Earth and Space
Posted inU.S. History
Lesson Plan: The Space Race — the Challenger Tragedy
Students will learn about the development of the nation’s space program, including a seminal event during Ronald Reagan’s presidency: the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger and its lasting aftermath.
Posted inLesson Plan
Lesson Plan: Earthquake Readiness: How the San Francisco 1989 Quake Shook Awareness
Students will learn about the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and discuss the scientific, technological, economic, and social challenges that humans face in mitigating the risk of earthquakes.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: Lessons From the Challenger Tragedy
Students will examine the causes of the Challenger and Columbia accidents and the responses to the disasters by NASA.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: What Should Happen to My Garbage?
Students will learn the story behind the recycling movement, explore different waste management strategies, and examine their own lunchroom garbage.
Posted inVideo
How the Cold War Arms Race Fueled a Sprint to the Moon
After the Soviet Union sent the first human safely into orbit, the U.S. government doubled down on its effort to win the race to the moon.
Posted inVideo
Lessons From the Challenger Tragedy
Normalization of deviance, the process of becoming inured to risky actions, is a useful concept that was developed to explain how the Challenger disaster happened.
Posted inVideo
A Barge Full of Garbage Helped to Fuel a Recycling Movement
In the 1980s, rising public awareness about waste was fueled by a bizarre news story about a meandering New York City garbage barge.
Posted inVideo
The Moon’s Lasting Pull
Our moon has winked from the heavens as a symbol and anchor, reminding us not only the cycle of life, but also of danger and death. Scientists have brought the moon into sharper focus, and astronauts have left the first footprints there. But will we ever be able to explain its lasting, mesmerizing power of attraction?
