Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planet Picking

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students arrange the planets according to their distances from the sun. In this astronomy activity, students list interesting properties about each planet. They identify an unknown planet photo.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Orbit Lesson

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Research (Grades 9-12)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are introduced to planetary research and familiarize them with the planets and their features. They see that each planet has unique features. Planets have some common features and that images can be used to study the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DASH Sunrise and Sunset/ Seasons Chart

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders rotate as the person to enter the information of sunrise and sunset into a spreadsheet. The teacher also demonstrates how to convert the spreadsheet into a chart.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moon WebQuest

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research basic information about the moon and identify the phases and order of the phases of the moon. They conduct Internet research, complete a moon WebQuest, and write a magazine article about the moon using their...
Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Looking Inside Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Researchers use scientific data to understand what is inside each of the planets. The first in a series of six, this lesson builds off of that concept by having pupils use a data table to create their own scale models of the interiors of...
Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Looking to the Future

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
New Horizons set forth on a mission to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, the spacecraft is still on its way. Here, enthusiastic scholars predict what they will be like—likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.—when New Horizons arrives at its...
Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Growing Up With A Mission

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
New Horizons began its journey to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, it continues its mission. In that time, scholars have surely grown, but how much more will they grow by the time New Horizons reaches its destination? Find out with an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing the Sun's Warmth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Profiles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the characteristics of the planets and moons in the solar system. They create profiles of the nine planets in the solar system and present a written and oral report about a planet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metrics And Measurements

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers engage in a study of measuring distances between geographical locations on a map. They are able to define and use the map scale in conjunction with the metric system. For this lesson they make their own maps and measure...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Weather, and the World

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun Affects Earth

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution.  In this solar system lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living On The Moon

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students evaluate what life would be like living on the moon or another planet in our solar system.  In this science lesson, students create a colony that they would use to live in on the moon using Legos. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When a Ruler is Too Short

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers measure distances using parallax. In this math lesson, students explain how this method helped astronomers with their studies of the solar system. They determine the length of their arm using parallax and compare it with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun and Earth

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is.  In this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Quest

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students engage in a lesson plan of using maps in order to find constellations in the night sky. They also conduct research using three constellations. The research is used to create a project to inform others. The teacher also leads the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Stories Curriculum

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the stories told by ancient cultures about the constellations. They listen to stories told by the Greeks and Romans. The classroom should have posters of constellations for the lesson and the teacher performs...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

As the World Turns

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read books and participate in class discussions about the motion of the stars and planets and moons in relation to the Earth. In small groups, 3rd graders act out these movements to music.
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Capturing the Sun's Warmth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Passive solar heating is a technology that's been in use for thousands of years. Here, elementary schoolers are exposed to this type of heating, the materials that are used in passive solar heating, and they study how engineers design...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Infinity and Beyond

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the planets in our solar system and create a brochure on each planet. They read the book, The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System and write notes about solar system facts and watch a video. After the video, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System: Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners research Mars, read why it is called the Red Planet and find out whether there is or was life on Mars.

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