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Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
Visiting the Moon - Without Leaving Idaho

 

Welcome to

"Visiting the Moon -- Without Leaving Idaho"

Have you ever wondered what kind of research and preparation was necessary before man went to the Moon?

The series of activities presented here will take you to a very strange and unique area of the United States... Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. You will experience how the monument and the Snake River Plain of Idaho were used to prepare our lunar explorers.

You will go through some of the same training experienced by astronauts Alan Shepard, Eugene Cernan, Edgar Mitchell, and Joe Engle in preparation for the Apollo missions to the Moon. You will study some of the same volcanic features and then take a trip to the Moon, just like they did. You will then do something they were never able to do: visit other planets in our solar system and identify volcanic features.

Who knows where this training will lead? Maybe someday YOU will be the new space explorer.

 

CAUTION!

If you follow the links below your world may never look the same.

 

 

Introduction

 

ACTIVITY 1:

Who Wants to be an Astronaut?

 

ACTIVITY 2:

Slip-Slidin' Away

 

ACTIVITY 3:

Beyond the Moon...and Back...To Craters of the Moon

 

Instructors should refer to the Resource Page for additional information.

Terms, definitions and links can be found on the Glossary Page.

Thanks to:

Originator: Timothy J. Gunderson
Geology and Math Teacher, Burley High School

Funded By: NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium and Craters of the Moon Natural History Association

 

Did You Know?  

Did You Know?
Watch out for bombs! Before they cooled, volcanic bombs were hot globs of lava that were hurled from volcanoes along the Great Rift. They form a variety of interesting shapes described as "breadcrust", "spindle" and "ribbons" by geologists.

Last Updated: September 26, 2007 at 18:30 EST