Updated 07/07/03
Paper Model of the Kepler Satellite
Paper Model of Satellite (New Jan 2003)
Kepler Mission Interactive Simulator
We have created an interactive educational software package about planet detection. It contains:
- Recent results on planet detection;
- Describes the various methods used to detect planets;
- Provides details about the Kepler Mission;
- Has an interactive simulator wherein you become the observer, record data and then analyze your data to determine what kind of planet you have found. A great classroom activity; and
- History and geography of Johannes Kepler and his contemporaries.
The grade level for the materials is approximately for high school. It is also excellent for the college Astronomy 101 class. A review appears in Mercury Jan/Feb 1997, Vol 26, page 8.
The software is for the Macintosh (TM). A color display of 640x480 with 256 colors minimum is preferred. The application required to run the software is HyperStudio Player 3.0 (TM). If you already have HyperStudio you don't need to download that file. The HyperStudio software is similar in nature to HyperCard (TM) stacks but has a lot more capability, such as being able to program it for a simulation and performing data analysis.
Note that both compressed files together will fit on a single diskette.
Read_Me file, (4 kbytes)
HyperStudio Player 3.0.sea.hqx, (533 kbytes)
(Not required if you already have HyperStudio)Kepler1.4noHS.sea.hqx, (1041 kbytes)
New version 1.4 released in Jan 12, 2001.
Still uses HyperStudio 3.0, but will also run with 3.1For a web-based version of the interactive simulator with a class exercise, see the ISAW link below
There is another version of HyperStudio that will run on Windows. If someone would like to work on porting this to Windows, I and lots of educators would appreciate the help.
The following are lesson plans and other contributed materials. When you click on them they should download as Simpletext:
Lesson plan for high school Earth Sciences (J. Kocijanski; Central Valley, NY)
Astro-Venture
An educational, interactive, multimedia Web environment where students in grades 5-8 role-play NASA occupations, as they search for and build a planet with the necessary characteristics for human habitation. Click on "Start your Astro-Venture now"
Interactive Science Activities on the Web at Bridgewater College, VA. This is a web-based version of a portion of the Kepler interactive simulator program to detect planets described at the top of this web page. It includes a classroom activity plan based on the web site.
PlanetQuest An overview of exoplanet search programs at JPL Click on "Four Ways to Detect a Planet"
Download two page color SUMMARY in pdf format (442 kbytes)
There is a biography of Kepler that is written for the high school level reader. It is Johannes Kepler, John Tiner, Mott Media, 1977, ISBN 0-915134-11-X (paper bound) ISBN 0-915134-96-9 (hardbound)
Lawrence Hall of Science
Links to many science and math educational sites
NASA Quest
Online Educational Resources K-12 Internet in the Classroom at NASA Ames Research CenterNASA's Education Program Covers all of NASA's educational program resources
NASA Space Science Education Resource Directory NASA space science products for use in classrooms, science museums, planetariums, and other settings.
Educational Programs
SPACEKIDS Space science news, information and activities for kids
Curator: David Koch
Science
@ NASA
NASA Educator's
Space Link
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