Related subject area: science

Overall problem: Which activities (if any) should be restricted around the coral reefs of Kailua Bay to insure their lasting protection?

Relationship of problem in this lesson to overall problem: The problem in this lesson is for students to complete a NASA Airborne Science Flight Request Form for conducting an aeronautics remote sensing mission for a given scenario. To do this, students must apply the basic knowledge they have constructed about remote sensing and aeronautics, figure out what airborne mission scientists are and how they can contribute to planning a mission, and interpret information on the science of the given mission and types of remote sensing instrumentation and aircraft available. They must then choose the best approach to complete their mission. Students will role play different types of airborne mission scientists, collaborating on the mission plan given information based on each of their roles. This activity will establish their work as airborne mission scientists throughout the remainder of KaAMS.

Estimated time required: 5 to 6 class periods

Student outcomes/objectives:

• Describe the types of airborne mission scientists and the activities in which they are involved.
• Describe how aeronautic, remote sensing, and earth scientists might work together to investigate environmental problems.
• Describe a process for investigating problems, i.e. scientific method, using aircraft and remote sensing instruments.
• Complete a NASA Airborne Science Flight Request Form. 

Prerequisite skills or knowledge:

• Working in teams
• Concept mapping (relationship mapping)
• Basic understanding of problem solving
• Basic reading skills
• Basic presentation preparation and skills

Teacher preparation:

• Print Student Journal / Activity sheets for these activities
• Print Problem scenarios and Remote sensing instrument descriptions
• Secure internet computers and projection equipment.
• Bookmark websites for initial presentation of NASA mission scientists at work.
• Bookmark student website on student machine (if not available, print and copy student problem scenario website)
• Order sets of the research aircraft lithographs from the nearest NASA Teacher Resource Center (http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/Educational.Services/How.to.Access.Information/erc_state.html) – 1 set per  student group or print copies of aircraft fact sheets from urls given below.

Student reflection and assessment: Student reflection activities |  Assessment

Education standards supported by this lesson:

National Science Education Standards | Project 2061 Benchmarks

National Standards for School Mathematics | National Technology Standards | National Geography Standards

Cross-curricular connections to support National Education Standards for this lesson:

math | technology | geography

FRAME the lesson:

Ask what images come to mind when you hear the term airborne mission scientist?

• Note: students will most likely not have a good definition of airborne mission scientists at this time. You may want to prompt them to first think about each of the words what they think about them separately and then together. 
• An option may be to have them draw pictures of airborne mission scientists, e.g.,  what they think they look like, what their work environment looks like, and tasks they complete during explorations.
  See Activity sheet: Describing an airborne mission scientist (AMS-1)

Teacher note: This lesson plan is intended to provide a basis for the students participating as airborne mission scientists throughout all of KaAMS. It is designed to be short, no more than a couple of class periods. The idea is to get the students thinking about what airborne mission scientists are and how they work together. Thus, the activity is simplified and provided as a primer to the unit.

Sample student responses:

• airborne – work in airplanes
• mission – secret, exploring
• scientist – chemicals, lab coats, etc. 

Optional student activity:

• Describe or draw your idea of what an airborne mission scientist might look like, what their work environment looks like, and tasks they complete during explorations. See Activity sheet: Describing an airborne mission scientist (AMS-1)