Glossary

atmosphere – the gaseous material which surrounds a celestial object (like a planet or moon) and is held in place by gravity

aurora – a special phenomena that appears in the upper atmosphere of a planet’s magnetic polar regions

cataracts – clouding of the eye’s lens that obstructs the passage of light

density – a measure of how much mass is contained in a given space (density = mass/volume); put simply, if mass is a measure of how much ‘stuff’ there is in an object, density is a measure of how tightly that ‘stuff’ is packed together

DNA – DeoxyriboNucleic Acid; the substance that makes up chromosomes and carries the information needed to build new cells and make them work

energetic particles – unseen particles which can contain dangerous amounts of radiation and are able to penetrate most materials

magnetosphere – a region of space surrounding a celestial object (as the earth or a star) that traps charged particles

mock-up – a full-scale working model of something built for testing or display

ozone – atmospheric layer at heights of about 32 to 48 kilometers (20 to 30 miles) that blocks most solar ultraviolet radiation from entry into the lower atmosphere

power grids - networks of electric power lines used to distribute electricity over a geographic area

sunscreen – used in suntan preparations to protect the skin from the effects of sunlight and especially from ultraviolet radiation

ultraviolet rays – radiation having a wavelength shorter than wavelengths of visible light and longer than those of X-rays

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Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (K–8)
• Understandings about scientific inquiry (K–8)

Content Standard B: Physical Science

• Properties of objects and materials (K–4)
• Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism (K–4)
• Transfer of energy (5-8)

Content Standard E: Science and Technology

• Abilities of technological design (K–8)
• Understanding about science and technology (K-8)

National Mathematics Education Standards (NCTM)

Algebra

• • Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements
  • model problem situations with objects and use representations such as graphs, tables, and equations to draw conclusions

Measurement Standard

• Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements
  • select and apply appropriate standard units and tools to measure length, area, volume, weight, time, temperature, and the size of angles

Data Analysis and Probability Standard

• Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them
  • collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments
  • represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs
• Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data
  • Propose and justify conclusions and predictions that are based on data and design studies to further investigate the conclusions and predictions

International Technology Education Association (ITEA)

Design

• Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.