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Satellite Sense
Students look at data to understand how it is interpreted by scientists. In this satellite sense lesson, students complete worksheets based on radar and satellite images. Students work in groups of two to diagram a landform.
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Circle the Earth - Explore Surface Types on a Journey around Earth
Students use CERES percent coverage surface data with a world map in locating landmasses and bodies of water at Earth's Equator.
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Out of This World
Students take a mission to Mars. In this space science lesson, students listen a lecture about space travel to Mars and the planet itself. Students then create timelines of exploration and write poetry about their ideal planet.
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Tools of Modern Astronomy
Students differentiate refracting and reflecting telescopes. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they are closely connected to satellites. They complete the concept map at the end of the activity.
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Rocketry
Middle schoolers design and construct a paper rocket that can be launched with a drinking straw. They participate in a lecture and read an article about rocketry and how Newton's Third Law applies to rocket launches. Each student...
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Universal Proportions: Earth and Moon
Students create scale models of Earth, the Moon, and the distances within the universe. Working in groups, they construct their models of Earth and the Moon on a scale of 50:1 and calculate how far apart to place their models. They...
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Cosmic Collision
In this cosmic collision activity, students explore interactive online website to study about the dynamics of different galaxies. They write short answers to 8 questions that follow.
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Life on Other Planets
In this planets worksheet, students put the planets in order, complete sentences about planets, read text about planets, match sentences, and more. Students complete 7 tasks total.
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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...
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The Effect of Moisture on Soil Temperature
Students analyze the relationship between soil moisture and its effect on soil temperature.
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
American Museum of Natural History
Journey to the Stars
Fifteen detailed pictures and informative captions delve deep into the exploration of stars—their life cycle and importance in the universe.
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Follow the Sun
Students use a simple model of the Earth and Sun as seen from space to explore the sun's apparent movement across the sky over the course of a day and year. They consider the apparent direction of movement and changes in the sun's angle.
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Where Now Man Has Gone Before
Learners examine the Apollo lunar landings and past theories about the creation and structure of the Earth's Moon as a springboard for investigating missions and milestones in space exploration since the creation of NASA in 1958.
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Lunar Lollipops
Students work with a partner, Styrofoam ball and light source to simulate the positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun at various stages during the phases of the Moon. They describe why the Moon is visible from Earth and complete a worksheet.
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Waterdrops Water Cycle
In this earth science activity, students read an article about the water cycle. Then they continue the story about the travels of a water droplet through time and space. Students also complete sentences by writing in the correct word...
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A Trip to St. Michael's
In this earth science worksheet, students read a 5 journal entries and illustrate how the places look based on the journal description.
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Water Topics
In this science instructional activity, students focus on the role of water in the environment and its many uses. They answer questions in the multiple choice and short answer form.
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Solar System Search
Students research topics related to space and the planets using the Internet. They explore various websites, construct scale models of the solar system, and create a travel brochure using HyperStudio computer software.
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Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Mt. St. Helens - Lesson Plan 2
Students compile information on volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens. In this earth science activity, students use the information they gathered on Mount St. Helens to answer questions and create charts in Excel. Then...
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Climate Change & Coral Activities
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change instructional activity, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are...
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Fires and Fire Suppression
Students examine their assumptions about forest fires. They explore the conflicts involved with the forest service's new strategy. in addition, they will study one case where a prescribed natural burn had a significant impact on a later,...
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Scientists Use Web Site to Report Volcano Activity
Students react to statements about volcanoes, then read a news article about scientists monitoring eruptions at Augustine volcano in Alaska. For this earth science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...
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Mountain Creation: A Drama Exploration
Students explore mountain formation. In this cross curriculum earth science and legend writing instructional activity, students listen to the poem "The Way to make Perfect Mountains" by Byrd Baylor and identify examples of vivid language...