It starts with investigating life on earth, the only place where life is known to exist. The names and dates for each lab activity are provided in the course schedule. The new nasa astrobiology strategy document is a reflection of the many science advancements during the past seven years. National aeronautics and space administration nasa. The lesson plans cover a variety of areas of the biology, physics and chemistry curriculum. Introduction to astronomy socorro independent school. Differentiated video guides, worksheets and quizzes for eyes of nye videos. Published by the association pro issi no 16, july 2006. Why is astrobiology important for the usa and nasa. This is a collection of lesson plans in astrobiology for secondary schools. Nasa astrobiology institute nai at the ames research center in moffett field, california.
Nasa s astrobiology program teams have projected nasa sponsored research into the nations k12 schools, have stimulated public awareness of and. Understanding life in the universe is an introductory text which explores the structure of living things, the formation of the elements for life in the universe, the biological and geological history of the earth and the habitability of other planets in our own solar system and beyond. Each of the eight activities takes about one hour to complete. The nai is a virtual, distributed organization that integrates astrobiology research and training programs in concert with the national and international. An introduction to astrobiology, edited by iain gilmour and mark a.
These include advancements in our understanding of the potential habitability of planets and moons in our solar system and beyond and a deepened understanding. These include advancements in our understanding of the potential. These five activities can be used wisely by teachers in several different ways to reinforce each group of concepts being learned. There were early successes, followed by nasa s first foray into lifedetection with viking. An earlier free text is available to download from rice u, but it is the. Students study rocket stability as they design, construct and launch paper rockets using soda straws. At only 50 years old, this field is relatively young. Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe its origin, evolution, distribution, and future. Methods because astrobiology is a relatively new and interdisciplinary science, educational research on students prior knowledge related to astrobiology completed to date is sparse at best. The goddard center for astrobiology is composed of scientists who are dedicated to mentoring the next generation of researchers as they explore the field of astrobiology. The program includes an exoevobiology grants program, two programs for development of instruments for astrobiologyrelated nasa missions, and the institute. To celebrate, the astrobiology program commissioned this graphic history. Click here to download the pdf of the exoplanet worksheet.
It provides a little more in depth look at the subjects than a basic level cousera course was able to cover. Astrobiology is a rapidly evolving discipline and, in order for its information to be passed on, it is urgent and necessary for astrobiology to be integrated into the curricular domain, as well as. Every summer since 2004 we have sponsored the undergraduate research associates in astrobiology program, which is a 10week program for undergraduates at nasa goddard space. Astrobiology final web lunar and planetary institute. The activities are targeted for 512 year olds, with separate instructions for the differ ent age groups when appropriate. Astrobiology introduction astrobiology consists of eight activities, each of which may be completed in about one hour. Free astrobiology books download ebooks online textbooks. Through the nasa astrobiology institute nai, the nasa astrobiology program supported the development of an educational game called life underground at the university of southern californias school of cinematic arts. Of course nasa is not a science agency, even though many of its successes have been in science.
Scientistsbegantoseetheimportance of an interdisciplinary approach to understanding life on other planets, mostly prompted by controversial interpretations. To familiarize students with the nasa ueet student web site and improve their knowledge of aeronautics. Astrobiology astrobiology is the branch of astronomy dedicated to the study of the origins and evolution of life in the universe. Infrared spectra and radiation stability of h ices. Life and the universe searching for life everywhere planets, stars, galaxies, big bang conception of size. After completing the activities in this guide, students will understand more about the nature of life, the. Astrobiology is a graphic novel series that explores the many facets of astrobiology. Astrobiology activities and resources for high school instructors. Although over a thousand studies have been conducted that specifically examine the issue of students understanding of broad. In 1997, nasa established an astrobiology program the nasa astrobiology institute nai as a result of a series of new results from solar system exploration and astronomical research in the mid1990s together with advances in the biological sciences. To commemorate the past half century of research, we are telling the story of how this field developed and how the search for life elsewhere became a key component of nasas science strategy for exploring space. Students build a spectrometer using basic materials as a model for how nasa uses spectroscopy to determine the nature of elements found on earth and other planets. In this activity, students will use sealevel rise data to create models and compare shortterm trends to longterm trends.
