My NASA Data (Chambers et al. 2008) is a teaching tool available on NASA’s website that offers microsets of real data in an easily accessible, user-friendly format. In this article, the authors describe a lesson plan based on an activity from My NASA Data, in which students explore parts of the United States where they would want to live if they lived in a solar-powered mobile home. The lesson focuses on alternative energy sources and demonstrates how easily teachers can create their own activities using data of their choice. The goal is to move students away from using simplistic data. Instead, students begin to use authentic NASA data—making science more relevant and exciting.
Details
Type Journal ArticlePub Date 12/1/2009Stock # tst09_076_09_31Volume 076Issue 09