This activity is a chance for students to apply the diffraction grating equation m*Λ/d = Θ to solve a real life problem: find the wavelength of given source of light. It is also useful for them to apply trigonometry to real life scenarios.

This 8-minute video lesson looks at the birth of stars. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 16 of 85]

This 9-minute video lesson looks at Cepheid Variables. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 31 of 85]

This 7-minute video lesson looks at the lifecycle of massive stars (stars with masses greater than 9 times the sun). [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 27 of 85]

This 7-minute video lesson explains what parallax is and how it is used to determine distances between stars. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 21 of 85]

This 8-minute video lesson examines the scale of distance from the solar system to the closest stars. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 3 of 85]

This 7-minute video lesson looks at images of star fields and nebulas. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 20 of 85]

This 12-minute video lesson looks at how to measure stellar distance using parallax. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 23 of 85]

This 9-minute video lesson provides another introduction to stellar parallax. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 22 of 85]

This 2-minute video lesson provides clarification on parallax. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 24 of 85]

This 2-minute video lesson provides a clarification about supernovae. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 29 of 85]

This 12-minute video lesson looks at supernovae. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 28 of 85]

This 7-minute video lesson explains why cepheids pulsate. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 32 of 85]

This video lesson has the goal of introducing students to galaxies as large collections of gravitationally bound stars. It explores the amount of matter needed for a star to remain bound and then brings in the idea of Dark Matter, a new kind of matter that does not interact with light. It is best if students have had some high school level mechanics, ideally Newton's laws, orbital motion and centripetal force. The teacher guide segment has a derivation of centripetal acceleration. This lesson should be mostly accessible to students with no physics background. The video portion of this lesson runs about 30 minutes, and the questions and demonstrations will give a total activity time of about an hour if the materials are all at hand and the students work quickly. However, 1 1/2 hours is a more comfortable amount of time. There are several demonstrations that can be carried out using string, ten or so balls of a few inches in diameter, a stopwatch or clock with a sweep second hand and some tape. The demonstrations are best done outside, but can also be carried out in a gymnasium or other large room. If the materials or space are not available, there are videos of the demonstrations in the module and these may be used.

Video Description:  In this close-up video, Dr. Nicholeen Viall, Research Astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, shares her love for astronomy and ballet and how her creativity has helped her ask questions about the sun that no one has ever asked before.  Video Length:  2:20.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Ask SME: Close-up with a NASA Subject Matter Expert videos are professionally developed to capture a glimpse of NASA SME's personal interests and career journeys. Each can be used to spark student interest and broaden their ideas of the STEM workforce. Additional videos in this series can be found by searching GoOpenVA using "NASA eClips Ask SME".

Video Description:  Engineering design and technology development support scientific discovery. Learn about the roles engineers and scientists play when working together on NASA missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and how science and engineering take turns pushing each other to move exploration forward.  Video Length:  4:16.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Launchpad videos focus on NASA innovations and the technology that take us into the future.  These segments support project-based and problem-based learning experiences in science, mathematics, and career and technical education classrooms.

Video Description:  Each of us is made from star stuff. But how are stars formed? Take a closer look at the life cycles of stars and learn where stars come from, how they change, and what happens to stars when their lives come to an end. Find out about your connection to the cosmos.  Video Length:  6:00.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Launchpad videos focus on NASA innovations and the technology that take us into the future.  These segments support project-based and problem-based learning experiences in science, mathematics, and career and technical education classrooms.

Reading the sky activity is a great activity to do to help students with understanding the night sky. The activity is a ton of fun to do during school and even at STEAM activities your school may host. Students enjoy learning how to measure objects in the sky using their hands and a compass!

Join Joe as he embarks on an exploration of space in this episode of Super Science Show with Joe. Accelerate your way through the planets and take a closer look at our solar system. Learn how to design and build your own rockets at home- straw rockets- and launch them.

This is a computer lab activity where students view images of stars, nebulas, and galaxies and discover factors in telescope design that allow scientists to study the universe. The students will write questions about the images and produce a power point presentation on features of the universe.