NASA Quest Challenges Announced for Spring 2008

NASA Quest announces two new challenges for the spring of 2008 and a new mathematics unit for students in grades 6-9.

Cratering the Moon Challenge From NASA Quest

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission will search for water ice at the south pole of the moon. Finding deposits of water ice would be a crucial step in deciding where to locate a human outpost on the moon. In this challenge, students are must design a lunar impact simulator and determine the optimal impact angle to get the most information from the impact. Registration begins in February 2008. Background references are available now at http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lcross/

LIMA Challenge From NASA Quest

In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent. Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature. Registration is expected to begin in March 2008, but check the challenge site frequently for new resources to get ready for the challenge. http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lima

Moon Math! — The Newest Addition to NASA Quest

Moon Math! is a set of two mathematics units designed for students in grades 6-9. The units are centered on the theme of lunar habitat design. Each unit is supported by paper-and-pencil activities, as well as an interactive software application.

All lesson plans and software applications for these units are free and can be downloaded at http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/#moon_math.