ACRONYMS: NASA'S OWN SPECIAL LANGUAGE

A Webquest Activity for Middle Grade Language Arts Students

by John B. Peoples

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction

JPL, AU, NEO. These terms have two things in common. 1.) They are acronyms; that is, they are terms made up of the first letters of other terms, and 2.) They are all related in some way to the space program or space sciences. Undoubtedly the word “NASA” should be added to this list. It sometimes seems that half the words used by astronauts and space scientists are acronyms.

Task

In the following story you will encounter many acronyms. Most of them are related to space science more . As you find them you will be required to search for this term on the web, discover the words which make up each one, and use each term in a sentence of your own.

Process

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Through the FOIA, I obtained this report from NASA:

The story begins on December 16, 2056 when a new planet was discovered using one of our more advanced telescopes. The planet appeared to be approximately 2 AUs from its sun. A few years earlier, scientists at the JPL had finally discovered how to accelerate a rocket to FTL speed, so it was no problem to reach this particular planet even though this planet was at least 5 LYs away.

On March 10, 2057, three astronauts, Joseph Brown, Sandra Clark, and Jack Maple, were sent on this mission. After avoiding a PHA, they finally reached this planet and they found it was covered mostly by water and inhabited by intelligent octopuses. These octopuses were so technologically advanced, in fact, that they even had their own PCs.

A few weeks later Brown, Clark, and Maple set off for Earth with an octopus ambassador, and two scientists. As it turns out, the octopuses were very friendly and became a great help to the planet. They helped the NRC and the SSB develop a system which would protect us from any NEAs. Since then, the alien octopuses have been living here on Earth with us, but their existence remains a secret.

Evaluation

Use the following lines to name the acronyms and use each one in a sentence.

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Conclusion

These sites may be used to search for specifically NASA related acronyms:

http://appl.nasa.gov/resources/acronyms.htm

http://library.gsfc.nasa.gov/Databases/Acronym/acronym.html

http://www.nas.edu/ssb/nasatechacronyms.htm

This is a website for more general acronyms:

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

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