1.	Cosmonaut Yuri likes to keep the temperature of the ISS at 25° C.

If the thermostat on the ISS reads in Fahrenheit, what is the

temperature?

2.	An experiment on the ISS requires the astronauts to measure out

45 cm of string. How many inches is this?

3.	Astronaut Eileen weighs 120 pounds. How much does she weigh in

kilograms?

4. Cosmonaut Alexander is 1.8 meters tall. Convert his height to feet.

5.	Astronaut Ed wants to take a picture of his crew mate Cosmonaut Yuri.

The camera he’s using says that he must be at least 152 centimeters

away from Yuri to get a good picture. How far is this in feet?

6.	The ISS travels at 17,500 miles per hour. How fast is this in kilometers

per hour?

7.	Crews onboard the ISS have consumed more than 6,804 kilograms of

food in the past three years. Convert this weight to pounds.

8.	Astronaut Katherine likes to keep her space suit temperature at 76° F

when she’s doing a space walk. Cosmonaut Sergei likes his suit to be

at 24° C. Whose space suit is warmer?

9.	Astronaut Jeremy is 67 inches tall, and cosmonaut Nikolai is

175 centimeters tall. Who is taller?

10. Astronaut Michael weighs 140 pounds, and cosmonaut Mikhail

weighs 65 kilograms. Who weighs more in space?

Related Resources

Automatic Conversions—Convert Almost Anything

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

U.S./Metric Conversion Tables—AllMath.com

http://www.allmath.com

NASAexplores Article: The Language of Space

http://nasaexplores.com

Lesson Source and Answer Key

NASAexplores Article: Foreign Measurements

http://www.nasaexplores.com

Can you think of any job more exciting than being an astronaut? Any

astronaut will tell you that the work is long and hard, but it is definitely

exciting and rewarding.

Have you ever thought about who the astronauts are? Is there

something special that makes someone “astronaut material”? NASA has

gathered information about astronauts and, perhaps, the most amazing

thing about the astronauts is their different traits.

NASA has over 300 current and former astronauts. NASA’s astronauts

come from nearly every state in the United States, and 23 other countries.

The first astronaut group was selected in 1959. Since then, there have

been many firsts, lasts, and other notable achievements, including:

• 	The first person to fly in space was a Russian Cosmonaut named Yuri

Gagarin. The first American was Alan Shepard in 1961.

• 	The first American in orbit was John Glenn. He orbited Earth three

times in 1962.

• 	The first astronaut to become a teacher was Neil Armstrong.

• 	The first woman to fly in space was a Russian Cosmonaunt named

Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. America’s first female astronaut to fly in

space was Sally Ride in 1983.

• 	The first man on the moon was Neil Armstrong who landed with Apollo

11 in 1969. The last man on the moon (so far) was Gene Cernan in

1972.

• 	The first African-American astronaut in space was Guion Bluford. The

first African-American woman astronaut in space was Mae Jemison.

• 	The first teacher selected to fly in space was Christa McAuliffe. She

died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. Her backup was Barbara Morgan who was selected by NASA as a mission

specialist in 1998.

All Astronauts have a few things in common. While in school, they were

very good in mathematics, science, and communications. An astronaut

must have a college degree with three years’ experience in a related field.

Leadership and good citizenship are also important. For example, many

astronauts have participated in scouting. These same skills help foster an

appreciation of our culture and history. Since astronauts come from many

different countries and cultures, it’s recommended they know at least one

additional language. The study and appreciation of other cultures are the

keys to success in space.

There are several types of astronauts. The commander is the captain

of the ship. The commander gives orders and makes decisions affecting

the crew and mission. The pilot has the same level of training. Most

commander/pilot astronauts have served in the military. Another type

of astronaut is the mission specialist who is a scientist, engineer,

or educator. NASA has selected educators with expertise in K-

classrooms to train to become fully qualified astronauts. NASA will send

educators to space so that they can use their skills and experiences as

classroom teachers to connect space exploration to the classroom. By

utilizing their talents as educators and the unique platform of spaceflight,

these astronauts can offer a new avenue for imagination and ingenuity for

teachers and their K-12 classrooms. Mission specialists bring expertise

in experiments or procedures to a spaceflight. All astronauts go through

years of training and their classroom education includes foreign language,

and scientific and engineering instruction. Their mission training involves

emergency precautions and simulations of what they could encounter in

space. Astronauts have to be in great physical shape, so physical fitness

is also an important part of astronaut training.

