Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's revolution around the Sun, using a playground mode.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mass of the Moon

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this mass of the Moon worksheet, students use the lunar orbit and the orbit period to determine the mass of the Moon. They solve 4 problems including finding the mass of the Moon, determining the ratio of the Moon's mass to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scenes of the Earth

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine and study how changes in perspective can change the way that they can observe objects. They explore the relationship between a scene's area and its detail. Each student looks at the ground through cardboard tubes from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring the Diameter of the Sun

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders study the sun and its distance from Earth.  In this Sun's diameter lesson students examine how measurement data permits accurate measurement of the sun's diameter. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kepler's 3rd Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius. They derive the Earth escape velocity and prove Kepler's 3rd law for circular orbits # A simple formula for the orbital period in a circular Earth orbit of given radius.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Flat-Out Truth

For Students 6th - 10th
In this Earth's shape worksheet, students read an article about a gentleman who believes the Earth is flat. Then students complete 5 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Journey Around the Sun

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine how the angle of the sun's rays is a factor in determining the seasons. They watch a teacher demonstration of the concepts and write a paragraph demonstrating their understanding.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kepler's Third Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use Kepler's third law to derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius, and identify the Earth escape velocity.
Activity
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Star Date

Modeling the Night Sky

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Dramatize the stars and planets as they become a visual representation of the solar system in this activity. Young astronomers track and simulate various constellations as they orbit the Earth to learn the position and motion of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing Mars in the Night Sky

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare and contrast the orbits of Earth and Mars, locate the planet Mars, and diagram its retrograde motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasonal CEENBoT

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students simulate the Earth's revolution around the sun using CEENBoT. In this earth science activity students calculate the Earth's distance in AU and it's speed of revolution. They explain how the Earth's movement cause seasonal...
Worksheet
Curated OER

NUMB3RS Activity: Implicit Orbits

For Students 10th - 11th
For this algebra worksheet, students solve word problems using algebraic equations and implicit differentiation. There are 16 problems dealing implicit differentiation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Around the World

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers find the circumference of various round objects.  In this finding the circumference of various round objects lesson, students find the circumference of the Earth.  Middle schoolers find the circumference of...
Lesson Plan
TOPS Learning Systems

PI in the SKY

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
What is pi anyway?  After this set of activities, your pupils should have multiple answers to this question. Investigate pi with various experiments and discoveries. Calculate the ratio circumference/diameter for different sized...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders use their observations to describe daily and seasonal cycles. through a demonstration using a suspended ball and flashlight, they determine the time of day in various locations. Next, 1st graders participate in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Mobile

For Teachers K - 4th
Students receive pre-cut templates of cardboard with appropriate diameters of each planet and the sun. They use multi-colored construction paper, scissors, yarn, and other art supplies to create their own models of planets. When students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parallax

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover how astronomers used the diameter of the Earth's orbit around the Sun as a baseline for estimating the distance of some stars, and the meaning of "Parsec" and "light year."
Worksheet
Curated OER

Seeing Solar Storms in STEREO-I

For Students 8th - 10th
In this geometric calculations of solar storms instructional activity, students use a diagram indicating the location of 2 STEREO satellites, the earth and the sun to calculate the distance between a Coronal Mass Ejection and the Earth....
Worksheet
Curated OER

Seeing Solar Storms in STEREO-II

For Students 11th - 12th
In this solar storms worksheet, students use a diagram given the location of two STEREO spacecraft satellites, a coronal mass ejection, the sun and the Earth to solve 2 problems about the coronal mass ejection. Students use segments,...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Planet Line-Ups

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Should Pluto be considered a planet or a dwarf planet? Scholars research planets in our solar system to understand their similarities and differences. It also includes memory activities related to the order of the planets. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark Matter In The Universe

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of dark matter and how it occurs in the universe. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students use the information by reading at least two articles about dark matter. They also generate...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Fractions in Space

For Students 7th - 9th
In this fractions in space worksheet, students solve 4 problems where they find ratios of orbit periods of satellites, they find the ratio of Neptune's and Pluto's periods, they determine the location of the planets after 5 opposition...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Finding Mass in the Cosmos

For Students 9th - 11th
In this finding mass in the cosmos worksheet, students use the equations for the force of gravity, the centrifugal force pushing a planet outwards and the speed of a planet to solve 2 problems. They find the mass of primary bodies given...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy and Me: Moons Over New Haven

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. In this astronomy lesson, 3rd graders explore the different phases of the moon using an interactive online website. They compare and contrast the features of the...