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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time Line of Astronomy Events and Discoveries

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work in groups to present a segment of a timeline of events and discoveries in astronomy. For this astronomy lesson plan, students teach their classmates about their section of the timeline.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Exploring the Sky: Reading Maria's Comet

For Teachers K - 4th
Discover the science behind astronomy. After reading the book Maria's Comet, which is about a young woman who breaks new ground by becoming a female astronomer, young learners practice reading comprehension with worksheet questions about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing the Sky

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore astronomy. In this astronomy activity, students discuss the history of the movement of celestial bodies and then communicate with other students regarding the movements that they observe in the sky nightly. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good Timing

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students investigate time, how people measure it, and how it influences our lives. They complete an online Webquest, analyze various calendars, answer discussion questions, and identify references to time in a newspaper article.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson plan, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy Merit Badge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore astronomy through the Starry Night Constellation Adventure software. They print star charts and identify constellations. They sketch the Big Dipper and describe the Milky Way. They list the five most visible planets and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Mars

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Students, working in small groups construct scale models of the planets and solar system. They examine images of Mars and discuss what might have caused the features. They record facts about their planetary research in their journals and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astrology: Fact Or Fiction?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the concept of astrology and how it evolved from history. They use the Zodiac in order to find the location of constellations in the night sky. The differences between astrology and astronomy are compared and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of Mythology, Astronomy and Astrology

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the relationships of science and technology and how it influences people's perceptions of places.  In this mythology and astronomy lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a worksheet. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of the Universe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe how the universe was formed. In this astronomy lesson plan, students listen and respond to questions in a PowerPoint lesson plan that includes various theories about how the universe was created.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Islamic Scientific Contributions to Civilization

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore several well documented artistic and scientific accomplishments that were discovered or perfected during The Golden Age of Islam. They are staff writers of a magazine who create a feature article about a topic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Quest: Exploring the Constellations

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine constellations and planets through completing various activities. Students work individually and in groups to create drawings based on stars, compare and contrast the night sky with and without a telescope and learn...
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Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

The Zarkah Stone

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Astronomy stars read the account of the Zarkah meteorite that struck thickly populated Park Forest, Chicago in 2003. In doing so, they differentiate between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. They will also be able to explain...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Quest

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students identify constellations in the evening sky. In this Sky Quest lesson, students create their own star patterns using a star map worksheet. Students explain how different celestial bodies in space are viewed through a telescope.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aurora Borealis

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students read background information about the Aurora Borealis and complete a science experiment based on the lights. In this Aurora Borealis lesson, students read information about the formation and background of the Aurora Borealis....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stars and Constellations

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate how ancient cultures viewed their world in terms of astronomy. They read and discuss an informational handout, construct an astrolabe, and locate stars and constellations using star charts.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Starquest

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners study the history and cultural interpretation of a celestial body or constellation. They create technology based presentations of the information.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heavens Above

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars study the stars and their positions.  In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stellar Observations

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders study the uses of spectroscopy and the operation of the Hubble space telescope.  In this astronomy instructional activity students complete a lab activity that includes graphing star color and temperature.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do We Explore Strange Environments?

For Teachers K - 4th
Students identify and label the different parts of a robot, rover, or a spacecraft. They discuss and record all of the features their robot will need to accomplish its mission and be able to explain why they chose these features to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PROBLEMS/SOLUTIONS

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Pupils choose an interesting problem related to space travel and then design a plan to solve the problem. They present their solution to the class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Gazing: Understanding the night sky

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Pupils observe star charts to understand the difference between a star and a planet. In this star lesson plan, students also explain why we see different stars at different times of the year.