If you have ever witnessed a shooting star, you witnessed a meteor. Sometimes so many of them happen at once that it is called a meteor shower. Luckily, because the Earths an atmospheric layer called the mesosphere, which allows most meteors to burn up before reaching the Earth's surface. When they do, they are referred to as meteorites. Most of the time, they are harmless, but some meteor impacts have been devastating to life on Earth. Studying the difference between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites integrates perfectly with the First Great Lesson. With my older students, I used this lesson to introduce the possibility that essential components for life may have travelled to Earth billions of years ago via a meteorite.

This game, inspired by popular games like NIMBY and Newcomb, is designed to be a blast. Your students will throw hundreds of times in one class alone, experiencing the thrill of the game and the difference between a meteoroid, a meteor, and a meteorite.

Materials:

• A large play area

• A volleyball net • Dodgeballs

• Volleyballs

• Optional
o A container for the dodgeballs
o A scoreboard or scorekeeping device

Minimum Number of Students Needed:

While you could play this game with as few as two people, it is more fun with an entire class.

Prior Knowledge: Students should have completed the First Great Lesson and any lessons on planetary bodies and the solar system.