Rendezvous with a Comet Teacher's Guide

Made possible in part by STScI/NASA IDEAS Grant Program HST-ED-90285.01-A

Copyright (c) 2007 Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum
and Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana.

RENDEZVOUS WITH A COMET POWERPOINT

Challenger Center for Space Science Education Comet Booklet

(Last updated 7/10/2007)

Welcome to the Rendezvous with a Comet Teacher's Guide. Here you will find curriculum and instructional materials for implementing a 4-6 week unit associated with the Challenger Learning Center mission by the same name. This unit provides for 3-4 weeks of pre-mission activities, and for several days of post-mission activities. Whole chapters of the Teacher's Guide may be downloaded as PDF's by clicking chapter titles; sections of each chapter may be downloaded individually by clicking section headings.

Chapter 1:
Introduction (contains all of the following individual sections in a single 8-page file)
  • Problem-Based Learning
  • PBL Benefits
  • PBL Methodology
  • Cooperative Learning
  • The Role of the Teacher in PBL
  • PBL Climate Setting
  • Setting Rules of Social Engagement
  • PBL Mentoring
  • PBL Assessment
  • Managing Rendezvous with a Comet
  • Pilot Project Teacher Comments
  • Acknowledgement
  • References
 
Chapter 2:
Design a Space Alien

Initiating PBL1

  Sample Time Line

PBL1: Design a Space Alien

Know Need to Know Form

 
Chapter 3:
Rendezvous with a Comet

Initiating PBL2

  Sample Time Line

PBL2: Rendezvous with a Comet

Job Application

Crew Manifest

Know Need to Know Form

 
Chapter 4:
Whole Group Activities

The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 1986

Comets: What Do You Know?

Comet Vocabulary

Comet Word Search

Comet Crossword Puzzle

Job Application

Teamwork Activities for all Teams:

  • Data Collection Sheet
  • Mission Patch Sheet
  • Mission Patch Form
  • Spacesuit Sheet

Can We Talk?

  • Mission Control Instructions
  • Spacecraft Instructions
  • Follow-up Questions

Teamwork Practice Activity

Task Card Practice

Paper Airplane Activity Task Card Set

Paper Airplane Pattern

Proper Procedures Activity

Can Your Notebook Hold a Cup of Water?

Comet Research Companion

Vocabulary
   
Chapter 5:
Team Training
 
COM/DATA
 
ISO
 
LS
 
DATA:
   
MED:
 
NAV
 
PROBE
 
REMOTE
 
PRESS
 
   
Chapter 6:
Classroom Connections
 
  LANGUAGE ARTS
 
   
  MATH
 
   
  SCIENCE
 
   
  SOCIAL STUDIES
 
   
  TECHNOLOGY
 
   
Appendix:
Scoring Rubrics:
 

Support for program number HST-ED-90285.01-A was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Incorporated, under NASA contract NAS5-26555.