Homeschooler Savvy

NASA teaching your kids science

The Educational Materials section of NASA's Web site offers classroom activities, educator guides, posters and other types of resources that are available for use in the classroom. Materials are listed by type, grade level and subject. The following items are now available for downloading.

 

Rockets Educators Guide -- Grades K-12

Few classroom topics generate as much excitement as rockets. The scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical foundations of rocketry provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on, minds-on experimentation. The activities and lesson plans contained in this educator guide emphasize hands-on science, prediction, data collection and interpretation, teamwork, and problem solving. The guide also contains background information about the history of rockets and basic rocket science. The rocket activities in this guide support national curriculum standards for science, mathematics and technology.

The Rockets Educator Guide is available as a complete guide or can be downloaded in easy-to-use individual lesson plans.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rockets.html

 

Spacesuits Bookmark -- All Grades

Mark your place and learn about spacesuits. This downloadable bookmark has the Web address for the educational spacesuit site.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Spacesuits_Bookmark.html

 

Space Faring: The Radiation Challenge Unit -- Grades 6-12

Space radiation can be an obstacle to exploration. In this teaching unit, students learn about the types of radiation, the types of damage to DNA caused by radiation and how to prevent exposure. The lesson plans in these units of study are hands-on investigations that encourage the use of science, mathematics, engineering, technology, problem solving and inquiry skills. The activities provide a general framework that can be modified based on student needs and classroom resources.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space_Faring_Radiation.html

 

Meteorology: An Educator’s Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning -- Grades 5-9

Supplement your existing curricula with this guide. Many of the activities build upon each other. They use the inquiry from the previous activity to assist in the activity that follows. Thus, this publication enhances the understanding of meteorology by beginning with basic and essential parameters of weather and then moving through mind-engaging interactions with complex meteorological systems. Students will build and use weather instruments; then they will build a weather station. Students will collect weather information and combine it with existing information about cloud systems. They can then apply their knowledge to predict weather systems.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Meteorology_Guide.html

Ceres and Pluto: Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking about an Old Solar System Teacher Guide -- Grades 5-8

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union defined the terms “planet” and “dwarf planet.” The IAU's decision created an opportunity for students to understand the solar system better by considering the definitions of planet, dwarf planet and asteroid. New discoveries in the solar system require a change in the language used to discuss it. This activity uses direct vocabulary instruction to help students learn these new definitions.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Ceres_and_Pluto_Dwarf_Planets.html

 

 

Happy Educating!!

Life of Fred - homeschooling fractions, decimals and percentages (Grade 6/7)

So we just finished up Grade 5 Singapore Math which I think is a wonderful curriculum (equivalent to about Saxon Grade 6/7- prealgebra).  Downside is that the kid wanted something they could teach themselves with.  You know...... a book never gets tired of repeating the same instructions over and over.......So after many late nights of surfing the web, I decided to try Life of Fred.  The reviews I read said that it was very good for kids that read well (yep) and they could teach themselves from it (yep). 

So we are 2 weeks down the track of using it.  Every 5 lessons there is a short test that you need to get 9 or 10 out of 10 correct (you can keep attempting for 5 different tests - at which point you need to go back and do the 5 lessons again).  Once you pass these you go onto the next part. 

My 10 (almost 11) is loving it.  She keeps sharing the funny things with her brother (a year behind in math), he keeps asking me when he can do Life of Fred.    She is breezing through it - probably thanks to covering alot of this material in Singapore Math.  But I am ok with that as it means she will REALLY know this stuff well before going into algebra.  Some days she chooses to do 2 or even (gasp) 3 lessons.

Here is a quote from inside the first book (Fractions):

YOUR FUTURE

After this book, there are six more Life of Fred books

Decimals and Percents

    Beginning Algebra

        Advanced Algebra

            Geometry

                Trigonometry

                    Calculus

after which, you can transfer to any university as a junior and declare a major in mathematics.

The books cost $19 for the first two and $29 for the rest.  Some also have a home companion book ($14) or for the last two books an answer key ($6).  Great value for money.  The books look like they will last through many siblings.

We'll keep you posted, but so far so good.  The tradeoff for the kid doing their own math is that I don't feel it is as diversified as she would get in Singapore Math, but it does seem fairly good at getting the kids to think for themselves, and really understand the concepts.

Life of Fred website.  Go checkout some sample pages from the books.