From Earth to Space: NASA Science for Everyone

NASA Science offers a wide array of educational opportunities for both formal and informal learning. Service members and their families, including students of all ages, can engage. These free resources include interactive websites, hands-on activities, workshops and competitions. NASA Science aims to inspire curiosity and cultivate interest in STEM fields, helping to develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.

NASA Science provides opportunities for anyone to make discoveries using NASA data. By joining NASA researchers, you can explore the universe, search for extraterrestrial life and contribute to the well-being of Earth and space.

Known as “citizen science” or “participatory science,” these projects have enabled volunteers to make thousands of significant scientific contributions. There are many projects open to everyone globally, with no citizenship requirements. Teens might particularly enjoy GLOBE Observer and the International Astronomical Search Collaboration.

General

• Learning Standards: Lists of science education standards that are aligned with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate divisions.

Overall STEM

• Digital Learning: Includes lessons, activities and projects, as well as professional learning resources.
• E-Clips: Standards-based videos, activities and lessons for educators to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA.
• Infiniscope: This project provides free content and creative tools to educators across the nation.
• My NASA Data: Earth science mini-lessons, interactives and lesson plans.
• NASA Space Place: Find activities about the Earth, sun, solar system, the universe, as well as science and technology.
• STEM Lessons for Educators: Classroom-setting materials you can sort by type of activity, topic and grade level.

Lesson collections

Earth:

• Earthrise: Monthly e-Newsletter With Earth and Climate Science Resources: This is a collaboration between multiple government agencies, including DOD STEM. The initiative’s goal is to help educate our nation’s children and increase their understanding of Earth and climate science, and the importance of protecting our home planet.
• There’s No Place Like Home — Earth Observation Camp Experience: This e-book is designed for students in grades 3-5 and aims to introduce them to the fascinating world of Earth observation, Earth science processes and the intricate connection between our planet and the sun.

Sun:

• Heliophysics Big Ideas: A framework for heliophysics education to provide the background and scaffolding educators need to incorporate heliophysics topics into existing STEM curricula.

Universe:

• PLANETS: Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology and Science is an out-of-school time program for youth in grades 3-8 that provides STEM learning with an emphasis on integrating NASA planetary science and engineering, particularly for underserved audiences.
• NASA’S Universe of Learning: The NASA’s Universe of Learning team connects the public to the data, discoveries and experts that span NASA’s astrophysics missions.

Networks and communities of practice

• Museum & Informal Education Alliance: An active community of practice that provides informal educators with access to NASA resources.
• The STAR Library Network: A hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net provides science-technology activities, resources and training.
• The National Informal STEM Education Network: Generates, develops, implements and collaborates on projects that strengthen and advance informal STEM learning in communities across the United States. Partner organizations include science centers, children’s museums, universities and others.

Events and opportunities

• Museum and Informal Education Alliance Events Calendar: A continuously updated calendar compiling NASA-related events, opportunities and anniversaries.

STEM activities, interactives, publications and programs

Younger Kids:

• • Climate Kids: Climate Kids is a collaborative initiative that educates youth about climate change through engaging science activities, storytelling and art.
  • NASA Space Place: Find activities about the Earth, sun, solar system, the universe, as well as science and technology.

Teenagers and Adults:

• • Astrobiology Graphic Histories: This series, written and illustrated by a NASA astrobiologist, explains the history and science behind the search for life on other planets. Each issue can be read online or downloaded, and several issues are available in different languages.
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: Learn something new about the universe every day! This website features a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe every day, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
  • NASA’s Eyes: Ride along (virtually) with NASA Science missions through the solar system, alongside asteroids, exploring Earth and traveling to exoplanets with this 3D web-based visualization app.
  • NASA Science Live: Watch live and archived interviews with NASA Science experts as they discuss our human and robotic exploration of our own world and others beyond.
  • We Asked a NASA Expert: Is Mars habitable? Do aliens exist? Will an asteroid ever hit Earth? NASA scientists and engineers answer all these burning questions and more in these short videos.
  • Learning and Educational Activities and Resources from NASA Science: This catalog of learning resources draws from NASA science content. You can search this collection using keywords and/or the drop-down filters to pinpoint resources to use with your audience of learners.
  • Skywatching: Look up. There’s a lot to see in the night sky, and NASA Skywatching lets you know what’s up there each month, how to connect with local astronomy clubs, which tools can help you get a firsthand look at distant worlds and more.
  • Solar System Resource Packages: These curated collections of activities, videos, images and additional materials offer a one-stop source for information about planets in our solar system and select planetary science missions.
  • Universe of Learning: The NASA’s Universe of Learning team connects the public to the data, discoveries and experts that span NASA’s astrophysics missions.

Art and art activities

• Decorate your room, your laptop or your mobile device with free and safely downloadable artwork featuring images of our solar system and beyond, otherworldly travel posters of the future, Mars missions and unique Earth Day artwork.
• NASA Space Place Art Challenge: Each month a new challenge asks younger children to draw their response to a different space-related situation and send it to NASA, which selects a few to be highlighted online.
• Arts and Crafts Inspired by LandSat Images: For nearly half a century, the LandSat satellites have been collecting unprecedented imagery of Earth as seen from space, data that is as important scientifically as it is beautiful. Artists and crafters are encouraged to use this imagery as inspiration for creating textiles, painting, ceramics and other media, then sharing their works online.
• NASA Science Coloring Books: Download coloring pages for astrophysics, the solar system, the sun, Earth Science and more NASA science, including pages in different languages.
• Make Your Own Exoplanets: Using rocks and paint, create your own exoplanets (worlds beyond our solar system).

Annual events

• International Observe the Moon Night: Every September, people around the planet are invited to learn more about lunar science and share their observations and images of the first quarter moon on social media.