LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

NASA's Space Place

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/

Provider: NASA


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Science and technology presented in a very kid-friendly “by kids, for kids” look and feel. This site makes it easy for visitors to pick and choose different projects or activities on a topic of interest. Puzzles, games, amazing facts, and cool activities about Earth, space and technology will keep students busy for hours! This website is also available in Spanish.

In an attempt to make science and technology more kid friendly, the good folks at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California developed The Space Place. The impetus is to make difficult science concepts comprehensible so students begin to see science not as an elective but as a possible academic track. If science and the concepts critical to the research and work of NASA can be presented in a way that is within their grasp, maybe more students will gravitate (no pun intended, really!) to this area when they begin to envision their career path. For less confident teachers of science this site provides a skilled tool to address specific concepts and topics. Students are expected to comprehend continuous advances in engineering and technology and this site provides a platform for engaging in many of these challenging topics. Information is treated simply and concisely, with everyday analogies and metaphors, concrete examples, and compelling illustrations. Subjects such as the electromagnetic spectrum, conservation of momentum, orbits, gravitational waves, tidal forces, binary and hexadecimal notation, and interferometry are presented through hands-on activities, interactive games, demonstrations and models. Teachers may use this site to present a concept to the entire class, assign activities to individual students, or print the supporting information as part of a reading assignment. Send home the New Millennium Calendar monthly activity page for science enrichment ideas or visit the Teacher’s Corner to locate lessons, printable images, and reading passages.