Dieter Hartmann, a high-energy physicist, presents a story-based lesson on the science of Gamma-Ray astronomy. The lesson focuses on gamma-ray bursts; examining their sources, types, and links to the origin and evolution of the Universe. The story-based format of the lesson also provides insights into the nature of science. Students answer questions based on the reading guide. A list of supplemental websites is also included.

This story-based lesson presents information on the early investigation into solar and cosmic X-rays, as well as the scientists working in pursuit of X-ray detection and imaging, that set the stage for a program of space-based astronomy. The lesson is narrated by Dr. Herbert Friedman, and includes information on his work, as well as his childhood, home life, and interests while a college student.

This is a lesson about the Cassini Spacecraft. Learners will engage in basic problem-solving as they design and construct their own small model of a spacecraft. Through writing and illustration, students will document their work and will complete a Design Review Summary. Like scientists and engineers, students will make presentations to show and explain their models and design summaries to their peers. This is lesson 5 of 10 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 1-2.

This is a lesson about spacecraft design. Learners will hear the NASA solutions to the problems they wrote about lesson 6. They will then write a nonfiction piece comparing their spacecraft to Cassini, and share their writing with the class. This introduction to design prepares students for the task of trying to design a working model of a probe to land on Saturn‰Ûªs moon, Titan. This is lesson 7 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4.

This is a lesson about spacecraft design. Learners will think like engineers as they are presented with problems that the NASA team faced when designing a spacecraft to travel to Saturn. Students work with partners to think of solutions to address those problems, and to use these ideas to sketch their spacecraft. This is lesson 6 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4.

In this concluding activity, children create a scrapbook or poster display documenting their trips to Jupiter. Learners will use their "My Trip to Jupiter" journals and select common craft items to represent the characteristics of each aspect or layer and summarize their findings. This activity is part of Explore! Jupiter's Family Secrets, a series designed to engage children in space and planetary science in libraries and informal learning environments.

This is a lesson about Saturn. Learners 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. This activity invites students to observe carefully and learn from each other, while providing teachers with an idea of students' prior experiences with this topic. This is lesson 2 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, "Reading Writing Rings," for grades 3-4.

This activity is about the study of planetary samples. Learners will use samples of crustal material to sort, classify, and make observations about an unknown planet. From their observations, students will interpret the geologic history of their mystery planet and make inferences about past life or the potential for life on the "Mystery" planet. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes and vocabulary.

This lesson introduces students to myths about the auroras in different cultures. The class will read a story relating to legends of the aurora and share their reactions to the story. The teacher must select and obtain one or more books from a list provided. For homework, students will create their own myth regarding the aurora. This is lesson two of a collection of five activities that can be used individually or as a sequence; concludes with a KWL (Know/Want-to-know/Learned) assessment activity.

This is an activity about the solar cycle. Learners will use X-ray data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and record the total number of solar flares in their birth month over the course of eleven years and compute the percentage of high-energy X-ray flares which occur for each year. Learners will graph their findings to help them identify the long term pattern of flare activity on the Sun.

This poster highlights a variety of Earth science careers, featuring short biographies from 13 NASA Earth explorers, including scientists, engineers, educators and more. The poster also includes information about NASA's unique perspective on the Earth, one educator's story about how he uses NASA Earth science data and materials in his middle school classroom, and a collection of classroom activity suggestions.

The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change. The site is divided into six main sections: Data and Images, Features, News, Reference, Missions, and Experiments. The Data and Images, Features, and Reference sections are each subdivided into sections for Atmosphere, Oceans, Land, Life on Earth, and Heat and Energy. The missions section explains all of the current NASA missions, and the Experiments section contains activities related to the topics covered in the other sections. Information provided in these pages includes text, photographs, animations, maps, and datasets. The site also includes a glossary, "ask a scientist" feature, and links to current news stories.

As part of NASA's Earth Observatory, visitors to the Escape from the Amazon Web site are invited to "Accompany NASA scientists as they explore our world and unravel the mysteries of climate and environmental change." The Escape from the Amazon feature focuses on the buildup of carbon dioxide and its effect on global climate change, and the role that forests play in reversing this trend. A really neat feature of this site is a glossary function that can be turned on or off. When on, it highlights technical terms. Clicking on any highlighted term will bring up a very descriptive and straightforward definition. Also included as the second part of the feature is an introduction to the large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia. This feature highlights the enormity and significance of the Amazon River Valley and its effect on global climate. This Web site is a great outreach and educational tool offered by NASA and should be interesting to lay readers, scientists, and teachers. Several great graphics help to illustrate the information provided.

NASA's Earth Observatory is a "freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet." The Earth Observatory feature presented in this Web site introduces documented changes in plant productivity over the last two decades -- the warmest decades on record. The study, based on satellite imagery and ground observations, also demonstrates the most important of those factors influencing changes in plant productivity. Readers will find an informative overview of the study and terrific high-resolution images.

This fun, interactive website was designed by NASA's earth observatory to introduce students to the Earth's Biomes. A biome, as defined by the site, is "a community of plants and animals living together in a certain kind of climate." This website provides links to seven different biomes that students can learn about including coniferous forests, grasslands, and tundras. Each separate biome page contains a brief general description as well as basic information about characteristics such as Temperature, Vegetation, and Location. The biome pages also link to a Vocabulary page, a handy Metric Converter, and a Teacher Resource section that includes Goals, Outcomes, National Standards, and Extension Ideas. This website also offers interactive biome graphing and planting activities.

This page, from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth Observatory, contains a satellite image of the mouth of the Mississippi River and the nearby Gulf of Mexico. The sediment carried by the river following a rainstorm is clearly evident as it mixes with the dark blue water. The site also contains links to the Newsroom and other recent images.