and re-design a boomerang. Once the boomerang is built, students explain and demonstrate how different forces affect its flight. Students research and explore basic aerodynamics forces and explain their applications to boomerang flight. Students compare what they observe with a Teaching From Space NASA eClips video segment to learn more about how boomerangs react in a near zero gravity environment.
Guide	Summary

Guide Lites (3 through 18 years old)

Guide	Summary
Comparing Science and Engineering Practices Using Black Box Models	The objective of this activity is to build a conceptual understanding of the disciplines and practices of science and engineering using simple black box models as manipulatives.
Crater Maps	In this activity participants will make a crater map and compare the geologic features of the moon to those on Earth.
Distance to the Moon	In this activity participants will use sports balls as scale models of Earth and the moon and use string to demonstrate the mathematical relationship between the size of Earth and the moon and the distance between the two.
Exploring Craters	In this activity students will use ultraviolet light to observe materials that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Mapping Earth's Surface with ICESat-2	Objective: To understand how a satellite in space can accurately measure Earth's surface.
Revealing Magnetic Fields	Objective: To observe the magnetic field around a bar magnet.
Rose Colored Glasses	In this activity participants use colored filters to learn more about the electromagnetic spectrum to understand how the new camera on the Hubble Space Telescope helps scientist explore the universe.
Solar Images	Interactive Lesson: In this activity participants will create a picture of the sun that can then be examined with colored filters to simulate how specialized instruments enable scientists to capture images and view different features of the sun.
Testing… 1, 2, 3… Testing	Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) is the process of evaluating materials to detect and measure the presence of defects without causing damage to the material being tested. In this lesson, middle and high school students are introduced to NDE, refraction of light, and birefringence. Students test a variety of transparent plastics using polarizing filters and analyze the extent and degree of stress the materials have undergone by examining the birefringence produced.
The Colors of Ice	In this activity participants learn about light refraction and birefringence by viewing sculptures of transparent tape through polarized film.
Guide	Summary

Engineering Design

Guide	Summary
Elementary Engineering Design Packet	The Elementary Engineering Design Packet provides a framework that guides learners in grades 3 - 5 through the engineering design process. This packet is versatile and can be used in a variety of settings for all content areas. The packet includes a checklist for learners' self-assessment.
Engineering Design Educator Implementation Guide	The Implementation Guide provides some background information, explanations and guiding questions to help educators use the Engineering Design Packets. Checklists and rubrics are also included.
Primary Engineering Design Packet	Through play-based exploration and learning, and design-based STEM learning experiences young children can develop important skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. The early and upper primary engineering design processes both include expanded graphics and guiding questions that could be used as anchor charts.
Secondary Engineering Design Packet	The Secondary Engineering Design Packet guides middle and high school age learners through a more complex engineering design process. The packet provides a framework that can be implemented in various settings. Age-appropriate checklists are included for learners' self-assessment.
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Elementary Engineering Design Packet	Learners are introduced to biomechanics and the importance for astronauts to exercise to stay physically fit while in space. Using the engineering design process, learners work as biomedical engineers to design and build a Biomechanical Jumping Machine to show the importance of muscles in movement.
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Secondary Engineering Design Packet	Using the Engineering Design Process, learners assume the role of a biomedical engineer to design and build a Biomechanical Jumping Machine to show the importance of muscles in movement.
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Engineering Design Challenge	The Biomechanical Jumping Machine challenges learners to explore how muscles and bones work together to help people move. Learners are challenged to design and build a model that simulates a jumping motion.
Guide	Summary

