Core Knowledge Foundation
Astronomy—Our Solar System and Beyond Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
A read-aloud anthology explores our solar system and beyond. Informational texts about astronomy invite pupils to discuss readings. Extension activities examine vocabulary, sayings, and phrases. Scholars work through the writing process...
K5 Learning
The Astronomy Project
A passage about an astronomy lesson may leave readers starstruck. Fifth graders read about a class's exploration into the makeup of the galaxy and its constellations before answering six questions about the terms and vocabulary words...
Curated OER
How Far Away Are the Planets?
Students name nine planets in order, describe some notable characteristics of the planets, explain how distance from the sun may affect these characteristics, and create solar system models.
Curated OER
Planets Curriculum
Students complete an in-depth study of the known planets in the solar system. As a class, students identify the planets that are known in the universe, in the night sky. They explain the differences between planets and stars and the...
Curated OER
Your Weight on Other Planets
Students explore their weight on other planets. In this science activity, students view a presentation about the other planets and complete a worksheet in which they make predictions about their weight on the moon and other planets.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Third Grade Skills Unit 7: What’s in Our Universe?
Over four weeks, third graders participate in lessons that boost spelling, grammar, reading, and writing skills. Scholars explore spelling patterns, suffixes, singular and plural possessive nouns, quotations, and conjunctions....
Curated OER
What Orbital Dynamic Variables are Responsible for Earth's Weather?
Students explore the changing of the seasons. In this astronomy and seasons lesson, students construct a model of the revolution of the sun and the moon. Students compare the recorded solstice/equinox orbital positions and explain the...
Curated OER
Planet Picking
Students arrange the planets according to their distances from the sun. In this astronomy lesson, students list interesting properties about each planet. They identify an unknown planet photo.
Curated OER
Distance in Space
Sixth graders explore space science by measuring distances between planets. In this solar system instructional activity, 6th graders view a Bill Nye video and discover the conversion between the metric system and imperial measuring...
Curated OER
Reading and Listening for Information
Learners practice their reading and listening skills in order to obtains accurate information. In preparation for a Moon, Mars, and Beyond Mission project, they read short stories about planet and moon mythology then answer questions...
Curated OER
Earth Science Lesson Plans on Geologic Time
Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...
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...
Curated OER
Kepler's Second Law
Learners explore orbital velocities and how they vary along each orbit, according to Kepler's Second Law.
Curated OER
Three D Constellations
Students are introduced to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder. They convert spherical coordinates to Cartesian coordinates to construct a three dimensional model of a constellation...
Curated OER
Fractions, Decimals, and Gravity
Students discuss how weight is directly related to gravitational force on a planet. Students then choose Space Traveler as companion and compute how much their guide weighs on various planets, based on each planet's relative surface...
Curated OER
What on Earth is Greater Than?
Students compare things that are greater than, less than, or equal to, compare the Earth to other planets, and list planets from greatest size to smallest size.
Curated OER
The Difference Between Comets, Meteors And Asteroids
Pupils use Venn diagrams to highlight the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.
Space Awareness
The Climate in Numbers and Graphs
Weather versus climate: weather relates to short time periods while climate averages the weather of a period of many years. Scholars learn about average temperature and precipitation in various climate zones and then apply statistics...
Curated OER
The Sun
Young scholars draw diagram of sun and its layers, including photosphere, chromosphere, corona, convection and radiative zones, and core. Students then describe each layer in their own words, define sun spot cycle, and describe solar...
Curated OER
Teachers' Notes: Switch Gets Ready!
Students practice multiplication facts, answer simple math questions from two, five, and ten times-tables, explore concept of halves and quarters, complete worksheet containing range of shapes to make shape picture, and sort data and...