Curated OER
Sky Time: On the Astronomical Meaning of the Day, Year and Seasons
Young scholars simulate the movement of the Earth using their body motion. In this earth science lesson, students explain how this causes seasonal changes on Earth.
Curated OER
Orbits Worksheet #1
A diagram of Earth's path around the sun, including the position of the moon, is displayed at the top of the worksheet. Five multiple questions get astronomers to analyze the diagram considering what is going on in the solar system. Use...
Star Date
Shadow Play
Three activities make up a solar system lesson that features the sun, its light, and the shadows it produces. Scholars step outside to discover the changes shadows make at different times of day, take part in a demonstration of how Earth...
Curated OER
The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
Curated OER
The Earth Moves Around the Sun
Students demonstrate that the movement of the sun causes shadows which were used as the first indicators of telling time.
It's About Time
The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Your Community
Do you have blossoming astronomers who seek to understand the electromagnetic spectrum? Assist them with exploring electromagnetic radiation and the electromagnetic spectrum as the class conducts various activities to demonstrate...
Curated OER
Phases of the Moon
Sixth graders learn that the moon orbits the Earth in a predictable cycle. Each learner engages in a two-week observation of the moon. They sketch its appearance, and take note of its position in relation to objects in their yard. Some...
Curated OER
Orientation of the Earth in Space
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...
Curated OER
Seasons Worksheet #1
First, your earth science pupils determine what season is depicted in a diagram of the tilted Earth as it receives radiation from the sun. They answer multiple choice questions about occurrences at different points on Earth in the...
CK-12 Foundation
Pythagorean Theorem to Determine Distance: Tree Shadows
Why is that shadow getting longer? Determine the changes in the length of a shadow as the sun changes position in the sky. Individuals use an interactive to calculate the length of a shadow at different times during the day via the...
Curated OER
Six Insect Legs
Learners observe and discuss the sun's position in the sky. They explore the number six, read various number books, and create the number six page for a counting book.
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
Curated OER
Nine in the Sky
First graders explore the day and night sky and complete a page for the number 9 for their counting book.
Curated OER
Eight Stars in the Night Sky
First graders explore the day and night sky. They complete a number 8 page for their counting books.
Curated OER
Our Sky Clock
Students explore space science by completing a worksheet in class. In this astronomy lesson, students discuss and identify star patterns in the night sky and relate these patterns to the approximate time they appear. Students complete an...
Curated OER
May Earth be Revolving around the Sun?
Ninth graders explore how Aristarchus used the position of the half-full Moon to estimate the distance to the Sun, and how he made a great error, but still figured out that the Sun is much larger than Earth.
Poetry4kids
Personification Poetry Lesson Plan
Scholars take part in two exercises to boost their knowledge of personification. After reading a detailed description and excerpts from famous poems, writers list action verbs and objects then combine words to create a humorous...
Space Awareness
Making A Sundial
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
Novelinks
Zach’s Lie: Guided Imagery
Close your eyes and picture a time where you decided to tell the truth to someone. What were you wearing? How did you feel? Such prompts begin a guided imagery activity for Zach's Lie. Directions for creating an environment conducive to...
Curated OER
Lowell Observatory Moon Clock
Students construct a paper moon clock to determine the moon's position. In this lunar position lesson, students use the provided printout to create a moon clock. They use the clock to determine the moon's position in the sky based on its...
Curated OER
Three Bears and Three Goats in the Morning Sun
First graders listen to the story Three Bears from the book, Three Tales of Three, focusing on the one-to-one correspondence while counting various items in the story. They create pages for the number 3 for their counting books.
Curated OER
Heavens Above
Pupils study the stars and their positions. In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past.
Curated OER
Sun Path: Interactive On-line Mac or PC
Pupils use SunPath in the yearly mode to investigate seasonal changes in sunrise, sunset, length of day and sun altitude at their own latitude. Sun Path JAVA applet uses equations for a spherical Earth to calculate the sunrise and sunset...
Curated OER
Sundials
Young scholars investigate the different types of sundials and their history. In this shadows and time of day lesson students build their own sundials.