Description of Field Test Activities

Introductory Activity:Every Picture Tells a Story

People only see what they are prepared to see. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Image data supplies an immediate visual appeal to students that tables, graphs, and numeric data do not.  These activities set a context for developing an understanding of scientific image data. One of the goals of science education is for students to emulate scientists as they carry out scientific inquiry. The wealth of NASA scientific image data provides a new dimension for science education. 


Inquiry Based-Background Activities:
  • 3 Kindergarten through Grade 4 activities
  • 7 Grade 5 through Grade 8 activities
  • 5 Grade 9 through Grade 12 activities
Background activities are guided, short term activities (typically one or two class periods) designed for teaching specific and well defined skills and topics. These activities can be used in support of future Quests, or they can be used alone for specific, finely tuned educational objectives.


SpaceQuests: Cooperative Groups - Constructivist Activities
  • MoonQuest (grades K-4)
  • MarsQuest (grades 5-8)
  • MountainQuest (grades 9-12)
Quests are longer (2 to 5 class periods), open ended “scenario based” activities. Quests are not “cookbooks” or closely guided activities and offer room for imagination and role playing. Often, one or more background activities should be performed before attempting a Quest.