The Unknown Moon
Presented by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Lunar and Planetary Institute
This workshop for high school science teachers incorporated standards-aligned classroom resources, authentic inquiry experiences, interactions with lunar scientists, and more.
Contact the Science Engagement team with questions
Hands-On Activities
- Impact Craters
- Water Balloon Impacts
- Planetary Differentiation
- Ice in the Shadows
- Seeing the Moon inquiry activities (spectra and the ALTAs)
- Seeing the Moon — SmartBoard resources
Lunar Scale and Rotation activities
Lunar Phases activities
- Oreo Moon Phases
- Moon Phase Chart
- Golf Ball Moon Phases
- Paper Plate Moon Phases
Data Activities
(Using, analyzing data)
- Lunar Landforms
- Blue Marble Matches
- Geologic Mapping of the Moon
- Radar Image Analysis
- How Radar Can See
- Using Radar to Search the Darkness
- How Did the Moon Form
- Planning a Mission to the Lunar South Pole
- Investigating the Moon research question activity
- Impact Cratering Lab (described but not conducted)
- Mission Moon (described but not conducted)
Discussion-Based Activities
Powerpoints
- The Moon: Applications and Technical Value, a presentation by Dr. Paul Spudis
(Note: some of these images are under copyright; please do not publish this without permission from Dr. Spudis).
Video of Dr. Spudis' presentation at ISDC 2011 - Moon Basics: Rotation, Revolution, Orbital Characteristics
- Phases and Eclipses
- How Can Radar See
- Lunar Landforms
- Radar Image Analysis
- Using Radar to Search the Darkness
- Interactive Triads as Teaching Strategies
- What are Planets Made Of? Using Infrared Spectroscopy to Investigate the Solar System — presentation by Dr. Rachel Klima
- The Lunar Poles: An Ideal Site for Scientific Exploration — presentation by Dr. Ben Bussey
- Formation of the Moon — presentation by Dr. Joshua Cahill
Assessment resources
- Pre-Assessment Techniques
- Pre-Assessment Strategies
- How Far is the Moon
- Assessment Primer
- Types of Assessment
Inquiry and pedagogy resources
- What Is Inquiry in Science?
- What Teacher Educators Need to Know about Inquiry
- ABC Classrooms
- Overview of Learning Styles
- Moon Phases Educational Research
Lunar Disk Certification (process for borrowing)
Additional Resources
- Moon Viewing
- Earth-Moon Resources
- Moon Phase Resources
- Spectroscopy Resources
- Misconceptions about the Moon
- Article If We Had No Moon
- 2013 Photos
- 2012 Photos of Lunar Lab
- 2011 Photos
- 2011 Christine Hunt’s Notes
- Summer Opportunities
- Quick Time Movies
- Video of the Crater Ejecta Catapult
- Video of Ejecta Catapult Setup
- Photos of the Impact Flash
- Moon poster — What the Moon is made of and how it formed, by Dr. Rachel Klima