Lunar Extreme Program Syllabus - Weeks 11-16

  • Week 11-12: More Moon 101


    Learning Goals:

    Students will be able to:
    • Explain how the Moon formed and has evolved over time.
    • Explain what questions scientists may still have about the Moon and how they might go about answering those questions.


    Suggested Reading/Resources:

    • More Moon 101: View Here
    ● “Physiography and Geology of the Moon” - Audio presentation by Dr. Paul Spudis, LPI
    ● “The Lunar Surface” - Audio presentation by Dr. Jeff Plescia, APL
    ● “Lunar Meteorites” - Audio presentation by Dr. Kevin Righter, JSC
    ● Note that the videos may take several minutes (2 or more depending on your internet speed) to download.
    ● You’ll need to also download and view this PDF presentation (we suggest right-clicking with your mouse and saving the linked file to your desktop) while you’re listening to the audio portion: Download Here


    Discussion:

    “Based on your readings, what are the big questions that scientists are still trying to answer about the Moon’s surface and environment and how might a scientist go about answering those questions?”

    Activity: Can be done individually or as a group

    ● Determining the energy budget for an impact:
    ● What information do you need? What are the inputs into the calculation?
    ● Can the answer be expressed as a single number?
    ● How to do the calculation:
    ● How should the calculation be accomplished (hand calculator, spreadsheet...)?
    ● What are the units involved?
    ● How should the results be presented?
    ● Understanding the results:
    ● Is the calculation more sensitive to one input then another?
    ● How can you make sense of the results? What can you compare it to?

    Optional activity: Students may wish to do this activity at home or in small groups before meeting on Sept. 10

    • Impact Craters activity from Exploring the Moon: View Here

Syllabus Weeks

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