NASA Wavelength Resources Collection

NASA Wavelength is a collection of resources that incorporate NASA content and have been subject to peer review. You can search this collection using key words and/or the drop down menus to pinpoint resources to use with your audience of learners.
1604 result(s)

Teaching Text Structure with "Understanding the Scale of the Universe"

This is a reading strategy guide in a series of guides that utilizes articles from the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) program.
Audience: Middle school
Topic: Earth and space science, Astronomy, Size and scale, Earth and space science, Astronomy, Stars, nebulae and galaxies
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Comparing Comets

In this lesson, learners will use images to observe and compare the surfaces of two comet nuclei from close range. Separate teachers guides and students guides are provided.
Audience: Middle school, High school
Topic: Earth and space science, Solar system, Asteroids and comets, Earth and space science, Solar system, Comparative planetology
Materials Cost: Free
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How Cosmic Rays Affect Humans

In this lesson about cosmic rays, students will describe why cosmic rays are dangerous to astronauts. Includes information about student preconceptions. This is activity 3 of 4 from The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER).
Keywords: Cosmic rays, Radiation, Astronaut
Audience: Middle school
Topic: Engineering and technology, Aircraft, probes, satellites and/or spacecraft, Life sciences, Physical sciences, Energy, Physical sciences, Light and optics, The nature of science, The scientific process, The nature of technology
Materials Cost: Free
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What Causes Thunderstorms and Tornadoes?

This textbook chapter describes how the Earth is unevenly heated by the Sun, and the role this plays in determining the Earth’s seasons, global winds, and weather events such as storms and tornados.
Keywords: Coriolis effect
Audience: High school
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth processes, Climate, Earth and space science, Earth processes, Earth's energy budget, Earth and space science, Earth processes, Weather, Physical sciences, Energy
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SOFIA Lithograph

This lithograph contains a photograph of the airborne observatory in flight and provides reference information regarding SOFIA's Mission, the telescope, and observatory operations.
Audience: Informal education, Elementary school programming, Informal education, Middle school programming, Informal education, High school programming, Informal education, General public
Topic: Engineering and technology, Aircraft, probes, satellites and/or spacecraft
Materials Cost: Free
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Exploring the Earth as a Magnet

This is an activity about Earth's magnetosphere. Learners will use a magnet, simulating Earth's protective magnetosphere, and observe what occurs when iron filings, simulating the solar wind, blow past and encounter the magnet's field.
Audience: Elementary school, Grades 3-5
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth structure, Earth's magnetic field, Earth and space science, Solar system, The sun, Solar-terrestrial interactions, Physical sciences, Electricity and magnetism
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What is a Planet? Video

This classic video explains the history, debate and continuing discussion of the definition of a planet.
Keywords: Dwarf planet
Audience: Middle school, Grades 6-8, Middle school, Middle school, High school, Grade 9, High school, Grade 10, High school, Grade 11, High school, Grade 12, Informal education, General public
Topic: Earth and space science, Solar system, Asteroids and comets, Earth and space science, Solar system, Comparative planetology, Earth and space science, Solar system, Planets, The nature of science
Materials Cost: Free
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Connect the Spheres: Earth System Interactions

After making observations of their natural surroundings, students uncover the intricate relationships between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. This introductory lesson uses the 5E instructional model.
Keywords: Earth systems
Audience: Elementary school, Grades 3-5, Middle school, Informal education, Elementary school programming, Informal education, Middle school programming
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth structure, Atmosphere, Earth and space science, Earth structure, Biosphere, Earth and space science, Earth structure, Geology, Earth and space science, Earth structure, Ocean and water
Materials Cost: Free
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Light in Air Game

In this kinesthetic activity, students take on roles of either photons or gas molecules. Photons signal a change from visible light to infrared with a piece of folded construction paper, simulating absorption by the Earth's surface and reradiation to space.
Audience: High school
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth processes, Climate, Earth and space science, Earth processes, Earth's energy budget, Earth and space science, Earth structure, Atmosphere
Materials Cost: 1 cent - $1
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Using Mathematical Models to Investigate Planetary Habitability: Activity A Finding a Mathematical Description of a Physical Relationship

In this activity, student teams learn about research design and design a controlled experiment exploring the relationship between a hypothetical planet, an energy source, and distance. They analyze the data and derive an equation to describe the observations.
Keywords: Normalized data, Control experiment, Dependent variable, Independent variable, Energy balance, Mathematical modeling
Audience: High school
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth processes, Climate, Earth and space science, Earth structure, Atmosphere, Life sciences, Ecology and ecosystems, Mathematics, Data collection, analysis and probability, Mathematics, Problem solving, The nature of science, The scientific process
Materials Cost: Free
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