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Earth Science Astronomy Unit: Seasons on Earth
Eighth graders describe how the Earth's position causes seasonal changes. In this astronomy instructional activity, 8th graders explain how solar radiation varies depending on the season. They create a collage or poster on each of the...
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An Introduction to the Night Sky and Movement Astronomy
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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Taking the Measure of the Universe
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
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Life on Earth and Beyond, Our Search for Answers
Students in a special education classroom are introduced to how the universe and solar system was formed. Using the internet, they research the characteristics of Earth that support human life. In groups, they compare and contrast...
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Solar System and Planets
Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
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Earth is Round?
Third graders discuss how Aristotle concluded that the Earth was round. As a class, they review theories about the Earth's shape and describe how life on Earth would be different if it were flat. Individually, they make a moon book in...
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Our Intriguing Star, the Sun!
Explore the sun in a lesson plan about space. The instructional activity spans ten weeks, with students performing activities to answer weekly questions about the Sun and Earth.
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Earth's Revolution and Rotation
Eighth graders investigate the regular motions of the sun, Earth and the moon and explain how these are related to days, years, seasons, eclipses, tides and moon cycles. They participate in an exercise where they explore the...
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Extensions - Astronomy Review Unit
Middle schoolers participate in a review unit in Astronomy using the Layered Curriculum. This allows them to take charge of the type of assessment that is given. The method also allows better differentiation of instruction to occur.
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Seasonal CEENBoT
Students simulate the Earth's revolution around the sun using CEENBoT. In this earth science lesson students calculate the Earth's distance in AU and it's speed of revolution. They explain how the Earth's movement cause seasonal variation.
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Length of the Day
Students investigate how the Earth's rotation affect the length of day. In this earth science activity, students construct a sighting apparatus and record their observations over a few days. They analyze data collected and formulate a...
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The Moon
Students design and build an ideal lunar settlement. In this astronomy lesson, students identify the key features of the moon. They compare its environmental condition with the Earth's.
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Get a Leg Up
Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
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Earth
Students study the earth in relation to the solar system. In this planetary lesson students complete several investigations into the measurement of the earth and its magnetic field.
NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.
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Radio Astronomy and Radio Telescope
Students construct a simple radio telescope. In this astronomy lesson, students explain how this telescope works and what information it collects.
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Astronomy with a Stick
Students describe the movement of the Earth as it relates to the sun and
formulate a hypothesis for the movement and the changing length of the shadow. They express the relationship between the sun and the Earth and how that causes the...
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Tools of Modern Astronomy
Learners describe the electromagnetic spectrum and astronomy. In this astronomy lesson students complete an activity, predict what will happen and complete a worksheet.
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Students demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Astronomy
Students explore space science by utilizing education software. In this moon cycles lesson, students discuss the importance of the moon and the different phases we observe from earth. Students demonstrate the earth's orbit by creating a...
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Astronomy
Learners complete a series of activities to better understand space studies. For this space science lesson, the teacher is provided with a number of activities for students to complete such as finding words that begin with the prefix...
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Meteors
Students identify the different types of meteorite using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson, students simulate how meteors crash on a surface. They relate meteor size to crater size.
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Astronomy: Earth/Moon
Young scholars investigate the Earth and the Moon. They select activities from a menu of options including viewing videos, drawing magnetic fields and plate tectonics, creating vocabulary flashcards, observing the phases of the moon...
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Gingerbread Spacecraft
Learners explore the different parts of the Cassini spacecraft. In this space science lesson, students create a model of the spacecraft using food products. They compare and contrast their model with the real one and evaluate its...