Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
The Solar Wind Tunnel
The winds of change are blowing in our very own solar system! But what makes some heavenly bodies more affected by solar winds than others? Pupils discover the concept of magnetic forces at work in space in this...
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Earth Science
Students explore the planets and celestial bodies in our solar system. In this outer space lesson plan, students identify the planets and record journal information about them and other celestial bodies. Students define outer space words.
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Origins: Earth Is Born
Students develop a timeline of all the major events involved in the formation of the Earth and the emergence of humans. In groups, they focus on a specific topic by watching a PBS program and taking notes. After the video, they list...
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Layers of the Earth
Eighth graders study the earth's surface. In this planet structure lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation then draw and label the earths layers.
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Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
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Concept Application: One to One Correspondence of Objects
Young scholars consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale instructional activity, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
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Clay Planets
Students create scale models of the planets out of clay and compare them to the real planets.
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Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry. In this geographical positioning lesson students evaluate and compare data sets.
Midnight Martian
Mars Globe HD
Explore the surface of Mars without leaving the comforts of your home or classroom! Learn about volcanoes, missions to the red planet, view the topography, and more.
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Planet Interiors
Students compare and contrast the Earth's interior with 2 other planets by looking at images on the computer. In this planet interiors lesson plan, students write a paper about their findings.
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Introduction to Earth's Dynamically Changing Climate
Learners identify the most common causes of global warming. In this earth science instructional activity, students use an interactive website to explore changes over time in sea ice, sea level, carbon emissions, and average global...
NASA
The Science of the Sun
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to...
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Comparing Earth and Mars
Learners work together to compare and contrast Mars and Earth. Using the internet, they answer questions given to them by their teacher and calculate answers showing their work. They graph their answers and discuss the results of the...
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Phases of the Moon
Students explore why when you examine the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. The moon never goes away or changes shape-we just see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth.
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Reading and Writing about the Solar System
A superb interdisciplinary approach highlights this instructional activity which incorporates space science knowledge and narrative skills. After reading The Magic School Bus, two excellent poems, and watching a video, all about our...
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Solar System Slide Show
Young scholars work in small groups to research a planet in our Solar System in order to compare it to Earth. They examine the planet's size, atmosphere, rotation and revolution periods, temperature, and other attributes. They collect...
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Out of This World
Fifth graders animate their own planets. In this solar system lesson, 5th graders use smartphones and the software, GoKnow Sketchy, to create images for presentations on their created planets that appear to be animated when played...
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Planets in Proportion
Students apply estimation strategies and proportional reasoning to determine a scale comparing the planetary bodies to Earth. They convert measurements of time and distance using scientific notation. Both the metric and customary units...
National Wildlife Federation
Wherefore Art Thou, Albedo?
In the sixth instructional activity in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with...
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Planets: Comparatives and Superlatives
In this ESL activity worksheet, students practice using comparatives and superlatives as they respond to 7 multiple choice questions.
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Earth Science: The Structure of the Earth
Young scholars identify and complete activities about the structure of the Earth. In this Earth structure lesson, students view a Powerpoint about the Earth's layers and complete a diagram. young scholars compare temperatures in the...
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Comparing Graphs of Temperature and Radiation
Young scholars study plots and use a Live Access Server to generate plots. In this temperature instructional activity students examine the process of incoming and outgoing radiation.
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The Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature
Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere and discover what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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Target Earth
Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...