Space Awareness
Oceans as a Heat Reservoir
Oceans absorb half of the carbon dioxide and 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Scholars learn how and why the oceans store heat more effectively than land and how they help mitigate global warming. Pupils...
Messenger Education
My Angle on Cooling—Effect of Distance and Inclination
When exploring Mars, spacecrafts are exposed to 5-11 times more sunlight than when near Earth. Groups of pupils complete a hands-on activity to explore how distance and angle of the sun affect temperature. Through discussions, they then...
Space Awareness
The Engine of Life
There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to...
PBS
NASA's Eyes on the 2017 Eclipse
How did the 2017 eclipse look in Los Angeles—or Chicago? Experience both views, plus many more, using a lesson from PBS's Space series for middle schoolers. Scholars follow the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth during the most recent...
Urbana School District
Electric Fields
What kind of pears do electricians eat? Amperes! Presentation begins with electric field vectors for various charge configurations and field strengths for both point charges and uniform fields. It continues with various surfaces,...
Curated OER
The Tides
Students experience a computer based applet that explains why the Earth experiences tides.
Curated OER
Facts and Myths about our Solar System
Sixth graders explore popular ideas about the Sun and Moon. In this space science lesson, 6th graders separate commonly accepted details about our solar system into facts and myths. Students research a particular idea and...
Curated OER
Orientation of the Earth in Space
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...
Curated OER
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY
Students research scientific discoveries and technological innovations. They organize discoveries and innovations in life, environmental, physical, earth and space science categories. They analyze impact of selected discoveries and...
Curated OER
Fly Away Moon Experiment
In this fly away moon experiment learning exercise, students follow the procedures to demonstrate the effects of gravity on the earth and the moon.
Space Awareness
The Thermal Layers of Oceans
How much does the sun heat up a lake or ocean? Scholars use a cup and a strong lamp to investigate the heat transfer and thermal layers in the ocean to come up with the answer. They collect data and graph it in order to better understand...
NOAA
Plate Tectonics II
Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, island arcs, mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes ... there are so many features associated with plate tectonics. The 14th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography...
Space Awareness
Let's Break the Particles
Build learning by breaking atoms! Young scientists study the way energy changes with a hands-on activity. As they roll steel marbles down a ramp, learners test the hypothesis that kinetic energy does not go away with friction...
Curated OER
Planet Structure & Interior
Students compare Jupiter and Earth. For this Earth and space studies lesson, students compare the composition of Earth and Jupiter and analyze how the composition affects the rate at which the planets spin.
Curated OER
Asteroids
Young scholars examine the different types of asteroids and how they enter the atmosphere. In this space lesson students use mashed potatoes to create an asteroid they can eat.
Curated OER
Day And Night
First graders examine how the earth experiences day and night by using a flashlight and a globe as a model.
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Young scholars investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The young scholars demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.
Curated OER
Physics Quiz
For this physics worksheet, students complete short answer questions about physics concepts such as electricity, space, light, and more. Students complete 20 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Science Trail
Learners explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun instructional activity, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Learners create a sundial and observe...
Curated OER
Beyond The Earth Part I
Students explore the solar system. In this space science lesson plan, students take notes on the solar system provided by their instructors. Students then collaborate to design a computer-generated drawing of the solar system.
Curated OER
A Journey Through Our Solar System
Students investigate the concept of the solar system in our universe by constructing a model that is made to a measurable scale. Once the model is constructed it should be placed in a wide open space for observation and demonstration...
Curated OER
What is the Mantle Like?
In these earth science worksheets student complete this project to model activity in the mantle, one Earth's four layers. The project includes liquid and powder materials in addition to several measuring components. Students must then...
Curated OER
Tides
Students discover how the position of the Sun, Moon and Earth affect tides. In this science instructional activity, students view a presentation about the tides. Students discuss the different types of tides.
Curated OER
Earth History Part II
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...