Space Awareness
The Engine of Life
There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to drive...
K5 Learning
Sun, Stars and Moon
Learners read about the objects we see in our night and day skies before answering five short answer comprehension questions.
Space Awareness
Star in a Box
What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.
Space Awareness
Navigation in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond
Ancient texts, like Homer's Odyssey, mentions navigating ships by observing constellations. Pupils learn about the link between history and astronomy as they relate to navigation in the Bronze Age. Scholars complete two hands-on...
McGraw Hill
H-R Diagram
As a star ages its composition, size, and temperature change. Using an interactive simulation, learners explore these changes over the lifetime of a star. They see the change in temperature and luminosity graphically and a visual...
McGraw Hill
Blackbody Radiation Interactive
Noting the color of a star is equivalent to taking its temperature! A creative lesson describes the connection between a star's temperature and the color it emits. As pupils interact with a simulation, they learn how to connect the...
McGraw Hill
Stellar Spectroscopy Interactive
Stars seem to be a far away mystery... but it turns out we know much more about stars than one would think! An engaging lesson shows learners how to read a light spectrum to determine the temperature and chemical makeup of a star. They...
McGraw Hill
Stellar Parallax Interactive
How are scientists able to measure distances between stellar bodies? Turns out it's not very easy! Learners explore the process of trigonometric parallax as the method of determining these distances. They experience the same challenges...
McGraw Hill
Neutron Stars Interactive
The universe is full of sources of energy. Explore the energy of pulsars with your classes through a simulation. An interactive lesson allows learners to manipulate the angle of rotation of both the earth and the pulsars. A real-time...
McGraw Hill
Binary Stars Interactive
A celestial body's distance from Earth makes studying its characteristics much more difficult. Learn how scientists use indirect measures to determine the size of stars. The interactive activity has individuals adjust the size of binary...
McGraw Hill
Extra Solar Planets Interactive
Studying what you can't see can be challenging. Discover how scientists use indirect measurements to prove the existence of planets and estimate their sizes. The introduction explains the symbiotic movement of planets and stars during an...
Space Awareness
Living in the Milky Way
Get to know our galaxy with an astronomy-themed, hands-on activity. Scholars watch an informative video, answer questions, and construct a model of the Milky Way in order to examine its contents and the distance inside it.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Star Light, Star Bright
Star light, star bright, first star I see ... wait a minute, where did the star go? Scholars complete a simulation that measures the brightness of a distant star as another object passes in front of it. Learners move the passing object...
Space Awareness
Make a Star Lantern
Go star-gazing with young learners! They study the history, origins, and patterns of constellations in an activity that explores the starry night sky.
Research Parent
Universe Cards
A 9-page packet comes with 24 cards that have pictures and informational text about each object in the universe. From nebulae to dwarf planets, objects we see—or don't see—are represented in the cards through pictures and words.
University of Colorado
Patterns and Fingerprints
Human fingerprint patterns are the result of layers of skin growing at different paces, thus causing the layers to pull on each other forming ridges. Here, groups of learners see how patterns and fingerprints assist scientists in a...
SciShow Kids
Create Constellation Flash Cards #sciencegoals
Get the inside scoop on constellations from Jessi and Sam the Bat in a captivating video that also supports study skills using flashcards.
K5 Learning
Space Based Astronomy
How much astronomy can you study with the naked eye? Learn more about the ways scientists explore the galaxy with a short reading passage and set of short-answer questions.
It's About Time
Communication Through Space
If humans do find aliens, how would we communicate with them? An intriguing lesson walks through some of the challenges associated with this question. How long would a message take to reach a specific destination, what language should we...
NASA
Raisin Bread Universe
What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...
NASA
Discovering Some of Your “Yardsticks” Are Actually “Meter-sticks”
The Milky Way gets great reviews on Trip Advisor — 100 million stars. The activity allows scholars to rethink their assumptions and prior knowledge. Pupils observe a set of two lights at equal distance and brightness, but they believe...
NASA
Just How Far is That Star?
Pupils often wonder how we know the distance to various stars. Starting with a thought experiment and progressing to a physical experiment, they determine the brightness and distance to various stars. The evaluation requires critical...
K5 Learning
The Sun and the Stars
How are the stars similar to the sun in our galaxy? Learn all about the solar system with a reading excerpt about the sun and the stars. Kids read an informational passage before they answer questions about reading comprehension,...
Star Date
Build Your Own Galaxy
Don't just look at pictures of the Milky Way galaxy, build it with this hands-on activity in which scientists recreate the galaxy we live in.