Mission specialist Barbara Morgan has been called the “teacher in

space.” Christa McAuliffe’s plan was to fly in space once and then return

to the classroom. Before coming to NASA, Morgan taught reading,

mathematics and science. Morgan is a fully trained member of the

astronaut corp and is expected to fly in space on STS-118 in 2007.

Astronauts stress that their keys to success have been to do well in

many areas of school, to always be involved, to be a team player, and to

never stop learning. Are they describing your keys to success?

Related resources

NASAexplores Article: All About Astronauts

http://www.nasaexplores.com

Astronauts

Flags

Austrian Space Agency

Name of country: Austria

Language: German

Belgian Space Agency

Name of country: Belgium

Language: Dutch

Brazilian Space Agency

Name of country: Brazil

Language: Portuguese

British National Space Center

Name of country: United

Kingdom

Language: English

Canadian Space Agency

Name of country: Canada

Languages: English/French

Danish Space Agency

Name of country: Denmark

Language: Danish

Italian Space Agency

Name of country: Italy

Language: Italian

Japanese Space Agency

Name of country: Japan

Language: Japanese

Netherlands Space Agency

Name of country: Netherlands

Language: Dutch

Norwegian Space Agency

Name of country: Norway

Language: Norwegian

Russian Space Agency

Name of country: Russia

Language: Russian

Spanish Space Agency

Name of country: Spain

Language: Spanish

Swedish Space Agency

Name of country: Sweden

Language: Swedish

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Name of country: United

States of America

Language: English

Flags

Objective

To complete math problems involving U.S. and metric conversions.

Grade Level: 5-8

Subjects: Science, Mathematics

National Education Standards

Science (NSTA): Personal and social perspectives

Mathematics (NCTM): Numbers and operations, measurements,

problem solving

Background Information

On the International Space Station (ISS), two or three people from

different countries, who speak different languages and have only recently

met each other, live in a confined space by themselves for up to half a

year. They must work together well enough to operate one of the most

high-tech science labs ever. How do they do it? They train in Houston

at Johnson Space Center’s Language Education Center (JLEC) to learn

each others’ languages. This makes working together much easier.

Another difference between the cultures on the ISS is the systems

they use for measurement. While the United States uses the English

system of measurement, most other countries use the metric system.

These two systems use very different units, and, in some cases, it can

seem like a different language. For example, if you live in the United

States, you may not know how heavy a 50 kilogram (kg) weight is. Could

you pick it up?

Materials

• Calculator • Scrap paper

Procedure

Answer the following problems about conversions on the International

Space Station. Check the table below for conversion factors. Use scrap

paper if necessary.

International Measurement

Conversion Factors

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 mile (m) = 1.6 kilometers (km)

°Fahrenheit (°F) = (9/5)°C + 32

°Celsius (°C) = (°F – 32) x (5/9)

1 pound (lb) = 0.45 kilograms (kg)

1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in)

1 meter (m) = 3.28 feet (ft)

Languages and Flags of Space Exploration

Objective

To identify the 16 space agencies and the countries involved with the

International Space Station.

Grade Level: K-4

Subject(s): Technology, Geography

National Education Standards

Technology (ISTE): Students are proficient in the use of technology

Geography (NES): How the forces of cooperation and conflit among

people inluences the division and control of the surface of Earth.

Background Information

Language training is nothing new for astronauts. The NASA crew of the

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 had to learn Russian, as did the crews

of the Shuttle-Mir program from 1995-1998. However, the International

Space Station program made language training a much larger issue

at NASA and led to the establishment of the Johnson Space Center’s

Language Education Center (JLEC) in 1998. Jane Clarke-James teaches

at JLEC and states, “The International Space Station is all about unity in

diversity, as it involves the work and collaboration of space professionals

from 16 different countries.” As a result, language skills are very important

to the space program. Interpreters and translators provide constant

support to the ISS astronauts from the Mission Control Center (MCC).

