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Strange New Planet
Students simulate different spacecraft missions using materials provided. In this space science lesson, students observe and record a planetary model's features from a distance. They relate this activity to scientists' space exploration...
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Planet Earth
In this Earth activity, students review 13 terms associated with the Earth's rotation, revolution, and orbit. Students find the terms in a word search and then fill in the term next to its definition.
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A View Of Home From The Front Door and From Space
Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...
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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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Interstellar Real Estate - Defining The Habitable Zone
Students explore the orbital characteristics a planetary home needs to support Earth-like life forms. They develop an understanding of critical planetary mass to determine which newly discovered planets might be capable of supporting life.
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Our Sky: Home of Stars and Planets
Students discover that astronomy is a branch of science that includes the study of planets, stars, and constellations.
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Using the Internet
In this using the internet worksheet, students search several websites to review information about the heart, human senses, the solar system, and planets. Students also read information about the rock cycle and answer provided questions.
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Scale Basketball
Pupils understand that a spreadsheet can be used to find the best scale to use in a model. They place the distances of the planets of the solar system to the Sun in one column of the spreadsheet. Students try different scales so that the...
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Earth's Place in the Solar System
Students study and discuss the planets. They create a visual representation of the layout of the solar system and color it. They also write an informative/narrative summary report on the cultural relevance of the Sun.
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Space Exploration
High schoolers explore different planets of our solar system. Students gather specific information on each of the planets. High schoolers choose suitable planet for colonization.
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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...
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Does the Distance Between the Earth and Sun Cause the seasons?
Young scholars reflect upon the concepts of seasons. The concepts are taught using a variety of different teaching approaches. A activities lead to a reflection that will help students to make a cognitive transfer of information form...
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Volcanoes are a Blast-Working with Simple Equations
In this projectile motion worksheet, students solve 3 problems and an inquiry problem using three equations that describe projectile motion. One equation is for the maximum velocity to reach a height, H, the other is the maximum...
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Drawing Ellipses Lab
In this ellipse activity, learners learn the difference between an orbit and an ellipse. They draw ellipses and calculate the distance between foci, they calculate the length of the major axis and they determine the eccentricity. They...
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Round and Round-The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students work in small groups to read various books on the water cycle and take notes on chart paper. Students share their notes and teach a younger audience what they have...
NASA
Earth, Earth’s Moon, Mars Balloons
Very specific diameters are given for blowing up three different balloons to represent, in scale, the moon, Earth, and Mars. In groups of three, amateur astronomers explore scale measurements and distance in space.
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The Solar System
Students research the characteristics of planets in our solar system. In this space science lesson, students create a solar system model with each planet arranged according to their distance from the sun. They solve problems using the...
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SIZING UP SOL
Ninth graders produce a projected, pinhole image of the sun and from measurement of the image and projection distance, calculate the actual size of the sun. They estimate the sun's apparent brightness from different planet.
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Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
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In Outer Space
Students use the internet to gather information on the solar system. They identify the discoverer and unique characteristics of each planet. They compare and contrast each planet based on size, mass, and distance from the sun. They...
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Navigating a Spacecraft
Students work with a partner to plot the trajectory of a spacecraft traveling between Earth and Mars in the 2018 and returning in 2020. They examine the key factors when planning a mission to and from Mars such as travel time, distances...
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Students demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Determining distance between planets and the Sun
Students use a model to determine the distance between the sun and plants in our solar system. They determine a scale to use that represents the distance between the Earth and sun. Students calculate the scale distance that each planet...
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Planet Picking
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.