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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Myths and Legends

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders write a myth about a constellation that is seen from the night sky in South Carolina. They draw a picture of their constellation to attach to their myth. They scan their pictures and type their stories into a web page...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Still Polaris

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students observe the changing night sky over the course of an evening and chart the circumpolar stars as they traverse the sky in a progression around Polaris. They infer and discuss the cause of the changing star positions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

StarDarts

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Pupils divide into groups of four or five and distribute materials to design StarDarts by drawing and cutting out 6-8 cardstock stars, each about one and a half inches across. They decorate their stars with phosphorescent paint...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pineapple Stars

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students watch a demonstration on how to create pineapple stars. As a class, they review the different types of fabrics and the best ones to use for this activity. They share their creation with the class and ask for constructive...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to be a Great Navigator!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners, through teacher lecture and class discussion, explore historical methods of navigation: dead reckoning and celestial navigation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Luisa's Steller Evolution Lab

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Pupils examine stars and constellations in the night sky. They complete a KWL chart and calculate the mass of stars. They also discuss how a star is formed.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mars: Off the Charts--Until You Put It There

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the night sky and make illustrations which are shared in class the next day. Distinctions are made between the stars and the planets and views of the constellations for the season are made available. The work of early...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Long Would It Take To Travel To the Stars?

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students consider the amount of time that it would take to get to the star, Sirius using various modes of transportation, some practical and some whimsical. The practicality of physically going to another star system is explored in this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Palm use in Astronomy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners identify and recall common constellations by using a palm pilot with astronomy software. Students will use their Palm to assist them in correctly identifying constellations using a telescope.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing Mars in the Night Sky

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers compare and contrast the orbits of Earth and Mars, locate the planet Mars, and diagram its retrograde motion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SIMPLY STARS

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners produce quilting stars that challenge students with unusual piecing situations, and the sampler format allows quilters to create freely with unusual fabric combinations.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take a Spin Through the Solar System

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders participate in a variety of activities to explore the Solar System in this unit.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy: A Star Party

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain the functions of a telescope. They name the parts of the telescope. After previously learning the planets and constellations, students identify and view them during a star party.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mystery Constellation

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners decipher two teacher chosen mystery constellations a month. They listen to stories, explain what they know about constellations and name the mystery constellation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bouncing Sunlight

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders use flashlights and balls to demonstrate how the light bounces off of the sun and reflects onto the moon. They record their observations in a journal.
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Website
California Institute of Technology

Cool Cosmos: Ask an Astronomer

For Students 3rd - 8th
What is a star? How many stars can you see at night? How far away are the stars? Find the answer to these questions and more as Cool Cosmos and NASA astronomers answer the most frequently asked questions about stars!
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Website
University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin: The Constellations and Their Stars

For Students 9th - 10th
An excellent site dedicated to the constellations and information about the objects which make them up. Contains a great deal of information about various stars, galaxies and other objects, as well as details on how best to observe them.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Changing Constellations

For Students 3rd - 5th
Do you like to look up into the night sky? There are so many stars, it can be mind boggling. Some ancient people marked time by the changes in star patterns. We still use changes in constellation patterns to mark astronomical time. This...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Which Stars Can You Use for Navigation

For Students 9th - 10th
A great science project from Science Buddies that examines how ancient peoples navigated without the benefit of a GPS. Find out which stars are important in navigation in the northern and southern hemispheres. The Science Buddies project...
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Graphic
Space Telescope Science Institute

Hubble Site: Images From Space

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides vivid images taken in space by the Hubble Telescope. You can view the entire collection or choose an area you enjoy the most. Explore galaxies, the solar system, nebulae and more!
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Website
University of California

University of California:center for Astrophysics & Space

For Students 9th - 10th
Supernovae, neutron stars, and pulsars are topics on this page. Extensive section on pulsars that presents information on their discovery, characteristics, evolution, and location.
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Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: Seeing in the Dark

For Students 1st - 9th
While you won't find the full movie here, there are extensive learning opportunities available to discover the many stars in the sky. Students and teachers will find all sorts of activities, facts, and lessons.
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Handout
Other

Constellations Web Page: The Constellations

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about 88 constellations, including the myths associated with them and details of the major astronomical objects that are part of them.
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Website
Other

Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics: A Tutorial on Radio Pulsars

For Students 9th - 10th
A extensive site that describes the history of the discovery of pulsars along with definitions, characteristics, locations, and distances of pulsars, plus much more.