The 16 agencies involved with the station are:

Procedure

•	 Research websites and books to learn about the different countries

and their flags.

•	 Color in the flags with the correct colors.

•	 Read the astronaut and cosmonaut biographies at

 http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios

•	 Choose the name of at least one astronaut on the poster and list his/

her country of birth. If your astronaut was born in the United States,

list the state of his/her birth.

Related Resource(s)

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center—International Space Station

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/partners.html

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—The World Fact Book

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

NASAexplores Article: The Language of Space

http://www.nasaexplores.com

LESSON SOURCE

NASAexplores Article: Sixteen Countries

http://www.nasaexplores.com

centimeters/millimeters

inches

International Games On Moon And Mars

French Space Agency

Name of country: France

Language: French

German Aerospace Center/

German Space Agency DLR

Name of country: Germany

Language: German

NASA Portal

This is the definitive site for information about NASA.

http://www.nasa.gov

NASA Education Home Page 

NASA’s education home page serves as the education portal for

information regarding educational programs and services offered

by NASA for the American education community.

http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Educator Resource Center Network (ERCN)

ERCNs are located on or near NASA Field Centers, museums,

colleges, or other nonprofit organizations. They provide educators

with inservice and preservice training, demonstrations, and access

to NASA instructional products.

http://education.nasa.gov/about/contacts/ERCN_Field_Center_Listing.html

Liftoff to Learning Video Series

Meet the men and women of NASA via this video series. There

are written education guides to accompany the Liftoff to Learning

video series.

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers/liftoff/

Central Operation of Resources

The Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE),

established in cooperation with Lorain County Joint Vocational

School, serves as the worldwide distribution center for NASAproduced multimedia materials.

http://education1.nasa.gov/edprograms/core/home

NASAexplores

This NASA Web site enriches existing, classroom curriculum

by providing standards-based lesson plans for grades K-4, 5-8

and 9-12. Topics are selected from each of NASA’s four mission

directorates.

http://www.nasaexplores.com/

Science@NASA 

Learn about microgravity research, earth system science, physics,

and astronomy from the scientists who create the experiments that

fly in space.

http://science.nasa.gov/

Educational Programming

Digital Learning Network

Learners at all levels have the opportunity to interact directly with

NASA scientists to gain a new appreciation for the importance of

science and education.

http://nasadln.nmsu.edu/dln/

NASA CONNECT — These educational programs establish the

“connection” between the mathematics, science, and technology

concepts taught in the classroom and NASA research. NASA

Connect airs on PBS stations and NASA-TV.

http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/

NASA SciFiles — This is a series of instructional programs

constisting of broadcast, print, and online elements targeted for

grades 3-5.

http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/treehouse.html 

NASA’s Kids Science News Network (KSNN) — This standardsbased program uses the Web, animation, and video to introduce

science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and NASA

concepts to students in grades K-2 and 3-5. NASAexplores

is collaborating with NASA’s KSNN team to offer many of the

NASAexplores topics on NASA’s KSNN Web site.

http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/home.html

NASA-TV

NASA TV provides educational programming to teachers, students,

and the general public.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

National Education Standards

Science NSTA

http://www.nsta.org/standards

Mathematics NCTM

http://standards.nctm.org

Technology ISTE

http://www.iste.org

Technology ITEA

http://www.iteaconnect.org

Geography NGS

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/standards/

Additional Resources For Living And Working In Space

How Do I become an astronaut?

http://astronauts.nasa.gov/

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/jobsinfo/astronaut101.html

Humans In Space

Since 1961, more that 400 human beings have ventured into

space. Now aboard the International Space Station, astronauts are

working to improve life on Earth and extend life beyond our home

planet.