An eyes of nye astrobiology en01 worksheet, answer. This book contained content parallel to the u of edinburgh coursera astrobiology course taught by charles cockell, who suggested it as supplementary reading. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe. The site includes links to the overview, course description, sample activities with teacher guide, student guide and worksheets, and other astrobiology links. Ask students why it is important to learn about extremophiles. The astrobiology field began in 1996, when nasa held its first astrobiology meeting as an outcrop of its exoplanet program, which searches for earthlike planets within habitablezones. Astrobiology is a subject which has arisen to enclose the diverse range of investigations within science that have relevance to discovering life beyond the planet earth. My introduction to astrobiology openlearn open university. Nasas astrobiology program addresses three fundamental questions. Oliver botta, nasa goddard space flight center and international space science.
An eyes of nye astrobiology en01 worksheet, answer sheet, and two quizzes. This collection of activities is based on a weekly series of space science problems. From the origin of life on earth to life in the universe andr brack 1. The collection contains a variety of lesson plans, including trump cards. Course hero has thousands of astrobiology study resources to help you. Find astrobiology course notes, answered questions, and astrobiology tutors 247.
One way astrobiologists search for extraterrestrial life is to search for biosignatures, largescale. Astrobiology sometimes also called xenobiology or exobiology is the attempt to bring together scientists to combine their knowledge with a twofold goal. Both of the nasa rovers that reached mars in 2004 landed at locations that may once have been. Astrobiology seeks to understand the origin of the building blocks of life, how these biogenic compounds combine to create life, how life affects and is affected by the environment from which it arose, and finally, whether and how life expands beyond its planet of origin. A number of teachers consider these activities a good resource for homework and classwork assignments, to work out the activities online, and also.
The story of our search for life in the universe chronicles the ups and downs of our exploration of mars. These lab activities have been designed to teach students from middle school to high school on various topics associated with astrobiology. An introduction to astrobiology, edited by iain gilmour. Nasas astroventure helps students ages 6 and up to explore nasa careers and astrobiology research by offering activities that allow them to search for and build a planet with the necessary characteristics for human habitation. During the semester you will be required to complete nine astrobiology lab activities. We would also like to thank the team of educators and scientists at nai who graciously read through the first draft of this book and made numerous suggestions for improving it. As referred in the nasa astrobiology institute homepage, astr obiology is the scientific study of the living universe. What role could comets and meteorites have played in.
The objective of these lesson plans is to teach curriculum science using the backdrop of astrobiology to encourage critical thinking, excitement and interest in many of the sciences that cut across the interdisciplinary nature of astrobiology, including physics, biology, chemistry, geosciences and astronomy. Explore topics related to astrobiology using the activities adapted for afterschool programs with elementaryaged students. It tells the story of some of the most important people and events that have shaped the science of exobiology and astrobiology. Using chemistry, biology, physics, geology and astronomy, astrobiology investigates the cosmic environments that could potentially generate life forms, in the past or in the future. Educator guides with handson activities, curricula, lesson plans and. After viking, many countries struggled to get missions to mars. Mention a few of the environments in which we have found them to thrive.
Virtual planetary laboratory games, quizzes, and demonstrations on finding and understanding habitable environments. The students will investigate a web site and answer questions about aeronautics by reading and following. The lesson plans in this astrobiology collection are designed to cover a wide diversity of topics in biology, chemistry and physics that encompass some of the most fascinating questions in science such as. That said it concentrates a great deal with life on earth so that we can first understand how it arose here and therefore have a better understanding of the conditions required. Using real data from nasas grace satellites, students will track water mass changes in the u. Astrobiology lesson plan collection teaching resources. The nasa astrobiology institute nai was established in 1998 by the national aeronautics and space administration nasa to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions.
Is there life beyond earth and, if so, how can we detect it. The goddard center for astrobiology focuses on the formation of complex organic materials on ice grains to the delivery of those primordial materials to the earth, moon, and mars, starting in the early bombardment period and continuing until today. When earth formed, it was devoid of life, but now it is completely covered with life forms, from the desert to the ocean floor. Science learning activities for afterschool educator. Chicxulub geochemistry impact impact cratering impact craters impact ejecta kuiper belt mars martian meteorites meteorites moon nasa stardust mission noble gases olivine presolar grains shock metamorphism stardust mission comet 81p.
This book presents results from several projects in the new field of computational astrobiology, which is devoted to advancing our understanding of the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe using theoretical and computational tools. Understand how life on earth arose from chemical precursors is a core question of astrobiology, and essential in determining whether or not life could originate on other worlds. The story of our search for life in the universe turns from telescopes to microscopes in order to examine the study prebiotic chemistry. What is the future of life on earth and in the universe.
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