University of Colorado
Space Travel Guide
Neptune takes 164.8 Earth years to travel around the sun. In the fifth of 22 lessons, young scientists create a travel guide to a planet in our solar system. They provide tips for others on what to bring, what they see, and their...
Curated OER
Oceans
First graders recognize that nearly three quarters of the Earth is covered by ocean. They locate the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans on a map. They describe the difference between ocean water and fresh water.
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Physical Science: Gravity
Students investigate the properties of force and gravity and their effects on everyday life. In groups, they test various balls by bouncing them on different surfaces and observe the properties. In another activity, they test marbles and...
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What are Stars?
Young scholars research the solar system and it's characteristics. In this solar system activity, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system. Young scholars use the Internet to research their...
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Reach for the Stars
Students consider the significance of space exploration. In this space science lesson plan, students visit selected websites to discover information about astronomy, lunar missions, and space travel. Students discuss the value of space...
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Weightlessness
Young scholars use a coffee cup to demonstrate weightlessness. After a lecture/demo, students read an article on free-fall. They perform a simple experiment which helps them explain the concept of weightlessness.
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Plan a Mission to Recently Discovered Planet
Students plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science instructional activity, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Students work in groups...
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Space Travel Timeline
Students use the Internet to find events in space history to include in a timeline. They recognize the cause and effect relationships between events that happened in the exploration of space. They see how to use the TimeLiner software.
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Space
First graders examine space in this unit of lessons. They create a KWL chart and write in their journals about space. They also examine the phases of the moon and identify the constellations.
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The Adventures of Visualization
Fourth graders pretend they are going on a trip to Mars as they close their eyes and visualize the journey. They discuss what they saw on the journey to determine how one student may visualize something different than another. Next, they...
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NASA's Mars gamble pays off
Students read an article about NASA and Mars and complete short answer questions about the article. In this Mars lesson plan, students also create a scale model of the solar system.
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Collecting the Rays
Students investigate the affect shape has on the ability of a solar panel to collect sunlight. In this collecting sunlight using a solar panel lesson, students determine which solar panel shape collects the most sunlight. Students use...
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Return to the Moon
Students react to statements about space exploration, then read a news article about plans to resume manned flights to the moon. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. In this space travel instructional activity students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
Baylor College
Why Circulate?
Lub-dub, lub-dub. Why does the heart beat? Why does blood circulate throughout the body? Life scientists find out how important circulation is for dissolving and dispersing materials by timing how long it takes for food coloring spread...
Baylor College
Examining the Heart
Break hearts with this lesson plan: chicken or sheep hearts, that is! Your class examines the external and internal structure of the heart with a dissection activity. A handy anatomy resource provides the necessary materials for...
Baylor College
Challenge: Microgravity
What a festive way to examine what happens to the heart in different gravitational situations! Small groups place a water-filled balloon in different locations (on a table top, in a tub of water, and held in a vertical position), drawing...
Curated OER
Earth from Space Maps
Students use photo images from space to create a large map of the United States or the world, find where they live and label other places they know. They are exposed to a Web resource that allows them to view photo images of Earth taken...
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Doin' The Moonwalk
If you are looking for an outstanding lesson plan on the Moon for your budding astronomers, look no further! This outstanding plan is full of wonderful, meaningful activities for your charges to engage in. Pupils will discover why there...
NASA
The NBL Pool
That is a lot of water. Class groups explore the size of the NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Pool and calculate the volume of water needed to fill it. They then compare that volume to the amount of water needed to fill a pool the size of a...
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Building Your Space Station
Students discuss the benefits of the International Space Station. They evaluate the challenges the designers faced when trying to design the space station. Students discuss the use of scale models when designing large structures and...
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Solar Arrays for the Space Station
Students explore the challenges that are faced when transporting materials into space. They review the various forms of energy, including solar arrays, that are used on the International Space Station and how generating this energy calls...
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Moon Mining
Go on a moon mining expedition from the safety of your classroom with this space exploration simulation. Using simple models of the moon's surface prepared ahead of time by the teacher, young scientists are challenged with locating and...
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Those Who Have Come Before Me
Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...