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/index.html

Astronaut Biographies

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios

Living in Space Website

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/index.html

Saturday Morning Science with Expedition 6 NASA ISS 

science officer, Don Pettit

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp6/spacechronicles.html

Brain Bites

Have you ever wondered what space is really like, how astronauts

overcome gravity to train for weightlessness or how you’d turn a

bolt in space? NASA Brain Bites will give your mind something to

munch on!

http://brainbites.nasa.gov

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station 

This program provides students with the unique opportunity to talk

directly with astronauts on the station while the astronaus orbit

Earth

http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/

Biological and Physical Research 

This office conducts research to address the opportunities and

challenges to NASA that are provided by the space environment

and the human exploration of space.

http://exploration.nasa.gov/

Life Sciences

This program studies how the unique environment of space affects

living systems from cells in culture to physiological studies in

animals and humans.

http://lifesci.arc.nasa.gov/

Exploration

Moon, Mars and Beyond

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/mmb/index.html

Mars Millennium Project

http://www.mars2030.net/

NASA’s Mars Exploration Program

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/

Engineering Design Challenges

http://edc.nasa.gov/

Mars Settlement Design Challenge

http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/Assoc/Space/History.htm

Homesteading Mars

http://www.wested.org/pblnet/exp_projects/homesteading.html

Exploring the Moon Educators Guide

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/educ/docs/Exploring.The.Moon.pdf

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/58199main_Exploring.The.Moon.pdf

Destination Mars Educators Guide

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/educ/docs/Why_Explore.pdf

Space Science Education Resource Directory

http://teachspacescience.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/ssrtop.plex

Marsbound

http://marsbound.asu.edu/

NASA Resources For Educators

•	 Austrian Space Agency

•	 Belgian Space Agency

•	 Brazilian Space Agency

•	 British National Space Center

•	 Canadian Space Agency

•	 Danish Space Agency

•	 European Space Agency

•	 French Space Agency

•	 German Aerospace Center/

German Space Agency DLR

•	 Italian Space Agency

•	 Japanese Space Agency

•	 Netherlands Space Agency

•	 Norwegian Space Agency

•	 Russian Space Agency

•	 Spanish Space Agency

•	 Swedish Space Agency

Objective

To explore the cultural significance of a sport or game from a different

culture and to modify this game for play during space travel, on the moon,

or on Mars.

Grade Level: 9-12

Subjects: Earth Science, Social Studies, Geography, Language Arts,

National Education Standards

Science (NSTA): Earth and space science,

Geography (NGS): places & regions & human systems

Background Information

Recreation is an important part of a balanced life and that applies to

life in space, too. Astronauts work long hours when they’re on the space

shuttle or the International Space Station. However, when they’re not

working, they find creative ways to liven up their lives. Astronauts bring their

interests and hobbies with them into space. Their curiosity makes them

wonder if those same activities will work in a microgravity environment.

Think about your hobbies and interests; would you be able to still do

these things in space or on the surfaces of moon and Mars? On Earth, man

has entertained himself from the beginning of time with sports and games.

Different cultures have developed a variety of team games and sports.

Task

Your mission is to form a team of four and research a sport from a

particular culture. Your team will write and illustrate a game book about

the sport on Earth, and then as a group, you will write modifications to the

game so that it could be played on a trip through space or in a new space

colony on the moon or on Mars.

Materials

• Pens/pencils	 • Paper	 • Classroom board

•	Resources about different cultures that include information about

sports and recreation (social studies textbooks, books about specific

cultures, computers with Internet access)

Procedure

1. Arrange your desks into groups of four.

2. Each group of four will form a team.

3. Decide on a team name for your group.

4. As a group, choose a culture that interests everyone. Suggested cultures

include ancient Greek, tribal African, Gaelic, Australian Aboriginal,

Mayan, Native American, Russian, or Japanese. Your group will be

researching a sport or athletic event popular in the chosen culture.

Groups should choose sports that are unusual and special to their

cultures in some way rather than sports that are common, such as

baseball or soccer.

5. Using all available resources, find answers to following questions:

•	 What is the name of the sport?

•	 What are the rules of the sport?

•	 Where is the sport played? Does it need a special “court” or field?

•	 What equipment is required?

•	 What is the cultural significance of the sport?

•	 Are there any stories or legends associated with the sport?

6. Using the information from your group’s research, create a “game

book” for the sport. The book should include clear explanations of the

history of the game, the role that the game plays in the culture in which

it was or is popular, how the game is played, and important rules. Your

game book should include llustrations.

7. A newly formed colony on the moon and another on Mars has read

your game book. They wish to play this game on the moon and on

Mars. As a group, brainstorm on the modifications to the game that will

be necessary in order to play it in an environment of reduced gravity.

