Curated OER
Distances in Space
For this distances in space worksheet, students learn about astronomical units and light years as measurements for great distances. Students use both of these units of measurements to solve five problems.
Curated OER
The Solar Neighborhood within 17 Light Years!
In this distance between stars worksheet, students plot the distance between the sun and 11 other stars on a 2 dimensional grid using a protractor and a ruler. They determine the distances between various stars and they find the shortest...
101 Questions
Speed of Light
How quickly does light travel long distances? A short video simulates light going from the earth to the moon at two different paces. Scholars relate the distance to the rate to understand which simulation is correct.
Curated OER
Looking Back in Time
Students construct a timeline that records the birthdates of several scientists. They calculate a relationship for distance and years and then compare their timelines to the use of light years as a measurement unit.
Curated OER
Stars
In this stars worksheet, students determine if 15 statements about stars, constellations, Polaris, light years and the position of the stars are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized word in the sentence to...
CK-12 Foundation
Scientific Notation: Light Years to Centaurus Constellation
Connect scientific notation to a real-life situation. Measuring distances in our solar system require large numbers. As pupils make conversions using these large numbers, they begin to see the necessity of scientific notation. They...
Curated OER
Working With Scientific Notation
In this scientific notation worksheet, learners read about the discovery of new planets. They use scientific notation to identify the number of miles from one planet to the next. Students determine how long it would take to travel, when...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Cosmic Measurements
Young scholars develop two units of measurement to relate to the astronomical unit and the light year. In this astronomy lesson, students use a Twizzler to develop a measurement unit similar to the astronomical unit. They use a moving...
Curated OER
A Trillion Here...A Trillion There
In this working with large numbers worksheet, students are given the finance statistics for the US and the world for the 2006-2007 year. Students solve 11 problems including finding averages and percentages for the given statistics and...
Curated OER
Hubble Sees a Distant Planet
In this Hubble telescope worksheet, students solve 4 problems about the image of the distant planet the Hubble telescope discovered. Students determine the distance the planet was from its star in 2006, they determine the planet's...
Mr. E. Science
Stars, Galaxies and the Universe
It takes 225 million years for our sun to travel around the galaxy. The presentation covers astronomical units, light years, telescopes, types of stars, the life cycle of a star, and types of galaxies. This is the last lesson in a...
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.
Curated OER
Distances Between Stars
In this distance between stars worksheet, students use the 3-dimensional distance formula and Cartesian coordinates to find the distances of 10 given stars from the sun. They also determine which constellation each star belongs to and...
Curated OER
Exploring a Galaxy
In this galaxy learning exercise, learners use the Internet or other resources to answer 13 questions about the galaxy NGC-1232. They are given a photograph of the galaxy to help determine the width and diameter of certain regions of the...
Curated OER
A Star Sheds a Comet Tail!
In this comet tails and stars learning exercise, students read about the star Mira and the vast clouds of gases it emits. They use a photograph from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite to solve 5 problems about the scale of the...
Curated OER
The Northern Lights
Sixth graders view photos of Northern Lights and discuss where Northern Lights are usually seen. They examine the colors of light they see and how these colors/lights occur. They use a circular coordinate grid to plot zones of auroral...
Curated OER
Solar System Unit
Young scholars probe an interdisciplinary unit on our solar system. Distances between planets, their characteristics, and applications to student's personal lives are analyzed in this experience. The unit contains seven lessons.
Curated OER
Solar System Lab
In this solar system instructional activity, 8th graders make a scale model of the solar system, answer 5 questions and write a conclusion.
Curated OER
Galaxies Galore, Games and More
Students practice skills used in scientific investigation while studying the three main types of galaxies. Students identify Earth as part of Milky Way galaxy, the parts of galaxies, and the types of galaxies, as well as classify...
Curated OER
Parallax
High schoolers discover how astronomers used the diameter of the Earth's orbit around the Sun as a baseline for estimating the distance of some stars, and the meaning of "Parsec" and "light year."
It's About Time
The History and Scale of the Solar System
Take scientists beyond our earthly reach and into the solar system. Pupils create a model of the solar system and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their model. They calculate distances in light years, discuss the nebular theory, and...
NASA
The Science of the Sun
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to the important role...
Curated OER
Planets in Proportion
Students apply estimation strategies and proportional reasoning to determine a scale comparing the planetary bodies to Earth. They convert measurements of time and distance using scientific notation. Both the metric and customary units...
Curated OER
Understanding Distance in Space
Students discover the vocabulary used for distances in space and review measurement units and instruments before creating a scale model of the planets. They determine how to calculate the relative distances between the planets using a...