Mission Commander Teacher Guide Voyager Voyage
Mission Commander's Facilitation Guide
Grades: 1-3
Duration: 30-40 Minutes
Objective
Students will identify the order of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) and differentiate between the paths of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.
Materials
Mission Mapper Worksheet
Colored Pencils (Orange, Blue, Yellow)
Voyager Voyage Slide Deck
Mission Timeline
5
Warm-up: Planet Review
Goal: Recall prior knowledge of the solar system.
Ask students to name any planets they already know. Focus specifically on the ones furthest from the Sun (the "Outer Planets").
5
Video Viewing: Space Probes
Goal: Understand what a probe is and identify visited planets.
Watch "The Farthest We've Ever Gone in Space". Have students watch for which planets Voyager 1 and 2 visited.
Key Pause Points
1:07: Ask why we send robots instead of people.2:47: Discuss: What would YOU put on the Golden Record?3:42: Explain "Inertia" (once you move in space, you don't stop!).
15
Activity: Mission Mapper
Goal: Map the paths of the two probes.
Distribute the Mission Mapper Worksheet . Guide students as they draw the paths. Encourage them to use different colors for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.
5
Closure: The Grand Tour
Discuss why Voyager 2 visited more planets. Key takeaway: The planets were lined up in a rare way that allowed one probe to visit all four outer planets like "connecting the dots"!
Mission Mapper Answer Key
Voyager 1 Path
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Off into Interstellar Space!
Voyager 2 Path
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Heading toward interstellar space!
Visual Path Reference
Voyager 2 makes a "curved" path hitting all four giants. Voyager 1 takes a sharper turn after Saturn to go "up" and out of the solar system.
SUN
Key Vocabulary
Astronomer: A scientist who studies stars and planets.
Space Probe: A robot spaceship with no people on it.
Interstellar: The space between stars, outside our solar system.
Inertia: An object's tendency to keep moving once it starts.
Voyager Voyage Slides Voyager Voyage
Exploring the Farthest Frontiers
Mission Warm-up
How many planets can we name in our solar system?
Planet 1
Planet 2
Planet 3
The Others?
Which ones are the farthest away?
Key Definitions
Astronomer
A scientist who studies stars, planets, and everything in space!
Space Probe
A robot spaceship with NO people on it. It goes out to learn about space for us.
Mission Video: The Farthest We've Ever Gone
04:22
Embedded media
Look for the names of the planets Voyager 1 and 2 visited!
Comparing the Missions
V1
Voyager 1
Jupiter
Saturn
Then... Out of the Solar System!
V2
Voyager 2
Jupiter & Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Still inside the solar system!
The Golden Record
These probes carry a golden disc with messages from Earth—just in case aliens find them!
What's on it?
Greetings in 55 languages, animal sounds, ocean waves, and pictures of life on Earth.
Activity: Mission Mapper
1
Pick a color for Voyager 1 . Draw a path from Earth, to Jupiter, to Saturn, then zoom off the map!
2
Pick a new color for Voyager 2 . Draw a path that hits ALL four outer planets before leaving!
You will need:
Mission Mapper Worksheet
Mission Complete!
You are now an expert on the Voyager mission. Those tiny robot ships are still out there right now, carrying our message to the stars!
Bonus Question
Why did Voyager 2 visit more planets than Voyager 1?
Mission Mapper Worksheet Mission Mapper
Voyager Exploration
Mission Control Data Sheet
Explorer Name
Mission Date
Mission Intelligence
As you watch the video, check the boxes for the planets the Voyager probes visited.
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
The Mission Map
Step 1: Use Color A to draw Voyager 1 (Jupiter → Saturn → Out)
Step 2: Use Color B to draw Voyager 2 (Jupiter → Saturn → Uranus → Neptune)
Sun
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Mission Extension: Planet Research
Pick one: Uranus or Neptune . Write one interesting fact you learned or found out about that planet!
NASA JPL // Interstellar Mission Data Sheet // Voyager 1 & 2
