Planetary Nebula NGC 6543 Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/CalTech

Apple's QuickTime streaming technology for multimedia is the best way to access video and audio over the Internet. Below you will find a list of Streaming QuickTime Movies that are ideal for Middle School Students. Accompanying each is a PDF file containing lesson plans and further resource materials.

All Systems Go!*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) The systems of the human body can be greatly affected by the absence (or near absence) of gravity. In this video from the STS-40 life sciences mission, Space Shuttle astronauts conduct numerous experiments to measure those effects and help scientists come up with ways to minimize them during prolonged spaceflight.
Lesson Plan
Assignment: Spacelab!*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Experiments conducted during Space Shuttle flights can help scientists measure the changes that happen to the human body in microgravity. With this knowledge, they are better able to help astronauts ward off negative effects on long-duration spaceflights. This video shows a variety of experiments being performed during a shuttle life sciences mission and emphasizes how important safety precautions are during both earthbound and spaceborne experiments.
Lesson Plan
The Atmosphere Below*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Observations by NASA astronauts are adding to our valuable store of knowledge about the state of our atmosphere and the changes it may be undergoing. In this video, students see astronauts research the effects on our atmosphere of volcanic eruptions, solar radiation, and other events.
Lesson Plan
From Undersea to Outer Space*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) During the STS-40 mission, the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia tended to more than 2,400 tiny young jellyfish encased in protective containers of seawater. This video shows how the jellyfish developed and behaved during their time in microgravity.
Lesson Plan
Geography From Space*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) During the STS-59 flight in 1994, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour had the opportunity to photograph nearly every part of Earth. This beautiful video provides an astronaut’s-eye view of our planet. It highlights interesting features of Earth’s continents, including both natural features and ones that have been affected by human activities.
Lesson Plan
Go for EVA!*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Attention-grabbing footage of actual space walks (extravehicular activities) demonstrates to students how spacesuits protect humans in the hostile environment of space while still enabling them to carry out important work such as repairing satellites and operating scientific equipment.
Lesson Plan
Let’s Talk Robotics*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Robotic machines used by NASA range from the versatile Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm) on the Space Shuttle to self-contained planetary explorers. This video provides information about the RMS as well as about the Mars Pathfinder lander and its Sojourner Rover.
Lesson Plan
Microgravity*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Footage from three Space Shuttle missions illustrates what microgravity is and how it can improve the accuracy of experiments in fluid physics, materials science, biotechnology, and combustion science.
Lesson Plan
Newton in Space*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) This video shows how Newton’s Laws of Motion apply to spaceflight. It includes footage of Space Shuttle astronauts demonstrating such concepts as weight vs. mass, balanced and unbalanced forces, and actions and opposite reactions in a microgravity environment.
Lesson Plan
Plants in Space*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Astronauts aboard STS-91 germinated corn and soybean seeds, then photographed the resulting seedlings to see how their stems and roots grew in the microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle. Your students can perform a control experiment with corn seeds, then watch this video to compare their results with those of the shuttle astronauts.
Lesson Plan
Space Basics*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Fundamental principles of orbiting spacecraft are demonstrated in this NASA video. It shows students how Newton’s Laws of Motion—developed more than 300 years ago—are used by scientists today to launch spacecraft into their desired orbits and bring them safely back to Earth.
Lesson Plan
Toys in Space II*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) What child isn’t fascinated by toys? In this engaging video from NASA, kids see how boomerangs, coiled springs, wind-up jumping frogs, slot cars, gyroscopes, and other toys behave in the microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle. Students can first play with similar toys in the classroom, then hypothesize how those toys will behave in space and watch the video to see whether their hypotheses are correct.
Lesson Plan
Voyage of Endeavour—Then and Now*
(Part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning Educational Videotape Series) Dramatic footage of the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour highlights this video comparing the past with the present. Astronauts aboard Endeavour attempt to capture a faulty satellite, conduct practice space walks for future space-station construction, and contrast the technology on their ship with that available to Captain James Cook and his Endeavour crew in the 18th century.
Lesson Plan
*Courtesy of NASA. Use of NASA materials does not constitute an endorsement or sponsorship of Apple by NASA.

All images courtesey of NASA/JPL/CalTech.