Curated OER
Sky 2: Shadows
students will explore making shadows and tracking the movement of an object over the course of a day to look for patterns. It is best to couple this shadow activity with reading the book, Bear Shadow, and making a map of Bear's...
Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas
Observing the Moon Activity
In this moon worksheet, students observe the moon on three consecutive nights and draw their observations. They answer questions about the phases of the moon and its position in the night sky. They identify the position of the sun, earth...
Curated OER
Star Count
Fourth graders explore the night sky with their star counter. They to determine the types of stars and the number that can be seen from their local area and share their data via the Internet. They participate in NASA online projects.
Curated OER
Water Works Wonders
Students examine where water is found in the world, how we use it, and the various forms it takes. They observe the refraction of light through a prism, record the day and night sky over a week's time, and create a topographic model of...
Curated OER
Photometry of Stars and Clusters
Students apply an algorithm to measure the distance to stars in the night sky. In this photometry lesson, students observe stars in the night sky as they measure the distance to them and to the cluster, The Milky Way. They apply the...
Curated OER
Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students participate in activities in which they find the Big Dipper and locate the North Star in the night sky, examine the relationship between the angle to Polaris and latitude, and determine latitude by using an astrolabe.
Curated OER
Navigation By the North Star: A Lesson Plan in Four Parts
Students investigate why the North Star was important for navigation, how stars move across the night sky, how to locate the North Star, how to make a crude sextant, and how to determine latitude using a sextant and the North Star. They...
Curated OER
Mars Curriculum
Learners study Mars and other plants in the night sky. In a planetarium setting using Digitarium planetarium system, students identify the Big Dipper and Polaris. They explore the major differences between the planets and the stars. ...
Curated OER
Observing Mars in the Night Sky
High schoolers compare and contrast the orbits of Earth and Mars, locate the planet Mars, and diagram its retrograde motion.
Curated OER
Exploring the Constellations, a WebQuest Activity
Students explore space science by participating in a class WebQuest. In this constellation identification lesson, students view star charts based on the four seasons and identify the changes our sky goes through in the course of 12...
Colorado State University
What Is a "Model"?
Model the transfer of energy during a typical 24-hour period. Young scholars use a game-like approach to learning the patterns of heat transfer through the day and night. Groups of four exchange different tokens as the energy transfers...
Curated OER
It's Still Polaris
Students observe the changing night sky over the course of an evening and chart the circumpolar stars as they traverse the sky in a progression around Polaris. They infer and discuss the cause of the changing star positions.
Curated OER
Mapping Constellations
Young scholars become familiar with constellations. In this space science lesson, the teacher introduces constellations by showing students the star patterns and reading myths. Young scholars, observe the stars nightly, then choose one...
Curated OER
Luisa's Steller Evolution Lab
Students examine stars and constellations in the night sky. They complete a KWL chart and calculate the mass of stars. They also discuss how a star is formed.
Curated OER
Hot Air
Students conduct an experiment to determine how hot air affect the path of laser. In this physics lesson, students explain why stars appear to twinkle at night. They discuss how light travels from space to Earth.
Curated OER
What's Up?
Students compare and contrast the various heavenly bodies found in the sky at night. They identify the moon and stars in the sky as well as how the stars form pictures called constellations. Students also experiment with reflection and...
Curated OER
The Structure of the Galaxy
Learners infer the galaxy shape. In this structure of the galaxy lesson students observe the distribution of objects in the sky and answer questions.
Curated OER
Seeing Interference Fringes with a Telescope
Learners construct an interferometer using a simple telescope. In this physics instructional activity, students explain how light waves create the fringe patterns. They observe patterns made by different objects in the sky and compare them.
PBS
Star Power
Let there be light—or maybe not. Pupils learn about light pollution with an investigation of constellations. They create constellation boxes and experiment with different levels of light. Observations are then made about the lighting in...
Curated OER
Comet Myths, Facts, and Legends
Here is an interactive book lesson through which learners explore the facts and stories about comets. The plan is comprehensive, providing background information, standards met, vocabulary, assessment ideas, and more. Though the content...
Curated OER
Get the Picture!
Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...
Curated OER
Water 1: Water and Ice
Students explore forms that water can take and examine the water cycle. For this hands-on science lesson, students participate in activities that require them to change water to a solid and back to a liquid again.
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students explore water and ice. In this 3 states of matter lesson, students work with a partner to observe, illustrate, and describe the characteristics of an ice cube in a cup. The ice cube is observed again in 15 minutes and changes...
Curated OER
28 Days - The Lunar Cycle time line
Third graders create a labeled lunar diagram time line illustrating the lunar cycle using Internet resources. An assigned date/month is given to each student, and an online Moon Phase calculator assists them with their drawings.