This Smithsonian Science How learning collection, from Q?rius at the National Museum of Natural History, is part of a distance learning program at http://qrius.si.edu/explore-science/webcast This collection focuses on meteorites and related spacecraft missions. Targeted at middle schoolers, the collection invites students into an authentic understanding of meteorites as sources of information about our solar system. Geologist Dr. Tim McCoy is featured as an expert explainer. The collection includes an interactive webcast video with discussion questions, cross-cutting activities, an independent project, and other resources for teachers and students.

Key Terms: geology, meteorites, asteroids, minerals, space missions, orbit, solar system history

Key Concepts:

- Evidence from meteorites about Earth's formation

- Characteristics of meteorites, meteors, asteroids

- Mineral origins of the universe

- Importance of space missions for astronomy

- Technology used by meteoriticists