This module focuses on the launch and propulsion of the Genesis spacecraft. Students will become familiar with how rockets are launched, learn how and why specific rockets are chosen for varying payloads, learn about the history of rocketry, and work with variables that might affect the performance of a launch vehicle. They will work in teams to test a single variable involved in launching a rocket ... Full description.

This module engages students in the use of a clean room and in the planning of assembly of solar collector wafers for the Genesis space mission. They will work in production design teams to explore how the Genesis spacecraft will collect bulk solar wind with the collector arrays and learn to work as a team in a restrictive environment. The module includes several activities with accompanying video ... Full description.

This video contains interviews with scientists and technicians who work in the Genesis cleanroom at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Footage shows scientists donning cleanroom clothing, washing samples, and assembling sampling wafers onto the array frame of the Genesis probe. It also explains the risk of dust to sensitive technology such a space probe and describes how dust concentrations in the air ... Full description.

This site offers a virtual walk-through tour of a hydroelectric facility. The creation of hydroelectricity begins at the dam, where the power plant converts the force of falling water into electricity. It shows how dams operate and the equipment necessary for electrical generation. Full description.

The site offers virtual tours of a hydroelectric project, a fish passage, and a generator. It shows how dams operate, the equipment necessary for electrical generation, explains the electrical generation process, and touches on some environmental issues. Other materials presented here include a timeline about the discovery of electricity and power generation, a glossary, and links to newspaper articles ... Full description.

This is a lesson that enables the student to describe how hurricanes move and change appearance over time through the use of the pubic domain image processing software. Full description.

Robowell is an automated process for monitoring selected ground-water-quality properties and constituents. It was developed to provide a cost effective monitoring system that met protocols expected for manual sampling. Users have access to real-time water quality data. There are also links to other water quality sites. Full description.

This lesson allows students to explore the importance of weather prediction and the Internet's role in changing the way weather is reported. By participating in an Internet scavenger hunt, students will come to a greater appreciation of the role Internet weather prediction plays in their own lives as well as the lives of people all over the world. Full description.

This activity examines many of the reasons why it is important to construct large dams, specifically, the three major dams across the Gunnison River leading into Black Canyon (Colorado). The importance of the dams for irrigation, electrical supply and recreation throughout history is explored. Students will learn about the different types of dam constructions, with pros and cons for each. There is ... Full description.

Ships travelling between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie use the Welland Canal. Beginning with a conversation between characters Mathise, Geo, and Trig, they explain how a lock in the canal operates by gravity alone, without pumps. The characters use mathematics to solve problems such as how long the locks take to fill and how to express the volume and flow of water in more common terms (bathtubs of water ... Full description.