Lesson Plan
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Design a Space Station

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate living in space. In this science lesson, 6th graders discuss what it is like to live in space and create their own space station or space city of the future.
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Earth Science: The Sun-Earth Relationship

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students examine the sun's impact on the Earth. They read online articles, explore various websites, and answer questions using information found on the Internet.
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Exploring Space Fiction

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners visit web sites with information on space fiction and collect information for their stories.
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Motion, Force, and Gravity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers write a research paper about human space travel. For this space travel lesson, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human space travel...
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Interactions of Science and Technologies

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore how science and technology interact. They discuss important inventions, discoveries and technologies. They research a specific technological advance, or invention, and prepare a presentation that includes the...
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Hubble Space Telescope

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the history and use of the Hubble Space Telescope. They take a quiz in order to establish in any prior knowledge. Students conduct research to find information in conjunction with participating in class...
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How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?

For Teachers 3rd
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...
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Weather and Wind

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students study wind and its effect on weather.  In this investigative lesson students write a report on wind and weather and create a movement sequence. 
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The Celestial Sphere and Circumpolar Motion

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Learners investigate the celestial sphere and circumpolar motion. In this science lesson, students view an applet, The Celestial Sphere and Circumpolar Motion. Learners discuss the Earth's rotation and stellar movement.
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Earth Day: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Pupils list ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and produce an acrostic poem reflecting their understanding about Earth Day. They also use the Internet to integrate technology into learning.
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Life in Space: International Space Station

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the potential challenges of living in space.  In this investigative instructional activity students search the Internet to locate 16 nations that are working together to build the Independent Space Station, then...
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The Starry Night Time and Day Time

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
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Pictures from Hubble Space Telescope

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Pupils observe pictures taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. From a given website, students observe images of the Einstein Cross, Black Eye Galaxy, Hoag's Object, merging and interacting galaxies and more. This lesson plan gives a...
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Using Science Fiction To Understand Biological Concepts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and discuss," The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton and complete a short writing exercise as a warm-up for a longer piece of science fiction writing. They choose a topic and create a science fiction short story such...
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Sky and Cloud Windows

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars monitor the weather, clouds, and sky. In this weather lesson, students create a sky and cloud window to focus their sky observations. They write observations in a notebook and include the date, time, cloud cover, types of...
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Internet Quest: Weatherman Walt-Why the Sky is Blue

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze atmosphere and light. In this earth science lesson, students are introduced to an investigation about why the sky is blue. Students complete a WebQuest to answer the question.
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Where in the World? The Basics of Latitude and Longitude

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students are introduced to the concepts of latitude and longitude. In groups, they identify the Earth's magnetic field and the disadvantages of using compasses for navigation. They identify the major lines of latitude and longitude on a...
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Learning from Light: The Big Bang

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore what astronomers are able to examine our galaxy and universe by examining light. They explore in this sub-unit the formation of the universe, commonly called "The Big Bang," and it follows studying from the Light: The...
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Asteroids

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study asteroids and how their size relates to a possible danger of one colliding with Earth.  In this asteroids lesson students see how big an asteroid has to be to cause destruction to Earth. 
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Redesign the Rover: Mars Research Year-Round

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the solar system, the planets, periods of orbit and revolution.  In this space lesson plan students discuss the importance of the study of Mars and brainstorm ideas on how NASA might solve its Rover design...
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Can You See What I See?

For Teachers K - 8th
Young scholars gain an understanding of the methods used to explore the earth's surface. Students create a time line leading to the first satellite image of the Earth that includes the various methods utilized to observe the earth's...
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Mass, Volume, and Weight

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore mass, volume, and weight. In this science and measurement lesson, students compare volume, mass, and weight after listening to the teacher's description of each. Students explore different scales and balances and...
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Rocketry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design and construct a paper rocket that can be launched with a drinking straw. They participate in a lecture and read an article about rocketry and how Newton's Third Law applies to rocket launches. Each student constructs...
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The Planet Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.