Stardust-NExT Educational Resources

Stardust-NExT Educational and Outreach (E/PO) Initiative is dedicated to bringing the excitement of space exploration to students of all ages. We offer standards-based classroom activities. National Education Standards are incorporated into the Educator Guides. All materials are downloadable free of charge and available for your use.

Our dynamic activities unpack the science and engineering behind missions to comets. Sequence several and tell a comet story! All materials have been tested in the classroom by teachers and kids, and reviewed by NASA educators and scientists. Many offer inquiry extensions.

Father and son holding comet models created in the Comet on a Stick activity

Comet Activities
Activities for novice learners of all ages, as well as those ready to dig in deeper into comet science and engineering!

Science: What is a Comet?

Activity	Description	Introductory	Intermediate	Advanced	Informal
Comet Mystery Boxes + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide: Class + Explorer Guide: Event + Assembly Directions	Use your tactile senses to discover what makes up a comet.
Comet on a Stick + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide + Make a Comet Video	A tactile experience, exploring the physical characteristics of a comet. Construct comet models from craft supplies and practice scientific discourse.
Tales Comets Tell + Educator Guide + Timeline Cards	Integrate literacy and science to illuminate comets' impact on people through history!
Comet Lingo Bingo + Educator Guide + Bingo Clues/Cards + Bingo Boards	A vocabulary-building bingo game, especially fun in conjunction with The Comet Chronicle (see Comet Resources).
Comparing Comets + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide + EPOXI Education	Play the role of a cometary scientist from the EPOXI or Stardust-NExT missions investigating the surface of comets.
Make a Comet & Eat It + Deep Impact Education	Model elements of a comet nucleus using food items: Yum!
Cookin' Up a Kitchen Comet + Education Guide + Standards + Video Demo	Demo for younger or larger audiences – or use as a lab for older students exploring characteristics of bodies in our solar system.
Feel the Impact + Education Materials	Designed by the Deep Impact mission for students with visual impairment. Students conduct experiments and analyze tactilely; engaging for all learners.

Engineering: Mission to a Comet

Activity	Description	Introductory	Intermediate	Advanced	Informal
Seeing in 3-D + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide + PowerPoint + Stereo Viewer	Learn how our brains interpret what we see and build your own stereoscopic viewer to see space imagery in 3-D!
Extreme Navigation + Educator Guide and PPT + Role Cards + Slide Show	Kinesthetic model illustrates mission planning to enable a spacecraft to make it from Earth to a comet.
Crater Capture + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide	Explore the challenge of capturing images of a fast moving target using a basketball. Includes open inquiry extensions.
Cosmic Cameras + Educator Guide + Explorer Guide + PowerPoint + PowerPoint Notes	Comparing two different spacecraft cameras, find out what the image data is really telling scientists!
Getting a Feel for Gravity + Educator Guide + Standards	These kinesthetic group activities develop our intuition for the power of gravity.
Adventures in Math + Math Problems	Explore size and scale in space using real-mission-to-comet problems—you'll find the answer key in the math!
Designing Craters + Educator Guide	A student inquiry into the question: "How do you make a 7-15 stories deep, football stadium-sized crater in a comet?"
Basics of Space Flight + Educator Guide	Learn concepts that apply to interplanetary space exploration, and their relationship to each other. Plan a mission!

Support Materials
Deepen your and your students' ability to conceptualize comets in space with multimedia interactives, games, gorgeous images… fun stuff!

Comet Resources

Activity	Description	Introductory	Intermediate	Advanced	Informal
Comet Interactive + Play Interactive	Interactive media model explores comet history and anatomy, and introduces viewers to mission data.
Cool, Curious Comets + Fact Sheet	It all starts here! Elementary fun fact sheet explores what comets are and where they come from.
Comet Chronicle	A funny, tabloid style, newspaper is written for high school. Articles are enjoyed by middle and afterschool audiences with support. Pair with Comet Lingo Bingo!
Comet Image Set	A set of these diverse comet images – both from afar and up close and personal, enrich your students’ experience.
Comet Story and Song + Deep Impact Education	Learn about comets through story telling and song. Designed by the Deep Impact mission.

Other Resources

Activity Resources	Description	Introductory	Intermediate	Advanced	Informal
Space School Musical	Watch a video musical about members of our solar system. Each song has fun activities associated with it.
Eyes on the Solar System	Explore the cosmos from your computer in 3-D! Interactive uses real NASA mission data.
Exo's Discovery	Help Exo and Disco in their search for resources in our solar system, including comets, in this interactive game.
Space Place	Fun interactive games and activities just for kids!
NASA Curriculum Standards Quilt	NASA materials are organized according to National Science Standards – find what’s best for your classroom!
Solar System Ambassadors	A volunteer public outreach program designed to communicate the excitement of JPL mission with local communities.

Program Resources	Description
Solar System Educators	Network of trained educators who are available to do teachers workshops across the nation.
NASA Explorer Schools	Offers educators access to a core collection of NASA's exciting, easy-to-implement and free education resources designed to increase your students' interest and engagement in STEM topics.
Solar System Exploration	Explore this exciting website and learn not only about the bodies in our Solar System but the NASA mission currently exploring them.