Collaborative Decision Making

By popular demand from our educators!

Once NASA funds a mission, there are still many challenges to solve. McREL has designed a module that covers the challenges of collaborating as a mission team on Deep Impact and using the math and science standards for middle and high school students. How do a science and engineering team work together to make sure science objectives are met? Would your students be surprised to find that a team doesn't always know the answers immediately or that they must negotiate with each other to produce the best mission possible? This activity covers the processes of inquiry, problem solving and teamwork using the national standards for math, science and life skills.

Excavating Cratering

A new way to look at cratering!!

This educational activity on cratering is a two to three week educational module produced by Gretchen Walker, a member of the Deep Impact Team at the University of Maryland. Its unique approach provides your students with an opportunity to develop their science inquiry and math modeling skills while tackling one of the questions facing Deep Impact mission designers: What will it take to make the right kind of crater in Comet Tempel 1? And - what will it look like as we observe it?