Resources

Lesson plans, teaching materials, grant information, acknowledgements, and more.

Note: Resource materials were created using Microsoft Excel (.xls), Word (.doc), and/or Powerpoint(.ppt). The newest version of Microsoft Office or equivalent is needed to fully use the provided resources.

Lesson Plans

Over the course of our two-year project, many lesson plans were written and taught by pre-service teachers to 8th grade students. We have selected some sample lesson plans to consider as you begin to build your own unit of instruction involving high altitude balloons. We found it necessary to teach multiple introductory lessons on such physical science concepts as temperature and pressure before students were ready to consider what conditions their experiments might encounter in the upper atmosphere. We realized quickly that some students needed a review of the scientific method before they were ready to design experiments of their own. Additionally, a lesson on how global positioning system (GPS) works, gave them insight into how the recovery team was able to track and locate downed balloon payloads.

Download Lesson Plans (ZIP, 2.2MB)

In addition to the sample lesson plans, we have also included examples of two “lesson plan collections” that pre-service teachers compiled from various on-line sources. They should serve as a starting point for your own collection of materials and resources on this ever-expanding topic.

Download Lesson Collections (ZIP, 6.9MB)

Additional Lesson Resources

Science and Math Methods Classes Assignments and Expectations (ZIP, < 1MB)
Potential Experiments (ZIP, < 1MB)
Teacher Background Information (ZIP, 17.9MB)
Archived Data (ZIP, 305MB)

Teaching On The Edge iBook

The Teaching on the Edge iBook is a resource for 5-8th grade students interested in learning using high altitude ballooning. Used in conjunction with this accompanying website, the book is loaded with basic information such as history and the science behind high altitude balloons. Additionally, it includes three lessons that teach basic strategies for understanding how GPS works, the scientific methods behind ballooning, as well as how the earth’s atmosphere is a system of interrelated parts. The iBook is compatible with iPad only.

Click HERE to download from the iTunes Bookstore

Materials and Instructions on Conducting Your Own Launch

StratoStar

Stratostar partners with educational institutions (K-12 and university) to deliver High-Altitude Weather Balloon programs. Stratostar's High-Altitude Weather Balloon programs cover core educational content and standards. In these programs, students have to use 21st century skills, such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, in the context of an indisciplinary mission to the edge of space. These hands-on and exploratory "missions" give students a real world learning opportunity that requires the use of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplinary knowledge.

Near Space Launch

Near Space Launch Inc. offers "launch for hire" or express launch services which provides educators with the opportunity to conduct their own near space experiments by letting a launch service provider assume the upfront cost, risk, insurance and time commitment of the full launch system (high-altitude balloon, gas, parachute, command/telemetry link, GPS, data collection, ground station and chase/recovery).

"Launch for hire" is a concept of teaming with a local and experienced university or group that is willing to fly extra payload pods. There would be several flights per year and services would vary greatly between local providers.

Express Launch is the same as "launch for hire" except it focuses on many flight opportunities and can be of international scope where institutions can express ship their instrument pods to the launch provider for regular service.

Email: mailto:hnvoss@taylor.edu
Phone: 765-618-3813 or 260-241-0409

More Lesson Plans on the Web

What Affects Planetary Weather (NASA)
Atmospheric Windows (NASA HEASARC)
Up in the Sky (High-Altitude Weather Balloon)
Layers of the Atmosphere (Geological Society of America)
Air and Atmosphere Unit Plan (Earth and Space Science)

NSTA Journal Articles

Andersen, L, Nobile, N. & Cormas, P. 2011. Tried and True: Teaching the combined gas law. Science Scope 35(1): 60-63.
Beck, K, Medintz, T. &Beck-Winchatz, B. 2013. Exploring waves in the stratosphere. Science Scope 37(2): 40-47.
Burns, J. 2007. Science Sampler: Bubbles on a soda can: A demonstration of Charles’s Law. Science Scope 30(5): 60-64.
Demchik, M. 2007. Science Sampler: Ozone notebook. Science Scope 30(5): 66-68.
Fox, J.E. & Glen, N.J. 2012. A special assignment from NASA: Understanding Earth’s atmosphere through the integrationof science and mathematics. Science Scope 36(1): 30-41.
Hoenigman, R. & Crowder, D. 2011. Science Sampler: Clever with weather. Science Scope 34(6): 46-51.
Kehr, L. 2009. Designing payloads. Science and Children 46(9): 22-26.
Kennon,T., Roberts, E. & Fuller, T. 2008. Students at the edge of space. The Science Teacher 75(1): 37-43.
Kuhl, J. & Shaffer, K. 2008. Teaching earth science using hot air balloons. Science Scope 31(5): 38-43.
Llewellyn, D. & Johnson, S. 2008. Teaching science through a systems approach. Science Scope 31(9): 21-26.
Riddle, B. 2012. Scope the Skies: Ascent: A community based project to the stratosphere. Science Scope 36(3): 82-86.
Riddle, B. 2012. Scope the Skies: Exploring the earth’s atmosphere. Science Scope 36(4): 92-9

Web Links and Resources

National Science Foundation Grants

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency, whose goal is “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare."

HARP Network Partners

Aerodyne Labs, Jennifer Nelson, jnelson@aerodynelabs.com
Aerostar International/Raven Industries, Mike Smit, Mike.Smith@ravenind.com
Ball State University, Jill Coleman, jscoleman@bsu.edu
DePaul University, Bernhard Beck-Winchatz, bbeckwin@depaul.edu
DePauw University, Howard Brooks, hlbrooks@depauw.edu
Embry Riddle Aeronautics University, Douglas Isenberg, ISENBERD@erau.edu
High Altitude Research Corp, Bill Brown, wb8elk@aol.com>
Indiana Wesleyan University, Steven Smith, steven.smith@indwes.edu
Iowa State University, Matthew Nelson, mnelson@iastate.edu
Morehouse College, Lycurgus L. Muldrow, lmuldrow@morehouse.edu
Near Space Launch, Jeff Dailey, jfdailey@taylor.edu
New York Film Academy, LaRavi Uttamchandani, rajiv.uttamchandani@nyfa.edu
Norfolk State University, Wendy Hinton, whinton@nsu.edu
North Dakota Space Grant Consortium, Santhosh Seelan, seelan@space.edu
Penn State, Albert Lozano, axl17@psu.edu
St. Catherine University, Erick Agrimson, epagrimson@stkate.edu
StratoStar, Jason Krueger, jkrueger@stratostar.net
Taylor University, Hank Voss, hnvoss@taylor.edu
Trevecca Nazarene University, Matthew Huddleston, mhuddleston@trevecca.edu
University of Evansville, Mark Randall, mr63@evansville.edu
University of Maine, Richard Eason, reason@maine.edu
University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, James Flaten, flaten@aem.umn.edu
University of Minnesota - Morris, Gordon McIntosh, mcintogc@morris.umn.edu
University of North Dakota, Ron Fevig, rfevig@space.edu
University of Southern Indiana, Glen Kissel, gkissel@usi.edu
Virginia Tech, Dennis G. Sweeney, dsweeney@vt.edu

Acknowledgements

This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1047557. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.