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Students will investigate current and potential impacts of the space program on citizens of Florida, relating this to the responsibilities of citizens to be informed and vote to influence tax-funded government programs. They will research the impact of NASA on the economy and ecosystems of Florida and weigh pros and cons of funding a program aimed at exploring Mars. Students will take a position and develop a commercial to convince the public to vote for or against funding this program in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first man-made satellite, into space in 1957. Americans watched the Soviet satellite beeping and blinking across the American night sky. Sputnik I weighed only 184 pounds and could do little more than beep, but many people worried that this meant the United States was losing the race to develop space technology.

Pressure exploded from United States politicians and the American public demanding that the country catch up and increase investment in rocket technology and aeronautics. In this lesson students will analyze the film Florida: Moonport USA to describe the effect of the United States space program on Florida's economy, growth and culture.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will evaluate wheel designs from different companies to determine which wheel is appropriate for the mission. Further 3D printing is integrated by 3D printing different wheel models which can be directly tested using a LEGO Mindstorms Robot or Simple Rubber Band Powered Sled and different Regolith Simulants for the Moon and Titan.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will research and summarize the effects of space exploration on the economy and culture of Florida and then create a giant flowchart.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will research NASA spinoffs. The students will organize their research by developing a report which will include highlights of the positive impact the spinoffs have had on society.

Type: Lesson Plan

The 2012 Report of the Kennedy Space Center includes significant events, engineering achievements, partnerships, environmental work, education work, and outreach. In addition, the final section includes the economic impact and work force diversity.

Type: Text Resource