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PPT
Urbana School District

Gravitation

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Introduction your class to famous astronomers with a presentation that also covers Newton's Laws of Gravitation, Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, both uniform and nonuniform gravitational fields, and how to calculate the gravitational...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What is Astronomy?

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Go study the universe. Pupils learn seven aspects about astronomy and astronomers. They begin to learn about constellations; distance and motion between objects; gravity; the electromagnetic spectrum; dark matter and energy; and teams of...
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Activity
NASA

Exploring Exoplanets with Kepler

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Calculate the movement and properties of planets like professional astronomers! Scholars use Kepler's third law to find Mercury and Venus's distance from the sun. Using changes in brightness of distant stars and Kepler's third law,...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

African Americans in Astronomy and Astrophysics

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A two-part lesson focuses on the contributions to the fields of astronomy and astrophysics of two African Americans: Benjamin Banneker and Dr. George Carruthers. In part one, scholars learn about Benjamin Banneker by examining his...
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Worksheet
Rice University

Characteristics of Inner Planets

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Aspiring astronomers assess the inner planets using this handout. They read about the characteristics of each, noting that all four of them have rocky surfaces. Rotation and revolution are introduced, including Venus' retrograde...
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Article
NASA

Blinded by the Light!

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils learn of multiple ways astronomers look for planets outside of the solar system. By completing a hands-on activity, scholars discover that trying to see the planets directly because of the glare from the nearby star is nearly...
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Lesson Plan
Benjamin Banneker Association

Celebrate Benjamin Banneker

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Inventor, astronomer, surveyor, mathematician, clock maker. Learners celebrate the life of Benjamin Banneker by building creative analog clocks, making scale models, and solving problems related to surveying. The activities model the...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Seasonal Science: Building Claims from Evidence

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
A lot can change in a year! Investigators observe a video of Earth over the course of a year and complete a KWL chart. Astronomers view a second video, participate in a guided discussion, and discuss the rubric for successfully...
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Printables
A to Z Teacher Stuff

Solar System Book

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd Standards
Young astronomers travel through the solar system in the pages of this printable book. With clear pictures and simple sentence structure, this is a perfect resource for exploring the planets in the early elementary grade levels.
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Interactive
PBS

Analyzing Light Curves of Transiting Exoplanets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Scientists detected exoplanets by measuring how the brightness of stars changed over time. Young astronomers interpret and analyze the same data that led to exoplanet discoveries. They learn to apply light curve graphs and connect the...
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Unit Plan
Princeton University

A Teacher's Guide to the Universe

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Astronomers only observe four percent of the universe as the rest hides in darkness. The size, shape, and movement of the universe are the focus for an long-term high school unit. Its 43 lessons include hands-on experiments, direct...
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Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Star In a Box (Paper-Based)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Do stars age gracefully? Young astronomers use colored paper and data on luminosity and temperature to model the changes of a star during its lifetime. They then compare models of stars of different mass and radii. 
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Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Using Spectral Data to Explore Saturn and Titan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Saturn is really far away, but knowledge of its composition is within reach. Future astronomers learn how scientists use spectra to remotely determine the chemical composition of a planet or moon. They try out this concept by analyzing...
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Activity
NASA

When Do Lunar Eclipses Happen?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Who needs the daylight to simulate a lunar eclipse? Astronomers model the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to explain the necessary conditions for a lunar eclipse. Investigators cut and label a paper plate to represent the Earth and...
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Activity
Smarter Balanced

View Through a Telescope

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Preparing for an assessment? Here's an activity that will ensure that all class members have the background knowledge they need to demonstrate their skills on a performance task related to the solar system and the tools astronomers use...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Planetary Mysteries

For Students 6th - 12th
A website all about planetary mysteries—it's a one-stop-shop for all things, stars, planets, and space travel. Scholars read an astronomy overview to discover the page's big ideas, then choose from the plethora of resources, including...
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Unit Plan
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Core Knowledge Foundation

Astronomy Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthologys

For Teachers 1st Standards
A read-aloud anthology focuses on astronomy. Each week for three weeks, first graders are introduced to and listen to a text, answer comprehension questions, then complete extensions that include a learning activity and skills practice....
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Unit Plan
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NASA

The Atmospheric Filter

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What is the difference between a comet and a meteoroid? An educational lesson includes five demonstrations of how the atmosphere can inhibit our ability to measure many things in the galaxy. 
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Interactive
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Scholastic

Study Jams! The Moon

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Take your class to the moon and back with this compact slide show. A mix of computer-generated images and photographs are supported by explanatory text. Observers learn about the moon's movements, its physical features, and its phases....
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PPT
Mr. E. Science

Stars, Galaxies and the Universe

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
It takes 225 million years for our sun to travel around the galaxy. The presentation covers astronomical units, light years, telescopes, types of stars, the life cycle of a star, and types of galaxies. This is the last lesson in a...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Galileo: Revealing the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then compare...
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Lesson Plan
Growing Classroom

Space Travelers

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Groups of three scientists from the rocky planet Zog investigate the composition of soil so that they can take the information back to their home, create soil there, and begin to grow food.
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

How Did the Universe Begin?

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
The Big Bang Theory is more than a television show. Pupils read how Edwin Hubble observed other galaxies and noticed that the galaxies are moving away from each other. Scholars learn about the idea of the big bang and what happened next...
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Activity
New Mexico State University

Lab 6: Kepler's Laws

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A 15-page package thoroughly teaches your physics or astronomy learners about Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. Each one is stated and explained. Class members answer questions, solve problems, and participate in the classic...

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