Resources by NASA

A robotic arm

In this activity children are challenged to design and make a robotic arm to grab things from a distance. The challenge is based on robotic arms on the International Space Station used to move heavy equipment or perform delicate tasks. Children will:

• discover relationships between the length of a...

Apollo 1 fire - the Aftermath

This historic footage, from Footagevault, was recorded at the top of the Apollo 1 rocket stack shortly after the fire which claimed the lives of the first Apollo astronauts. The film shows how ferociously things burn in a high pressure pure...

Astronauts leaping on the Moon

This footage, from Footagevault, documents the locomotion of humans on the Moon under reduced gravity conditions. It can be used with key stage three and four students to start discussions about forces. This clip shows Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan leaping towards the camera with great big kangaroo hops.

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Astronauts on 'Space Walk' from the International Space Station

This vertiginous video clip , from Footagevault, shows an astronaut emerging from the Quest airlock on board the International Space Station. Further views recorded from a small camera mounted on the astronaut's helmet show the astronaut-eye view of his spacewalk, looking around the outside of the Space Station and...

Black Hole Mathematics

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at black holes. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in the maths and physical science post-16 curriculum. Problems consist of a student page and an answer sheet. Students need to be...

Build the Station Simulation

With just a few materials, building a paper model of the International Space Station (ISS) can become a class project. This publication contains a brief overview of the ISS, its parts, the science that occurs on board, instructions, and extension fact sheets. Learn about the ISS, explore fun facts, simulate...

Drinking Straw Rocket

This simple activity from NASA allows classrooms to study rocket stability as students construct and fly small "indoor" paper rockets. The rockets can be used for a range of activities into forces and movement in which students collect data and interpret the results.

Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking about an Old Solar System

From NASA, this resource looks at how bodies in the solar system are classified. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined the terms "planet" and "dwarf planet". The IAU's decision created an opportunity for students to understand the solar system better by considering the definitions of planet,...

Earth Math

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at the Earth and its atmosphere. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years.

The problems were created to be authentic...

Electromagnetic Math

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at electromagnetic radiation. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of...