The function, design, and ground station requirements of the AMSAT-OSCAR non-commercial space satellite system are described, and various experiments designed for direct student participation in space communications are provided in this text primarily written for the science educator. Six chapters include: (1) an introduction to general satellite…

Three articles focus on many classroom activities and experiments inspired by the voyage of two canoes, built of traditional materials, from Hawaii's Hilo Harbor in 1995. Nationwide, students followed daily satellite tracking, accessed the Internet for updated accounts of the canoes, talked directly with navigators, and watched television…

Describes undergraduate projects at Harvey Mudd College (California) that use advanced laboratory equipment and procedures normally reserved for graduate students. Examples are given in experimental biology (e.g., digital imaging and DNA analysis), in physics (e.g., using satellites to study earthquake faults), and in mathematics (e.g., teaching…