Life on Earth....and Elsewhere?

Life on Earth....and Elsewhere?

astrobiology.nasa.gov

This booklet, originally produced by NAI in 2000 and updated in 2007, contains five inquiry- and standards-based classroom activities for grades 5-8 and three math extensions spanning topics from Defining Life, to Determining the Chances of Extraterrestrial Life.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
nai.arc.nasa.gov

Did you know NASA had started preparing kids for knowledge of life on other planets?

From the teachers guide to answers:

Many students express disinterest in discovering anything less than a bona fide, Hollywood-style extraterrestrial. However, no life beyond Earth has ever been found, which implies that life may be a rare accident that happened on Earth due to an extraordinary convergence of circumstances and that it is unlikely to happen elsewhere. In this context, discovering microbial life would help us understand more about how life arises and what conditions it can tolerate. Furthermore, it would help answer the question of whether life is a common process in the universe. In short, discovering microbial life beyond Earth would be a profound discovery.

This is the first official NASA steps to not just disclosure but preparing the next generation for future contact. Rumours abound that NASA are holding back on extra-terrestrial life, with recent activity in NASA's astrobiology areas I'm sure of it.

astrobiology.nasa.gov
(visit the link for the full news article)

Heh more brainwashing crap.

[edit on 8-9-2008 by Shrukin89]

reply to post by Shere Khaan


...interesting find, keeping in mind this is 'introduced' in 2007. Here's a couple of excerpts from the 60pg. .pdf:

Have the class define the term, extraterrestrial. Try to get them to broaden the meaning to include anything from microbes to plants to intelligent creatures to any living thing...

To have students identify the factors related to the existence of extraterrestrial life, ask them what information they would need to determine the probability of extraterrestrial life...

Have students report their estimates and discuss the range and their implications. The Drake Equation can provide radically different answers from 1 (we will never hear from intelligent extraterrestrials) to billions (we will almost undoubtedly hear from them)...

8. If tomorrow’s newspaper headline read, “Message Received from Outer Space,” what would it mean to you?

nai.arc.nasa.gov...

[edit on 8-9-2008 by arktkchr]

reply to post by arktkchr


I find the content of this quite amazing. Obvisouly to those on this forum it may seem completely vanilla, but as far as far reaching education goes I find it amazing combined with other Astrobiology initiatives like the following initiative to draw lots of scientists into the field of Astrobiology:

NASA's Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds

The NAI (NASA Astrobiology Institute) is really starting to push this education right down the line. Obviously they think they're going to need a lot of these scientists in the future.

Summer Workshops for Teachers in Astrobiology