Our Solar Neighborhood

In this module, we hope to understand the planets as individual worlds and as part of a larger family of the Solar System by studying their similarities and differences. The Module offers a look at what we know about our family of planets, and what we do not know. It also addresses what is currently known about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. All MESSENGER Education Modules (MEMs) include inquiry-based, hands-on lessons for grades Pre-K – 12 that are aligned to the vision for science education detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

MESSENGER departing Earth

VOYAGE MODULE

The Voyage education unit uses the remarkable power of models to provide an understanding of Earth’s place in the Solar System and the Sun’s place among the stars. The unit was developed by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education to help bring the excitement of the Voyage: a Journey Through Our Solar System exhibition to classrooms around the world. The programming and lessons associated with the Voyage exhibition are delivered through the Center’s Journey through the Universe program. The Voyage Education Module page provides an overview of the Module, overviews of each grade level unit, descriptions of all lessons, as well as downloadable PDF files of the lessons. Click on the lessons below for direct links to the lesson PDFs.

MESSENGER orbiting Mercury

THE VOYAGE CONTINUES MODULE

This education unit continues the exploration of the Solar System using the power of models to take a closer look into Solar System objects and phenomena. These lessons were developed by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education to help bring the excitement of the Voyage: a Journey Through Our Solar System exhibition to classrooms around the world. The programming and lessons associated with the Voyage exhibition are delivered through the Center’s Journey through the Universe program. The Voyage Education Module page provides an overview of the Module, overviews of each grade level unit, descriptions of all lessons, as well as downloadable PDF files of the lessons. Click on the lessons below for direct links to the lesson PDFs.

Ice In the Solar System graphic

EXPLORING ICE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM MODULE

The Exploring Ice in the Solar System education unit examines the importance of water in the form of ice in the Solar System. From hands-on experiences with ice, the unit moves on to investigating ice in everyday life, in polar regions on Earth, and throughout the Solar System. The unit was developed by the Carnegie Institution of Washington Carnegie Academy for Science Education as part of their astrobiology program.

Science and Engineering in Action

These modules engage students with scientific and engineering practices such as asking questions and solving problems, analyzing and interpreting data and constructing explanations or designing solutions. All MESSENGER Education Modules (MEMs) include inquiry-based, hands-on lessons for grades Pre-K – 12 that are aligned to the vision for science education detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

MESSENGER between Mercury and the Sun

STAYING COOL MODULE

The Staying Cool education unit explores the basic concepts of light, heat, and energy to investigate how spacecraft such as MESSENGER can study planets using light and radiation without being damaged by the harsh high-temperature, high-radiation environment in which they have to operate. The unit can be told as a story in three chapters. Each chapter asks a question which is addressed in the corresponding lesson. Click on the titles below to find an overview and downloadable version of the lesson.

MESSENGER spacecraft showing instruments

MISSION DESIGN MODULE

Mission Design is intended to provide an overarching framework for discussing exploration in general. The Module places space exploration in the greater context of the history of human exploration, and allows the students to investigate how scientists and engineers today plan missions to study worlds in the Solar System and extend their exploration even further in the Universe.

The Module unfolds as a story in three chapters, with each chapter asking a question which is addressed in the corresponding lesson. The grades 5-8 lessons address the questions in a broad manner to provide a comprehensive discussion of the Module’s basic themes. The grades 9-12 lessons focus on specific aspects of the central questions, in this manner allowing exploration of concepts at a depth suitable for high school. The grades 5-8 lessons can be easily adapted for high school to allow for a broader exploration of the relevant concepts before proceeding to the more targeted explorations of the high school lessons.

Click on the titles below to find an overview and downloadable versions of the lessons. Note that the overview and lessons are in PDF format, so you need Adobe Reader to view the documents.

Full Module as a single PDF file (13 MB)