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Eighth Grade, Space Exploration Projects, Lessons, Activities (46 results)

Space exploration is an exciting and wide-ranging area. Getting into space (and back down) is hard, involving rockets and launch vehicles, satellites, spacecraft, re-entry systems, landers and rovers, robots, and orbital mechanics, not to mention hypothetical technologies like space elevators and artificial gravity. To survive and thrive in space, we must understand many additional issues such as human performance in space, the space economy, and the science of astronomical bodies.

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Build a Paper Rocket
STEM Activity
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970 reviews
Blast off! Have you ever played with a model or toy rocket, or seen a real rocket launch on TV? In this project you will make simple rockets out of paper and launch them by blowing into a drinking straw. Can you make the rocket that flies the farthest? Read more
Design and Launch Bottle Rockets
STEM Activity
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215 reviews
Soda bottle rockets are a safe and fun way to get into rocketry. If you want to discover what makes rockets fly, this is an activity for you. You can even add different features, like fins, a nose cone, and a parachute to find out how these alter the flight! Try it out! Read more
Launching Homemade Baking Soda Rockets
STEM Activity
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124 reviews
Have you ever enjoyed watching something lift off into the air, like fireworks at a show or a spacecraft launching? It can be an amazing experience. It is thrilling to see something lift off against Earth's gravity. To launch a spacecraft, its rockets give it a strong push that is due to a chemical reaction. This means that every time you see a spacecraft launch, you are watching chemistry at work. In this activity you will get to blast an object into the air using two simple… Read more
How the Cookie Crumbles... in Space
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Have you ever wondered what astronauts eat in space? What types of restrictions are there on the foods they can enjoy? It turns out that crumbs can be a huge problem on spaceships and space stations like the International Space Station (ISS). Crumbs can float around in zero gravity, squeeze into electrical panels, where they may cause fires, and get sucked into and clog air filtration systems. In this science project, you will investigate which ingredients are most important for creating the… Read more
Paper Rockets to Learn the Scientific Method
Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
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45 reviews
Do you need a fun, easy way to teach your students about the scientific method? Try this lesson that uses rockets made from nothing but paper, tape, and straws. An elementary school version of this lesson plan is also available. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-Science Practices.
How Does Dust Affect Solar Panel Power Output?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Scientists can use solar power to provide electricity on the Moon or Mars, but there is one big problem—dust! How does dust cover impact the power output of a solar panel? How could scientists and astronauts mitigate this problem to keep the solar panels producing at their maximum output? Try this science project yourself and find out! Read more
Protect Your 'Eggstronaut': Build an Egg-Drop Lander
STEM Activity
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158 reviews
The egg-drop project is a classic and time-honored tradition in many science classes. The goal is usually to build a device that can protect an egg when dropped from a high location. This activity puts a twist on the classic project, motivated by real-world advances in space exploration. Can you build a reusable egg-drop lander that can survive repeated falls from the same height? Try this activity and find out Read more
What's The Best Way to Land a Model Rocket?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
What's the best way to land a model rocket? What makes the rocket hit the ground safely at a low speed? What prevents the rocket from drifting too far if it's windy? In this project, you will make your own rockets from paper towel tubes and drop them to test different recovery methods like parachutes and streamers. What method do you think will work the best?  Read more
Grow Plants in Microgravity with an Arduino Clinostat
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Can humans grow food in space? Can we grow plants on the Moon or on a space station? This is an important question to answer as humans look to expand our existence to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In this science project you will build a clinostat, a device that can simulate microgravity right here on Earth and use it to explore the effects of microgravity on plant growth. Read more
How Big Are the Planets in Our Solar System?
STEM Activity
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144 reviews
Did you know that there are more planets than stars in our galaxy? All of these planets circle around a star, but only eight of them—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—circle around the Sun—the star in our solar system. This activity explores the relative size of these eight planets. Is one bigger than the others, or are they all about the same size? Read more
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