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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Night Sky Observation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore space science by completing an observational worksheet. In this astronomy lesson, students view several worksheets in which students identify minor changes between separate images in preparation for real star...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Watching

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete night-sky observations to understand how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. Students complete a timeline worksheet giving the history of telescopes. Students then then make their own observations...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Night Sky and Movement Astronomy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Basically, this is an interactive exploration of educational astronomy software and an app. Young astronomers discover how the apparent motion of the sky relates to Earth's movements and the position of the observer. It is out of this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Day and Night Sky

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Young scholars explore space science by participating in a sky observation activity. In this astronomy lesson, students define a list of astronomy vocabulary terms and examine star charts of the four seasons. Young scholars gather with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Show

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a discussion of the sky and colors. They watch a demonstration of how colors can change. They examine the issue of if weather should be a part of their coursework.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summer Sky Tour

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore space science by participating in a constellation identification activity. In this astronomy lesson, students view star charts based on the different seasons and define a list of astronomy related terms. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Night Sky

For Teachers 3rd
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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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does it Get Colder on a Clear Night than a Cloudy Night?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Clouds are nature's insulator! A lab investigation asks learners to use an infrared thermometer to measure differences in infrared temperatures. They find that pointing the thermometer at a cloud has a much different result than pointing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Night Sky

For Teachers K - 1st
Students discover why stars can only be seen at night. They participate in a read aloud of, "Night Sky" by Carole Stott and, "Switch on the Night" by Ray Bradbury. Using the sky objects described in the readings, they brainstorm and list...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Jeopardy Game

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore space. In this space lesson, students analyze the sky and what causes its changes. Students describe the moon patterns and use a model to show changes in its shape. Students also describe the first trip to the moon....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Quest: Exploring the Constellations

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine constellations and planets through completing various activities. Students work individually and in groups to create drawings based on stars, compare and contrast the night sky with and without a telescope and learn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Watching

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine telescopes and understand how they have helped us better understand the sky.  In this astronomy instructional activity students complete a worksheet and a lab activity.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Sky Clock

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars explore space science by completing a worksheet in class. In this astronomy lesson plan, students discuss and identify star patterns in the night sky and relate these patterns to the approximate time they appear. Young...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Objects in the Sky

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore what the sky looks like at different times. They identify objects in the sky and recognize changes over time. Students observe the sky and look for objects that are common in both the daytime and the nighttime sky.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up in the Sky

For Teachers 1st
First graders associate events and objects with day or night. They create a word bank and use is as a reference to create sentences about the sun. They conduct sun-themed experiments and art projects.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Think About Day and Night

For Teachers K
Students explore day and night and the relationships between the Earth, the sun and the moon. They discuss the ways in which the sun and moon help us. They watch a short video that helps illustrate these concepts.
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Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

Mask of the Black God

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Finally, an astronomy lesson for the high schooler! Explorers are able to read star maps for finding objects in the night sky by determining celestial coordinates. In particular, they locate the Pleiades and read about a Navajo legend...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky 2: Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore space science by participating in a shadow experiment. In this sky observation lesson, students identify how the sun creates different sized shadows by moving across the horizon. Students utilize yard sticks, markers,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Galaxy Hunter - A Cosmic Photo Safari

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Space science stars journey through our night sky and take virtual photos of galaxies to investigate simple random samples. Higher math is used to analyze the data collected. Copy the evaluation/assessment questions onto a handout for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sky Show

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Pupils use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day and Night

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students using experiments try to demonstrate how observations can be affected by the cycles of night and day.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Starry Night

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders fingerpaint their own interpretations of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Have you seen the man on the moon?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study about the phases of the moon and create a picture of the night sky. They use Super print or Kid Pix to create the picture. Students also decide if the picture they have chosen is good for seeing moon and stars or not.