Explore space with your students using these new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning games
Pokémon Goes to School: Master the Science Game
In their ongoing initiatives to captivate students with learning experiences to engage them in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) and Nortel LearniT have joined with and Nintendo of America. The learning game just released in this endeavor explores the sun, shadows and space with Pokémon characters and scenarios. Find them on the masterthescience.org web site and the Nortel LearniT/NIA partnership page.
For Grades 3-5 the lessons are:
Traveling with Dirty Snowballs (comets): students use the Internet to explore famous comets and discover how comet dust is captured in space. Practice some of the skills scientists use to study comets and about our solar system
Timekeeping by the Sun: students explore ways to tell time using the Sun and other natural sky objects.
Use a shadow stick (gnomon) to figure out the connection between the Sun's position in the sky and the length of the shadow cast by the gnomon.
As scientists do, record your observations using measurements and digital images (captured with a digital camera).
Through Internet resources, you can learn more about the Sun-Earth relationship, shadows, and early timekeeping devices.
Living in Space: What might be like to live in space? How might life change? Why do astronauts appear to float in space? Conduct experiments, research, and learn what it might be like to walk up walls and turn somersaults in the air.
For Grades 6-8 the lessons are:
Expanding Universe: students complete a What I Know-What I Want to Know-What I've Learned (KWL) chart to assess what they already know about the universe. Through models and hands-on experiences, students gain an understanding of the expanding universe and Big Bang Theory. They create a PowerPoint presentation to organize and share what they've learned. Students use online virtual telescopes and spectroscopy to experience the work of an astronomer.
Life of a Star: students compare various life cycles. They gather information about stars and their life cycle through Internet sources and by analyzing charts and diagrams. Working as a team, students develop a PowerPoint presentation or Web page to visualize a Sun-like star's life cycle.
Traveling in Space: students compare the structure and function of past, present and future launch vehicles and spacecraft. They design and create their own two-stage balloon rocket as a simple model of modern two-stage rocket systems. Students deepen their understanding of traveling through space by investigating several Internet resources.
Share your students' work and their questions: more collaborative endeavors!
Throughout the Master the Science lessons, there are many opportunities for your students to use technology to demonstrate what they're learning electronically and to communicate the ideas and questions generated in the learning process. Each lesson's web site offers an e-mail for to submit student work for publication online; an example is this form on the Timekeeping lesson. The web site indicates that a sampling of students' work will be posted in December 2007. Additionally, the form provides space to submit student questions for potential inclusion in video interviews with researchers from NASA, the National Institute of Aerospace, and research universities.
Lessons Tracked to National Standards
Each Master the Science lesson plan is tracked to national standards, including:
the National Science Education Standards (Science as Inquiry, Earth and Space Science, Science and Technology);
National Educational Technology Standards (Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making, Digital Citizenship, Technology Operations and Concepts)
