Don't be caught in the dark! Young scientists investigate the causes of both solar and lunar eclipses using an interactive to help them understand the development of an eclipse over time. They then research facts and characteristics...

Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based instructional...

Students examine eclipses. In this eclipse lesson plan, students investigate solar and lunar eclipses. Students complete a WebQuest and write a descriptive summary of eclipses. Lesson references a WebQuest, but does not include a link.

Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...

Students explore lunar eclipses and discover how to predict an eclipse the same way that ancient people did. They examine dates of recorded eclipses and find a pattern. Students apply an algorithm to the pattern.

Students discover scientific facts about the Moon and how some American Indian Tribes used the moon to measure time. They accomplish this by listening to stories and poetry, writing stories, communicating with an astronaut,...

Students explore space science by conducting an illustration activity. In this lunar lesson plan, students discuss what the moon is and the role it plays for our environment on Earth. Students view images of the moon and utilize chalk to...

Pupils explore the relationship between the earth, sun, and moon in our solar system. They create a moonrise/moonset chart, perform a dance that models the moon phases, and create a Styrofoam model of the moon's surface.

Students determine the phases of the moon. They observe experiments to formulate explanations for moon phases. Students identify waxing crescent, waning gibbous, and the causes of the phases.

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...

Students review the characteristics of the planets and their moons. Using the internet, they research the relationship between the Earth and its moons. They take a template of the moon and draw craters of different colors to present to...

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.

Students 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.

Sixth graders understand the patterns of change observable on Earth as a result of the movement of the different bodies in the solar system. They identify the physical characteristics of the different components of the solar system.