| Around June 22nd each year, residents of the northern
hemisphere experience the most hours of sunlight in a day or "the longest
day." This event is termed the summer solstice. The sun rises higher in the
sky throughout the day, and its rays hit the northern hemisphere more directly,
beginning the summer warming trend. This astronomical event turns our eyes
and thoughts to space, as it has for centuries. Humans have always looked to the
heavens and theorized about the sun and planets. In the 20th century, space became
"the final frontier." Humans have begun to explore it much as we did
far corners of the globe in earlier centuries. Yet setbacks, like this year's
Columbia tragedy, cannot quench our thirst to know more about space's uncharted
territory. Space science offers numerous avenues
for exploration, as the following resources demonstrate.
Solar System and Planets Exploring
Planets in the Classroom
Hands-on activities
The
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Moon, lessons, and more Solar
System Simulator
Order a simulated photograph of the Sun and planets as
seen from any other vantage point. The reader can choose any time in five-minute
intervals from 1600 to 2399. Try your birthday. Do it!
SpaceWeather.com
Science news and information about the Sun-Earth environment
[Top of page ]
Space
Education
Amazing Space
Encyclopedia-type of site with some interesting photographs and a nice list of additional resources
Exploring Planets in the Classroom
Check out 25 interactive activities that teach about the solar system.
The
Space Place
An excellent site for teachers and parents that brings Space
Science and Technology to
the classroom. There are printable images of Earth
and space, fun crafts to do and space-related classroom activity articles.
Space-related
classroom lessons Space
Science Curriculum Standards Quilt
A neat way to find lesson plans that
meet National Science Education Standards. The Quilt is searchable by grade level,
science content standards and thematic organizing standards.
[Top
of page ] Space Flight Learning
to Fly: The Wright Brothers' Adventure
A NASA educator guide for grades
6-9. The guide has informative pages about Wilbur and Orville Wright and activities
for use in the classroom. Templates for constructing models of the 1900, 1901,
1902 Gliders and the 1903 Flyer are also included.
Mark
Wade's ENCYCLOPEDIA ASTRONAUTICA
Rocketry.com
Model rocket site Space
Flight Center
Includes summer programs for women and middle school females
[Top of page ] Space
Gadgets and Information Goldstone-Apple
Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT)
Through the Internet, students connect
to a 34-meter radio telescope to perform radio astronomy experiments.
Heavens-Above.com
Satellite-spotting or identification -- the International Space Station and Iridium
flares are now the brightest objects in the night sky. This website uses your
exact latitude and longitude to predict their appearance overhead and can give
your students a look at what's
up any time and place.
JTrack3D
Teach orbital motion. This system shows the satellites from space.
Mt.
Wilson Observatory The
Space Place Rover
Build a mini planet rover and asteroid visiting plans
-- good lesson plan.
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