Spotlite Interactive Lessons

Guide	Summary
Bacteria, Friend or Foe?	In this lesson, students will learn that some bacteria are beneficial, while others can be harmful. As a result of watching Spotlite videos, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and exploring how bacteria grow, students will be able to explain where bacteria can be found and describe the positive and negative roles they play in their lives.
Clouds	In this activity, students will explain the role of clouds in Earth's energy budget including reflection, shadowing, absorption, trapping heat at night as a result of watching the NASA Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing the relationship of clouds to Earth's energy budget.
Composition of Earth's Atmosphere [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will learn about the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Using interactive Frayer Models, students will learn key vocabulary that will help them form a clearer understanding of the elements, compounds, and other materials that make up our atmosphere.
Density [Student / Teacher]	As a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing the definition of density, students explain that the density of an object does not change when the size of the object changes.
Does Land Cover Matter?	As a result of watching Spotlite videos, learning the vocabulary collectively, and exploring how different surfaces absorb solar radiation and water, students will identify/describe the different types of land cover in their community and explain the role land cover plays in the Earth system.
Evidence of Chemical Change [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will address the common misconception that Mars is red because of its temperature. As students develop their understanding of chemical change in matter through explore activities, they will learn new vocabulary that applies to new concepts. Students will apply the vocabulary as they explain that Mars has a reddish tint due to the reaction of the rocks to its atmosphere.
Gases and Mass [Student / Teacher]	As a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively using the Frayer Model, and discussing the characteristics of gases, students will be able to use scientific vocabulary to explain that gases have mass.
Heat & Temperature	In this activity, students will explain the difference between heat and energy as a result of watching the NASA Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing how the movement of molecules creates thermal energy.
Interactions of Light [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will address the common misconception that light is unaffected as it passes through transparent materials. As the students develop their understanding of the interaction of light with matter through explore activities, they will learn new vocabulary that applies to new concepts. Students will apply the vocabulary as they explain how light interacts with different materials.
Magnets and Metals [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will correct the common misconception that all metals are attracted to magnets. They will learn new vocabulary to develop their understanding of this scientific concept and apply this vocabulary to explain why some metals are repelled and others are attracted to magnets.
Mass and Weight	In this activity, students will explain the difference between mass and weight as a result of watching the NASA Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing how gravity affects falling objects.
Moon Phases and Shadows [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will correct the common misconception that moon phases are caused when shadows are cast on the Moon by other objects. They will learn new vocabulary to develop their understanding of this scientific concept, and apply this vocabulary to explain how moon phases are caused by the Moon orbiting Earth.
Movement of Molecules [Student / Teacher]	In this lesson, students will address the common misconception that molecules in a solid are not moving. As the students develop their understanding of the molecules in different states through explore activities, they will learn new vocabulary that applies to new concepts. Students will apply the vocabulary as they explain how molecules move as solid, liquid, and gas.
Objects at Rest [Student / Teacher]	NASA Spotlite Objects at Rest Interactive Lesson Student Packet: The goal of this 5E lesson is to correct the science misconception, an object at rest has no force acting on it. Through watching a student-produced video (Engage), completing activities (Explore), learning new vocabulary collectively using a Frayer Model (Explain), and applying new information (Extend/Elaborate), students will develop an understanding that objects at rest have forces acting on them. (This PDF document should be downloaded to use the interactive features.)
Ozone	In this activity, students explain what the ozone layer is, how it is changing and why it is important to life on Earth as a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing the relationship of the ozone layer to how radiation reaches Earth's surface.
Physical Change	In this interactive lesson, students will be able to explain the difference between a physical change and a chemical change, as a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing the differences between physical and chemical change.
Seasons	In this activity, students explain that Earth's seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis combined with the position of Earth in its orbit around the sun as a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing the sun-Earth relationship.
Sound Waves and Medium [Student / Teacher]	As a result of watching the Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and exploring how sound waves travel through different materials, students will explain that sound is a form of energy and needs a medium in which to travel.
Stars	In this interactive lesson, students will explain how a star's color indicates its surface temperature as a result of watching the NASA Spotlite video, learning the vocabulary collaboratively, and discussing a star's size and the position in its lifespan.
Sun's Position	Students will explain why the location of where the sun appears during sunrise and sunset changes over the year. Through watching a NASA Spotlite video and follow-up class discussion, and building an understanding of the vocabulary through a collaborative activity, students will be able to explain how the tilt and movement of Earth determines the path the sun travels during different seasons.