Space Sites

It's tough to teach if students don't have much interest in the subject material. Many teachers find it especially challenging to get students interested in science. Here are a few compelling resources that have helped other top teachers get their students excited about science.  

The following web sites are designed to engage your students with interesting (and a few off-the-wall) topics about space travel and the wonderful people on Earth and in space who make it possible. There's a wealth of information available to capture the imagination of students from kindergarten through college–and more than a few sites dedicated to enriching teachers' lives too.

We hope you enjoy these sites. We'd appreciate hearing from you about other sites you've found useful in your classroom. Write to us at issteam@cet.edu. We appreciate the information teachers share with us.

Astronauts' Dirty Laundry
(K-4 students)

In space no one can hear you Shout . So how do the astronauts get clean clothes? Learn the dirty little secrets at http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_k_4a.php?id=03-026&gl=k4.

Astronauts' Weekend Plans Are Up in the Air
(K-4 students)  

All work and no fun can make astronauts dull boys and girls. Find out what astronauts do for fun in space at http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_k_4a.php?id=02-020&gl=k4.

Got an Idea? See If It'll Fly
(5-8 students )                                               

If you have a suggestion about making the next space shuttle flight safer, NASA wants to hear from you. More than 2,000 people from 28 countries have already shared their ideas via NASA's virtual suggestion box. Send your idea to http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/rtf_suggestions.html .

Veggie Burgers in Space
(9-12 students)                                               

Imagine a robot asking, "You want fries with that?" It's not too far from becoming a reality. NASA is testing robots that will grow crops to make yummy veggie-burgers for astronauts on extended space missions. Get the super-size picture at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/journals/space/hogue/12-10-97.html .

Don't Look Now, But Your Assistant Is Floating Behind You!
(College Students)

Wouldn't your life be easier if you had a floating, talking, ball-shaped robot to follow you around all day? NASA has developed just such a personal assistant to help astronauts with their jobs and to make sure the spacecraft is safe. It's not available at Sharper Image yet, but you can check out this cool new robot at http://ic.arc.nasa.gov/story.php?sid=57&sec .

JUST FOR TEACHERS

Stay Out of the Sun
(K-4 Educators)

Solar flares are powerful events–they can even cause satellites to stop working, which shuts down cell phones and cable TV on Earth. Is the sun even more dangerous for astronauts in space? Learn how the space shuttle and International Space Station are protected from the sun by Earth's magnetic field at http://nasaexplores.com/show2_k_4a.php?id=02-002&gl=k4 .

Space Dummy Gives Scientists Answers
(9-12 Educators)

Scientists finally have a good way to monitor how much radiation astronauts are exposed to. Radioactive Fred is a dummy that traveled to space on the space shuttle in 2001 to absorb and record radiation levels. With Fred's help scientists will know how the body responds to specific levels of radiation, which will help engineers to create shielding. The site at http://nasaexplores.com/show2_912a.php?id=02-016&gl=912 includes additional resources for students and teachers.

For more in-depth information on the effect of radiation on human DNA, check out this Johnson Space Center site:   http://srhp.jsc.nasa.gov/.