Write an appendix to the game book with the modifications of the game

or sport included for play in colonies in outer space.

8. Present your sport or game to your classmates.

Questions

1. What can you learn about a culture from the sports created or popular

there?

2. Why do you think sporting or athletic events are such a large part of so

many cultures throughout time and around the world?

3. What do you think it means to be part of a team?

4. What types of cultural events take place in your community? What is

your favorite event and why?

Related Resource(s):

NASAexplores Article: Astronauts Need to Have Fun, Too

http://www.nasaexplores.com

International Toys in Space Kit and Video available from NASA CORE

http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/core/home/index.html

LESSON SOURCE

NASAexplores Article: Let the Games Begin http://www.nasaexplores.com

Back to the Moon

Objective

To design the next generation of spacecraft for NASA to use in launching,

landing, and returning to the moon.

Level:	 9-12

Subject(s): Space Science, Technology

Prep Time: Less than 10 minut

Duration: One class peri

Materials Category: General Classro

National Education Standards

Science (NSTA): Unifying concepts, science as inquiry, science and

technology

Technology (ITEA): Relationships among technologies, role of society in the

development and use of tehcnology, attributes of design, engineering design,

the role of troubleshooting in problem solving, apply the design process.

Background Information

NASA’s answer to going to the moon was the Apollo Program. Apollo

was a three-part spacecraft. The command module (CM) was the crew’s

quarters and flight control section. The service module (SM) was used for

the propulsion and spacecraft support systems. When the CM and SM were

together, the combined modules were called CSM. The lunar module took

two of the 3 crew members to the lunar surface, provided support for them

on the moon, and returned them to the CSM in lunar orbit. The boosters for

the program were the Saturn IB for Earth orbit flights and the Saturn V for

lunar flights.

Task

Your group is part of the Back to the Moon (B2M) team. NASA has given

your B2M team the assignment to develop a next generation spacecraft

that can fly astronauts safely to the moon, land on the moon, and return

to Earth. You must also select a safe, yet interesting, lunar landing site for

the spacecraft. Some considerations for your team: size of ship (inside and

outside), weight (of ship and cargo capacity), propulsion (for launch, transit,

and return), number of crew, life support systems, and methods of takeoff

and landing (from Earth and the moon). Geology, terrain, safety, and length of

stay should be considered for the lunar landing site.

Team Members and Responsibilities

1. Chief Engineer

•	 Oversees the entire project	 •	 Helps design spacecraft

•	 Makes critical decisions for the team

2. Scientist

•	 Designs spacecraft

•	 Oversees the construction of the model or diagrams of the

spacecraft

3. Lunar Geologist

•	 Studies maps of the moon	

•	 Oversees selection of a place to land the spacecraft

4. Public Relations Manager

•	 Helps scientist and geologist present information about the

spacecraft and landing site to the class

Your B2M team will present your designs and plans to the rest of the

NASA engineering groups to get their feedback.

Procedure

1.	Decide which person in your group will take the duties of the chief

engineer, scientist, lunar geologist, and public relations manager. If

you have fewer than four people, have one person double his or her

duties. If you have more than four people, split the duties of one of

the designated group members.

2.	Design a spacecraft with all the necessary systems that can go to the

moon, land on the moon, and return to Earth. Explain how it will be

launched, what it will do or need to do to get to the moon, how it will

land or split apart when reaching the moon, how the crew will return,

and how the crew will land on Earth.

3.	Study maps of the lunar surface and use your knowledge of the moon

to determine a safe and interesting lunar landing site.

4.	Make a presentation to the class:

•	 Describe your spacecraft and its special features using diagrams

and/or models.

•	 Describe and justify the landing site.

LESSON SOURCE

NASAexplores Article: The Next Moon Walker http://www.nasaexplores.com

Complete lesson plan can be found at NASAexplores Article:

Back to the Moon http://www.nasaexplores.c

 Materials

• Copy of flag page	 • Cra

• World map	 • Internet ac

The astronaut poster, as well as other Space Flight Awareness mission posters, can be downloaded from the Space Flight Awareness website: http://sfa.jsc.nasa.gov/products.cfm