Grade Level:  5th-8th
Overview:  Students track and collect data on a recent or current space mission.

Objectives 
In this lesson, students will: 
· Research space missions on the Internet
· Compile data on recent or current mission

Time Frame 
Two 1-hour sessions

Materials
1. Internet access 
2. Printer
3. Mission log book
4. Poster board for display
5. Color pencils, markers, crayons
6. Glue, scissors

Procedure
1. Cooperative teams research a recent or current space mission on the Internet.
2. Students organize a “Mission Log” notebook in which data from the mission is compiled.
3. Distribute these questions to each student to research concerning their selected mission:
· What is the name of the mission?
· When did the mission begin?
· Why is the mission important?
· What is the primary goal of the mission?
· What are the secondary goals of the mission?
· At what stage is the mission today?
· What are some the things we have learned from the mission?
· What Internet resources have we used?
· What other resources did we use?
· What is the future of the mission?
· What does the group feel will be the eventual outcome of the mission?
4. Students use the poster board in which to create a display documenting information about their mission.  They may also download and paste photos from the web that are related to the mission.