Space Based Maths Activities List

List of space based mathematics activities on this site. The SSAT headed version is here with other Space/Maths websites document here.

   

Colmanweb

Colmanweb Planet Fact Pages. Use the links below:
   

Powers of 10

Link to a great animation by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University demonstrating why standard form is useful. Goes from 1023, 10million light years away from the Milky Way, through to 10-16, examining quarks!

(For an alternative, non-internet based version click here and here)

   

Powers of 10

A good flash animation version of the animated gif (above). Only positive powers however.

   

Powers of 10

Arrange the 14 images in order of size, biggest to smallest (grab them, move them around). When you're done check your answer on the second slide. There's also links to the website from which the activity came and the original 1970's video on YouTube.

   

ISS Earth Circumference

Using a few easy to remember facts and knowledge of circle circumference formula, can you work out the circumference of the Earth?

Teachers notes, the answer and workings are here. A printable version of the PowerPoint file is here. Or download all 3 files as a single zip file here.

These files are headed with the Sun|Trek logo for which I produced them. More materials are at the Sun|Trek website here.

   

Orbiting Our Sun

Use circle and speed/distance/time formula to work out the speeds at which the planets go around our Sun.

This downloads as 4 files zipped up. However, you can dowload just the teachers notes here and other files separately here(.pps in miles), here(.pps in Km) and here(.xls info sheet & answers)!

These files are headed with the Sun|Trek logo for which I produced them. More materials are at the Sun|Trek website here.
   

Spatial Thinking with Planetary Nebulae

Pupils use cubes and recognise household items using the same skills as astronomers do with Hubble Space Telescope images of Planetary Nebulae. For much more detail & background to this activity click here. Use the files below:

Extension activity: a great Java based on Plan, Side, Elevation is here.

   

Hubble Deep Field

This is a link to the Space Observatories in School website that hosts this activity. Pupils will use the Hubble Deep Field to estimate the number of galaxies in the universe. Lots of mathematics application here & a fair amount of wow factor too!

HDF ppt show (2.7Mb)
   

Mr Cripps' Guide to the Universe

How exactly do all of those astronomical things shape up? Which are bigger & which are smaller than others? This ppt animation shows you the relative sizes, with a little help from a collegue of mine!

   

Eagle Zoom

Similar kind of activity to the previous one, this time we zoom out of the Eagle Nebula

   

Keplars Law

Pupils manipulate the distances of the planets from our Sun and the times taken for each to complete thier orbit to discover Keplars Law.

Further teachers notes are here.

A previous version of this activity is at the Sun|Trek website here.
   

Gravity & the Inverse Square Law

An applied use of inverse proportion. Good but difficult example!

   

Solar System Fact Sheet

MS Excel sheet that gives info to make a scale model of the distances between the planets for any size room (or peice of paper etc) that you choose

   

First Contact / Arecibo Message

Inspired from a lecture by Sir Patrick Moore, this is a fairly simple activity that gets pupils to think about what kind of message we would send to Aliens and how we would send it. Once they've considered various issues pupils complete a 'paint by numbers' type activity to see what Sir Patrick Moore recommends.

The answer to this activity is here. Or download both files as a single zip file here.

To find out what alien message NASA have put aboard the Voyager spacecraft (the only spacecraft to leave our solar system) click here.

The Arecibo Message was a real life version of this activity. A further activity based on the Arecibo Message is here.

   

Seasons On Saturn

A great trigonometrical activity to find Saturns orbital period and when it will next appear edge-on. Use the essential files below:

Further useful files:
   

Altitudes

Pupils cut & arrange cards to learn about relative altitudes & distances from Earth of features, satellites (natural & artificial) & stars.

   

How far is the horizon from any given height?

Pupils use Pythagoras to work out how far away the horizon is from any given altitude. This file sets up the mathematical model and then gives the answer too. For an easier, more numeric version click here. The answers and working to the numeric version are here.

   

Space Shuttle Facts

Figures on mass and thrust of space shuttle on launch
   

STS-110 Nominal Trajectory Data

Data returned by the shuttle on the ascent to space of STS-110 mission.
   

NASA's Educational Rockets Activities

External pdf download of NASA's Rocket Guide educational brief.
   

