Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System Search

For Teachers 6th - 7th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets in Proportion

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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...
Worksheet
Yummy Math

Curiosity Landed on Mars

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Out of this world math and science are mixed together on a worksheet that would be a great enrichment activity classrooms that are studying our solar system. The information presented is best suited toward middle school math, and...
PPT
PBS

Seasons on Earth and Mars

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—Earth experiences them all! But what about Mars? Scholars compare the planets in terms of distance, tilt, and rotation during a lesson from PBS's Space series. Great visual models of Earth and Mars, plus...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PLANETS IN PROPORTION

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover scales for both the solar bodies' relative sizes and their distances from the sun. They find equatorial circumference and volumes of their solar bodies. Students apply estimation strategies and proportioanl reasoning to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metric Conversion

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders convert within the metric system of measurement.  In this seventh grade math/science lesson, 7th graders view a PowerPoint presentation that introduces metric conversion.  Students use the Stair-step conversion...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Fitting Periodic Functions-Distant Planets

For Students 7th - 9th
In this periodic functions worksheet, students use given data of the speed of a star and find the best fit periodic function that follows the trend in data. They determine the amplitude, offset phase and the formula for the angle. They...
Lesson Plan
Redefining Progress

Have and Have-Not

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
Lesson Plan
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NASA

Solar System Scale & Size

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
Use a variety of whole fruits to represent the different planets in the solar system to introduce scale sizes to your math or space science class. They follow suit by creating a non-scaled model of the solar system using specific-colored...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lotto or Life: What Are the Chances?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Though the website does not seem to have the mentioned video, a reding and lottery style games simulate the chances of finding intelligent life somewhere other than Earth. Without the video, this lesson is short, but it can be a useful...
Lesson Plan
Bowland

Mission: Rainforest

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young environmentally conscious mathematicians solve a variety of problems related to the central theme of uncovering illegal logging activities. They determine a base camp based on given constraints, investigate logging activities and...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Lava Layering

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Distance in Space

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gravity: It's GREEEAAATTT!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students calculate effects of gravitational force on planets, discuss the effects of weightlessness on the human body and describe and demonstrate how objects in a state of free fall are accelerated by gravity at an equal rate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creatures from Planet X: Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are given a description of some fascinating animals from "Planet X". They follow the descriptions given to illustrate one of these animals paying careful attention to introduced vocabulary such as 'appendages', 'receptors', and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Challenger: America's Space Tragedy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils read Challenger: America's Space Tragedy by MichaelD. Cole. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Fractions in Space

For Students 7th - 9th
In this fractions in space worksheet, students solve 4 problems where they find ratios of orbit periods of satellites, they find the ratio of Neptune's and Pluto's periods, they determine the location of the planets after 5 opposition...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The North (Wall) Star

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars engage in a lesson which shows them that celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects -...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rover Races

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. In this space science activity, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and navigate...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Groups, Clusters and Individuals

For Students 7th - 9th
In this galaxies, clusters and planets worksheet, students solve 5 problems including determining sunspot groups on the sun in a particular day, finding the number of individual galaxies present, determining the number of stars in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Stellar Magnitude Scale

For Students 7th - 9th
In this stellar magnitude scale worksheet, students use a scale showing the magnitude of objects in the sky to answer 5 questions about the brightness of the moon, the planets and stars.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Solar Cycle

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners research the solar cycle. In this Science lesson, students use the internet to investigate the solar cycle. Learners produce a spreadsheet and graph from the information collected.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow the Falling Meteorite

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. In this earth science instructional activity, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mathematics at the Frontier of Astronomy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore the different types of measurements used in astronomy. In this space science lesson, students explain the relationship between planets' orbits and distance from the sun using Kepler's Laws. They discuss how math...