Grade 6 - 8
Field Trip to the Moon / Lunar Nautics
Take a
virtual trip to the Moon. Feel the ground shake beneath you as you experience a
thrilling NASA rocket launch. Guided by a live presenter, you will orbit the
Earth and get an astronaut's view of a sunrise in space.
Field Trip to the Moon is a virtual journey created using NASA engineering
models and scientific data. Like NASA's astronauts, you will come face-to-face
with the challenges and excitement of traveling through space to land on the
Moon. Along the way, you'll discover some of the differences between the Earth
and the Moon and what makes our planet unique and habitable.
The Lunar Nautics Educator Guide has 40
activities. Students assume roles of workers at Lunar Nautics Space Systems,
Inc., a fictional aerospace company specializing in mission management, lunar
habitat and exploration design, and scientific research.
This guide features lessons that address the basics of Newton's Laws of Motion,
rocket design, microgravity, and the moon. Students will design, test and
analyze a model lunar lander, a robot, and a soda bottle rocket. Other
activities include building edible models of spacecraft and a solar oven to cook
hot dogs. Students can also build a microgravity sled as part of an underwater
activity.
Educators can use this guide in a variety of settings or formats, such as
week-long day camps, after-school programs, a classroom unit or as supporting
curriculum.
The Student Employment Handbook supplements the Lunar Nautics Educator Guide.
The handbook contains the student sheets that accompany the lessons and
activities in the educator guide.