Curated OER
Classification of Pasta, Rice and the Nine Planets
Eighth graders create a classification system of the planets and give a written rational for their choice of categories. For this investigative lesson students participate in an activity that helps them to explore classification.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Learners complete a data sheet. In this Earth composition lesson, students learn what happens when the Earth's plates push against each other. They watch a teacher demonstration and complete a data sheet.
Curated OER
FOLLOW THAT WATER
Learners build simple stream tables and vary the angle of the stream tables in order to simulate different flow rates and compare the results. They observe various features formed in a stream table by flowing water and compare these to...
Curated OER
Planet X
Students select a wide variety of presentation methods to compare Planet X and Earth. Students share these with their classmates. Students select other methods to present their ideas about a livable planet for human life forms. ...
Curated OER
Suited for Space
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...
Curated OER
What on Earth is Greater Than?
Students compare things that are greater than, less than, or equal to, compare the Earth to other planets, and list planets from greatest size to smallest size.
Curated OER
Discovering Planet X
Students investigate the movements of the planet Pluto. Students participate in a hands-on activity to record data similar to the movements of the planet Pluto. Students compare their data to that found on a website.
Curated OER
Earth Science Lesson Plans The Proterozoic Era
Middle schoolers explore the Proterozoic Era. In this geologic time periods instructional activity, students examine the clock of eras charts and listen to a lecture regarding the era.
Curated OER
Using Cause and Effect to Write in Science
Fifth graders brainstorm processes or forces that cause Earth's surface to be changed.
Curated OER
There's More To Sex Education Than AIDS Prevention
Students are introduced to the views on sexuality in the United States. In groups, they research data from five countries and compare them with the United States. Using the information, they develop reasons why the teenage pregnancy...
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quantity
It may be tricky for a young mind to conceptualize that less than 1% of all water on earth is useable for humans to drink. Simulating the amount of fresh water available on earth by removing measured amounts of water from a five-gallon...
Curated OER
Our Solar System
Students explain the classification of planets according to various criteria. They create charts illustrating comparative data.
Curated OER
What is Gravity?
In this gravity worksheet, students will compare the difference between mass and weight and the unit of measurement used for weight and mass. Then students will compare the weight of objects on the Earth and on other planets. This...
Curated OER
Being Nosy About Our Neighbors
Students use the scientific method to explore the effect of size on impact cratering. They compare images of landforms on Earth to those of other planets to compare surface processes. Students infer the geologic history of another...
Curated OER
Try This On For Size!
Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...
Messenger Education
Exploring Solar Systems Across the Universe
Scientists have theorized that our solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago. In this pair of activities, learners first hypothesize how our solar system was formed. Using this information, groups then determine how scientists search for...
Curated OER
Is There Liquid Water on Mars?
Learners assess whether there is liquid water on Mars by analyzing images and data. In this planetary lesson students analyze temperature and pressure graphs and hypothesize about how water could have flowed on Mars.
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Investigating the Dynamic Martian Polar Caps
Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter, and measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps.
Curated OER
Atmospheric Shielding from Radiation III
In this radiation activity, students compare the efficiency of planetary atmospheres to shielding from radiation. This activity has 2 problems to solve.
Curated OER
Make Quiz Time a Fun Time
Students investigate a topic and prepare a quiz activity. For this space science lesson, students investigate one of the planets and construct a quiz for their classmates.
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Solar System
Students study space. In this solar system instructional activity, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in...
Curated OER
The Undiscovered Planet
Students find a planetary object using star fields. In this investigative lesson students determine the distance to an object using trigonometric parallax.
Curated OER
Sunspots: Correlating Sunspots to Active Regions
Students investigate sunspots. They use solar imaging from satellite instruments which are currently circling the sun. Students compare images from the satellites and determine the existence of a correlation between the two types of...
Curated OER
Exploring Slope
In this exploring slope worksheet, students solve and complete 4 different problems. First, they compare an object's weight on Earth to an object's weight on another planet using the information given. Then, students compare this...