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)

The Mysteries of Saturn and Cassini

Students will start learning about Saturn just as the first observers of Saturn did - by observing and wondering. They will look at pictures of Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft, and the Huygens probe and write what they notice, know, and wonder.
Keywords: Visual analysis
Audience: Elementary school, Grades 3-5
Topic: Earth and space science, Solar system, Comparative planetology, Earth and space science, Solar system, Planets
Materials Cost: $1 - $5
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Black Hole Orbits

Students are introduced to the basic properties, behavior and detection of black holes through a brief discussion of common conceptions and misconceptions of these exciting objects. They "act out" a way black holes might be detected through their interaction with other objects.
Keywords: Kinesthetic activity
Audience: Informal education, Middle school programming
Topic: Earth and space science, Astronomy, Physical sciences, Motion and forces
Materials Cost: $1 - $5
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ImageJ Activity Booklet

This is a PDF guide on how to use ImageJ image processing software to understand and manipulate astronomical images. The guide begins with instructions on how to download ImageJ, plus some additional astronomy-related plugins, followed by directions on how to install everything correctly.
Audience: Informal education, Informal education, High school programming, Informal education, General public
Topic: Engineering and technology, Image processing and visualization
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The Rubber Band Problem

A simple experimental apparatus made of rubber band and books is used by student teams challenged with demonstrating the concepts of friction, force, and inertia.
Keywords: Force, Inertia, Friction
Audience: Elementary school, Elementary school, Grades 3-5, Elementary school, Middle school
Topic: Physical sciences, Motion and forces
Materials Cost: 1 cent - $1
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Energy Consumption in an Empty House!

In this problem set, learners will analyze a table of electrical consumption of appliances when not in use and consider the total consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh), associated cost and their own consumption when appliances are in "instant-on" or "stand-by" mode.
Keywords: Table analysis, Unit conversion
Audience: Middle school, High school, Grade 9
Topic: Mathematics, Number and operations, Mathematics, Problem solving, The nature of technology, Technology and society
Materials Cost: Free
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My Place in Space

Learners will explore the difference between natural and artificial satellites and use images taken by robotic spacecraft and telescopes to gain an understanding of the Earth's place in space.
Audience: Elementary school, Grades 3-5, Elementary school
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth, moon and sun, Earth and space science, Solar system, Engineering and technology, Aircraft, probes, satellites and/or spacecraft, The nature of technology, Technology and society
Materials Cost: $1 - $5
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What Can Life Tolerate?

This is a lesson about organisms living under extreme conditions on Earth serving as analogs for extraterrestrial life.
Keywords: Life in the solar system, Habitability, Extremophiles
Audience: Elementary school, Grades 3-5, Middle school
Topic: Life sciences, Astrobiology
Materials Cost: Free
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Electric Current Generated with a Moving Magnet

This is an activity about magnetic induction. Learners will induce a flow of electricity in a wire using a moving bar magnet and measure this flow using a galvanometer, or Am meter. Through discussion, this activity can then be related to magnetic fields in nature.
Audience: Middle school, Grades 6-8, Middle school, Middle school, High school, Grade 9
Topic: Physical sciences, Electricity and magnetism
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IBEX: Exploring the Edge of Our Solar System

This is a poster that outlines the major mission highlights of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, mission, a Small Explorer Earth-orbiting spacecraft that is mapping the distant boundary between the solar wind from our Sun and the interstellar medium, the material between the stars.
Audience: Informal education
Topic: Earth and space science, Solar system, The sun, Heliosphere, Engineering and technology, Aircraft, probes, satellites and/or spacecraft, Engineering and technology, Remote sensing
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Making a Gas You Can See

In this short demo/activity, a balloon with baking soda in it is stretched over the mouth of a flask or bottle containing vinegar. The balloon is tipped so that the baking soda falls into the vinegar, and the reaction creates carbon dioxide, which inflates the balloon.
Keywords: Carbon dioxide
Audience: Elementary school, Grades K-2, Elementary school, Grades 3-5, Informal education, Elementary school programming
Topic: Earth and space science, Earth structure, Atmosphere, Physical sciences, Chemistry
Materials Cost: 1 cent - $1
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