Curated OER
The Planet Earth
Students explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.
Space Awareness
Climate Zones
The climate at the equator is hotter than the climate at the poles, but why? The lesson goes in depth, explaining how the angles of illumination relate to the heating rate at different latitudes and seasons. Scholars use a strong lamp,...
Curated OER
Earth and Seasons
Sixth graders comprehend that the path Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is called its orbit. They also comprehend that the axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles. Students...
Curated OER
How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?
Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Winter
As the days get shorter and a chill enters the air, it's time to start teaching your little ones about the wondrous winter season. Through a series of teacher demonstrations, whole-class read alouds and discussions, and hands-on...
Curated OER
Reasons for the Seasons
Students discover how the Earth's axis of rotation affects the angle of sunlight and the length of day. They take a survey and give the survey out to family members and friends. They tally their findings and then determine the correct...
Curated OER
Astronomy
Pupils explore space science by utilizing education software. In this moon cycles lesson, students discuss the importance of the moon and the different phases we observe from earth. Pupils demonstrate the earth's orbit by creating a...
Curated OER
Astronomy Test
In this astronomy test, middle schoolers answer 50 true/false and multiple choice questions about the relationships of the earth, moon, and sun. The test also includes questions about the solar system, galaxies, and the universe. An...
Curated OER
Apparent Motion of the Sun
Demonstrate the path of the sun across the sky at different times of the year with an engaging science lesson. Learners use a series of questions and diagrams to examine the movement of the sun and appearance of the sky around their...
Curated OER
Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's revolution around the Sun, using a playground mode.
Curated OER
Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Classroom Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Students use a concrete model of the Sun and Earth to observe and manipulate a 3-D model of the Sun and Earth.
Curated OER
Plasmasphere
In this plasmasphere worksheet, students determine how long the plasmasphere takes to rotate around the Earth using two satellite images taken three hours apart.
Curated OER
Navigating a Spacecraft
Students work with a partner to plot the trajectory of a spacecraft traveling between Earth and Mars in the 2018 and returning in 2020. They examine the key factors when planning a mission to and from Mars such as travel time, distances...
Curated OER
Interstellar Real Estate - Defining The Habitable Zone
Learners explore the orbital characteristics a planetary home needs to support Earth-like life forms. They develop an understanding of critical planetary mass to determine which newly discovered planets might be capable of supporting life.
Curated OER
The Moon
Students explore the relationship between the earth, sun, and moon in our solar system. They create a moonrise/moonset chart, perform a dance that models the moon phases, and create a Styrofoam model of the moon's surface.
Curated OER
Seasonal cycles
Students understand that the rotation of the Earth is responsible for the seasons. In this seasonal cycles lesson, students learn how the rotation of the Earth affects the seasons. Students answer questions about the rotation, the...
Curated OER
Moon Phases
Sixth graders investigate the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson plan, 6th graders discover that the moon changes in a cycle as it orbits Earth. Students label pictures of moon phases and keep a moon phase journal. Students...
Curated OER
Our Solar System
In this space science instructional activity, students use the clues at the bottom of the sheet to solve the crossword puzzle on our solar system. They identify the different planets and their location in relation to the sun.
Curated OER
Kepler's Law-Worksheet #2
In this Kepler's Law worksheet, students answer 8 questions about the orbits of satellites, the rotation of planets, the eccentricity of the moon's orbit and the distance planets are from the sun using Kepler's laws.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Super Spinners!
Students make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while experimenting...
Curated OER
It's A Meteor
Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun. In this webquest instructional activity, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as...
Curated OER
The Reasons for the Seasons
Young scientists use a globe and a light to simulate the rotation of the earth and sun to show the seasons. Additionally, they simulate direct sunlight and indirect sunlight showing intensity of the sun, and answer questions based on...
Science 4 Inquiry
Phases of the Moon
The moon takes just over 27 days to orbit around Earth. Young scientists position themselves as the earth as they rotate around the sun and hold the moon. This allows them to observe the patterns and phases of the moon.
University of Colorado
Phases of Charon
Pluto, although no longer considered a planet, has five moons. Pluto's moon, Charon, is the focus of a resource that describes how the moon is viewed from the surface of Pluto. Photos help individuals see how Charon would look at...