Educational Activities & Guides

The Mystery of Lunar Water

Part 1: Grades 3+ / Part 2: Grades 5+

A two-part activity from the LROC team developed to parallel current science efforts to identify regions near poles likely to have water in the form of ice and planning missions to access such valuable resources. Utilize maps created with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) instrument data, including LROC images, and enjoy a wonderful introduction to remote sensing and planetary science. Teacher's guides contain background information for each activity, additional map details, and answer keys.

Rovers of the Solar System

Grades K-8

A printable coloring and activity booklet from the LROC team packed full of past, present, and future rover coloring pages and information. The detailed coloring pages and activities can be enjoyed by learners and enthusiasts of all ages. Includes three activities that can be combined together to plan your own rover mission. These can also be combined with "The Mystery of Lunar Water" activity to provide a comprehensive series for a full range of age groups.

LRO Exploring the Moon

Multiple ages

Engaging educational resources for NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. Learn about the Moon through games, activities, puzzles and other lunar resources.

NASA's Best & STEM Resources

Multiple ages

NASA's Best and STEM resources have miltiple flexible and organized activities and guides from NASA developed to nurture communication, collaboration, and innovation using engineering content and themes to teach students.

JPL Educator Resources

Multiple ages

JPL has a great selection of educator resources from activities to guides that help explore our universe of science, technology, engineering and math.

Explore! To the Moon and Beyond

Multiple ages

Find fun activities on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission developed by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI).

Bring Moon Rocks into Your Classroom!

Grades K-12

The Lunar and Meteorite Sample Education Disk Program provides K-12 teachers with 6-in diameter clear acrylic disks containing six samples of either Moon rocks or Meteorites. Each disk is accompanied by written and graphic descriptions of each sample in the disk, a Powerpoint presentation on CD, a teacher workbook, and additional printable material.

Apollo Word Search

Grades K-6

A fun little word search that helps identify Apollo-era words and terms.

Straw Rocket

Grades 3-8

An educational activity to help students study how basic rocket processes are applied to space flight.

LRO Paper Models

Grades 5-12

Printable paper models of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), or LRO with LCROSS. These satellites launched launched together June 18, 2009.

Exploring the Moon (1997)

Grades 4-12

The activities in this guide promote problem solving, communication skills and teamwork. Earth and space science subjects include lunar geology and regolith, distance to the Moon, Apollo landing sites and life support systems.

NASA Quest Challenge: Cratering the Moon (2008)

Grades 4-12

The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will travel aboard the same launch vehicle as the LRO. In early 2009, LCROSS will aim the spent Centaur upper stage of the launch vehicle at the permanently dark floor of one of the Moon's polar craters to test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there. Students will design and build a launching device that will cause a projectile to excavate subsurface layers of lunar soil.

A supplemental Moon Math guide (grades 5-8) is also provided with suggested activities for connecting standards-based geometry concepts (area, volume, and proportion of two- and three-dimensional objects) to an actual NASA lunar mission.

Field Trip to the Moon (2005)

Grades 5-8

Field Trip to the Moon is a virtual journey created using NASA engineering models and scientific data. Like NASA's astronauts, you will come face-to-face with the challenges and excitement of traveling through space to land on the Moon.

Lunar Nautics (2007)

Grades 6-8

The Lunar Nautics Educator Guide has 40 activities. Students assume roles of workers at Lunar Nautics Space Systems, Inc., a fictional aerospace company specializing in mission management, lunar habitat and exploration design, and scientific research.

Lunar Odyssey (1995)

Grades 4-12

Powerpoint slides that compare the basic size, scale, and orbital characteristics of the Earth and Moon.

Moon Munchies (2007)

Grades 1-6+

The design of this course is a creative problem-solving process. Students will design and build a lunar plant growth chamber using the engineering design process.

Packing Up for the Moon (2007)

Grades 6-8

Design is a creative problem-solving process. In this unit, students will design and build a lunar plant growth chamber using the engineering design process.

Lunar Plant Growth Chamber (2007)

Grades 9-12

Design is a creative problem-solving process. In this unit, students will design and build a lunar plant growth chamber using the engineering design process.

Planetary Geology (1998)

Grades 5-College

This educator's guide features exercises grouped into five units: introduction to geologic processes, impact cratering activities, planetary atmosphere, planetary surfaces, and geologic mapping.