Studying what you can't see can be challenging. Discover how scientists use indirect measurements to prove the existence of planets and estimate their sizes. The introduction explains the symbiotic movement of planets and stars during an...

Explore the sun in a lesson plan about space. The lesson plan spans ten weeks, with students performing activities to answer weekly questions about the Sun and Earth.

There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to...

What does math have to do with the behavior of the earth and sun? Learn how the movement of celestial bodies has influenced the development of trigonometry. Scholars connects the details in mathematics to their...

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...

High schoolers analyze the size of the universe and calculate the time to travel to near and distant destinations.

Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...

Planning a novel study of Lois Lowry's Number the Stars? Then look no further. A 16-lesson unit guides students through a reading of this awarding-winning novel. Complete with a synopsis of the novel, analysis of its literary themes,...

Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...

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...

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.

Students identify patterns in the stars. In this constellation lesson, students simulate constellations using black canisters and patterns. Students discuss the points on the constellations and how to draw imaginary lines to see the...

Students are introduced to the challenges involved in understanding the space travel distances and the time involved to do so through the use of an interactive fable. The modeling and comparisons deal with specific distances at different...

In this first part of a two-part lesson, learners track and record the sun's azimuth using a solar panel. They graph and analyze the data to identify relationships among the time of day, the altitude and azimuth of the sun, and the...

Students explore space science by participating in a star identification activity. In this astronomy lesson, students identify different star patterns and discuss the movement of stars across the sky as the seasons change. Students...

Young scholars describe what scientists mean by an "expanding universe" in their own words. They explain how scientists comprehend the universie is expanding. Students comprehend the vast scale of the universe. They comprehend how...

Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...

Students examine the distance from Earth to stars. They create a model to show the arrangement of constellations. They also identify the importance of the parallax effect.

Sixth graders are introduced to several major constellations and locate them in the night sky. They graph the constellations on grid paper and work in groups to research common myths and stories associated with specific constellations.

Fifth graders are introduced to the various planets, stars and moons in our solar system. Using photographs, they place the planets into the correct order from the sun. In groups, they research one planet, create a fact sheet and make...

Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...

Students build the Voyage scale model of the Solar System on a playground and "travel" to each planet. They recognize that the Sun and planets are tiny worlds in a vast space, giving them a new perspective on the Solar System, and...

Students investigate how water goes from a solid to a liquid then back again.  In this experimental lesson students conduct their own experiment and see how water changes form. 

Students compare and contrast the size, composition and surface features of the nine planets of our solar system with the possible sizes and compositions of extra -solar planets.