Journey Through the Universe
How Far is Far?
The earth only revolves around one thing — and it's not any of your pupils. The lesson includes two activities dealing with the distance to the sun and the moon. First, scholars create a pin hole camera and use the rules of similar...
Journey Through the Universe
A Scale Model Solar System
Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...
Journey Through the Universe
Going through a Phase
Ignore the full moon, it's just a phase. Young scholars observe and record the moon during a full cycle before learning to predict future phases. Then the instructor leads a discussion on the other solar system objects that also go...
Journey Through the Universe
Comets: Bringers of Life?
Young scientists investigate the elements found in our solar system and then construct a model of a comet. They apply their new knowledge to the formation of the solar system.
Journey Through the Universe
Our Solar System
Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...
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Modeling Patterns and Cycles in Our Lives
Students explore how building a model can help them better understand the natural world. They identify common cycles or patterns in nature as well as examples of models in the classroom. After discussion, they choose a pattern or cycle...
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Making Models To Understand Our Home
Students investigate the concept of a model and how it is used to represent something that is real. They recognize how the model can be applied to other types of concepts like the solar system. Students create a scale drawing of a house...
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And a Star to Steer Her By: A Field Trip Guide for the Planetarium Show
In this field trip study guide for the planetarium show lesson, young scholars construct a model of the Earth and describe the relative positions of the continents using latitude and longitude. Students construct a star chart to find...
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Taking a Voyage away from Home
Students experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
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Voyage of Discovery
Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they...
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African Americans in Aviation: The 1940s- A Decade of Change
Students investigate African Americans in aviation. In this primary resources lesson, students examine primary resources to research the history of African American in aviation. Students answer two research questions and write an essay...
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It's Aviation Awareness Week!
There are easy ways to incorporate activities related to Aviation History Month in your classroom.
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How Things Fly
Students will examine the physics of flight through using experimental inquiry. In this lesson, you'll introduce your students to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight...
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Stories of the Wrights' Flights
Young scholars examine primary sources to understand the work of Wright Brothers. In this aviation history lesson, students study how primary documents and images are analyzed and write essays about the signifcance of primary soures in...
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The Voyage Scale
Young scholars identify how models are powerful tools of exploration and that the sizes of the planets and distances between the planets in the Solar System span a large range. They make a sign for each planet they have created in the...
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How Things Fly
Students explain basic principles of aeronautics such as gravity and lift. In this How Things Fly lesson, students visit the interactive, hands-on How Things Fly gallery at the Smithsonian. Students perform three experiments that...
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A Different Kind of Rock Star
Students examine the mysteries of Mars. For this scientific comprehension lesson, students read a USA Today article and discuss questions about Mars. To conclude the lesson, students engage in a Rorshach inspired experiment.
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The Wrights' Flight: History Through Primary Sources
Students read primary source material about the Wrights' first flight such as a journal and a telegram. In this The Wrights' Flight lesson, students select the most reliable primary source and compare the pros and cons of using primary...
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Celebrating A Century of Flight
Students investigate the Wright Brothers. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, use a flight simulator, answer discussion questions, and locate newspaper articles on the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers'...
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How Things Fly
Students research the mechanics of flight and create a slideshow with one slide dedicated to each of these topics: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. They create a short quiz regarding the material that they presented and give it to their...
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Mobility: A Green City, Past, Present, and Future
Pupils explore transportation systems through history. In this transportation lesson plan, students determine how modes of transportation affect quality of life and design transportation plans for cities.
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Remembrance Through Public Art
Students discuss the purpose of public art, in the form of memorials. They research the design and planning of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C., then plan their own memorial and construct a 3D model.
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Extraordinary Explorers
Students, using the Internet, B41460research facts about explorers and travelers. They also state what places they have explored and share with the class.
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Mobile Cooking
Students investigate the history of Mobile, Alabama and then create recipes from the area, including Southern Pecan Pie and Mr. Carver's Peanut Brittle.