Industrial Strength Paper Rockets

Three versions of instructions for constructing the launcher for 'Industrial Strength Paper Rockets':
   

Rocket Trigonometry & Rocket Paths

Two files to use when doing Water Rockets or Air Powered Rockets. The first is a PowerPoint show to explain briefly (assuming a minimal understanding of trigonometry) how we can use angle and distance to calculate the maximum height of the rocket. The second is an MS Excel worksheet that calculates max height from pupils measurements. I suggest that pupils practice using the formula by hand before they use this time saving tool.
   

Mathematics of a Total Solar Eclipse

A good 'similar triangles' activity to explain the shadow of a total solar eclipse. Harder examples of the main activity here.
   

Would a cat land on its feet in Zero-G?

This question was put to NASA by a school pupil so they took a cat up in the Vomit-Comet to try to answer it. Here's what happened! (Not for animal lovers!)
   

Dolls Head in a Vacuum

What would happen to you if you didn't wear a spacesuit on an EVA (extra vehicular activity) in space? Watch this to find out just one of the consequences. NOTE: Its 7.5Mb so only download through a broadband connection.
   

Mars Exploration Rover Animation

Link to a NASA page from where you can download the MER Animation showing take-off, cruise and landing on Mars plus some off the science that the Rovers have been doing. There's a new RealVideo of this animation too. Pages of other Mars Exploration Rover resources are at:
   

Mission Control, Houston

Interactive guide to who sits where and does what at Mission Control, Houston.
   

Ring Wing Glider

Pdf document with instructions for pupils to cut out & create a wing glider from a single peice of A4 paper.

   

Rotor Motor

Pdf document with templates for pupils to cut out & create sycamore type flying devices.
   

Russian Mars

Simple 7 slide Powerpoint show of Russian plans to go to Mars. These plans are quite advanced and have been around since the 1980's! Worth a look! Click here for the website.

   

Mars Crash

Pupils decide what 'tools' would be useful and which wouldn't following a crash landing on Mars. (Written by Mr Cripps of Neatherd High School.)
   

Mars Animation

Uses Hubble pictures to show the apparent size of Mars at different times of the 2 year cycle between Mars appearing large and appearing small in the sky. Use with the 'Mars Orbit' file below.

   

Mars Orbit

'Flash' animation to show the comparative orbits of Earth & Mars. Demonstrates why Mars appears larger in the sky every two years.

   

Cannonball Orbit

Nice demo from NASA JPL that demonstrates how to put things into orbit.

   

Orbit Game

Shoot the comet to avoid the planets, and their gravitational fields.
   

Mars Activities 1 and Mars Activities 2

Two Mars Activity Guides that take pupils through various aspects of the Red Planet (getting there, living there, mapping the surface to name just a few). The first guide is aimed at slightly older pupils than the second but have a look at both to choose your favourite activities from each. (These both download from external sources.)

   
US based Steve Spangler Science sell UV beads - they change colour in sunlight (UV light) - kids love them, they're a great Astronomy sellpoint. This link takes you to the UV beads page, this link takes you to the Steve Spangler mainpage. Prices are ok but postage isn't, worth it though in any case.
   

Planisphere

A nice program for making printable (via pdf) planispheres (tells you whats in the sky for any particular time & place) for pupils to cut out and use. This is a link is to the external website from where I downloaded the program where there is also a convenient help page on how to use it.

   

Comparing Number Systems of Roman Numerals , Sexagesimal and Binary

Some rich maths resources on investigating the counting systems of Roman numerals, Sexagesimal (base 60) and Binary. Converting to and from, calculating with, sequences of Roman numerals and patterns within them. Lots of mathematical reasoning. A large version of the binary 'Hold up cards' resource is here. Answers and links included.
   

Space Shuttle Model

Cut out and make a model of the space shuttle. This downloads as a word document, to download as a gif file click here.

   
 

International Space Station Model

Cut out and make a model of the ISS. This is a link to the NASA website hosting PDF format scale models of each module of the ISS.

   

STEREO Model

Cut out and make a model of the STEREO Spacecraft (pdf).
   
 

Apollo Spacecraft Model (This is a link to an external site)