Curated OER
The Story of the Solar System
There is more to the solar system than the typical study of the sun and planets. Launch a study of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets by watching the video The Story of the Solar System, available for purchase through this...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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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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The Nine Planets
A solid lesson on teaching the nine planets in our solar system is here for you. In it, young scientists learn the correct order of the planets, and they choose one of the planets to do a research report on. They must come up with five...
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The Starry Night Time and Day Time
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
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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...
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Exploring Mars
Students, working in small groups construct scale models of the planets and solar system. They examine images of Mars and discuss what might have caused the features. They record facts about their planetary research in their journals and...
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Meteor, Meteoroid, Meteorite: What's the Difference?
Learners explore the difference between a meteor, meteorite and meteoroid. In this space science lesson, students first read information about these space bodies. Learners make Comet Cookies and use them to model a meteor shower with a...
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Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students create an astrolabe and locate the North Star in the night sky. They determine the latitude of the North Star, and calculate an average latitude based on class results.
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Weather Proverbs
Your class explores weather proverbs and superstitions from around the country and writes their own proverb about weather. They interview community elders to learn proverbs about Alaska and its weather. Then they discuss several example...
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Your Address in the Galaxy
Learners create a business card after researching their location in space and determining their Galactic Address.
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Rotating Rings of Ice
Students work together to develop a model of Saturn and its rings. They identify what types of materials make up the rings and how they revolve around Saturn. They write a short paragraph describing the rings.