Curated OER
Motion, Force, and Gravity
High schoolers write a research paper about human space travel. For this space travel lesson, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human space travel...
Curated OER
How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?
Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...
Curated OER
The Starry Night Time and Day Time
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
Curated OER
Spinning in Circles
In this secondary mathematics worksheet, students determine the speed at which we travel a circle around the axis of the earth and around the sun. The one page worksheet contains one problem. A solution is provided.
Curated OER
Asteroids
Students study asteroids and how their size relates to a possible danger of one colliding with Earth. In this asteroids lesson students see how big an asteroid has to be to cause destruction to Earth.
Curated OER
Rocketry
Students design and construct a paper rocket that can be launched with a drinking straw. They participate in a lecture and read an article about rocketry and how Newton's Third Law applies to rocket launches. Each student constructs...
New York Science Teacher
Planet Scaling using Extra Terrestrial Tools
Your class will use a set scale to convert diameters of planets to the model size, the diagram given to expand on the number of planets drawn as concentric circles, and examine the scale that would be needed to fit the larger...
Curated OER
Planetary Place Value
Third graders explore place value to the ten thousands place. This incredibly thorough, 24-page lesson has learners construct, order, and compare numbers to 9,999. This three-day lesson includes reteaching and extension activities...
Curated OER
Groundwater Basics
Groundwater is an essential natural resource, not to mention a fascinating topic to study. Here is a series of twelve amazing lessons on the water source and how we use it in our daily lives. Concepts require higher math and physics...
Curated OER
Light Travel Times
In this travel time of light worksheet, students read about the NASA satellites and space probes that transmit radio signals at the speed of light across huge distances. Students solve 3 problems about data transmission from space to...
Curated OER
The STEREO Mission: Getting The Message Across
For this STEREO satellites worksheet, students are given a chart with the intensity of the signals from the satellites received on Earth and the distances of the satellite from Earth. Students convert the intensity at each distance to...
Curated OER
The Last Total Solar Eclipse...Ever!
In this total solar eclipse activity, students solve 7 problems about the angular size of the moon, the distance the sun and moon should be to match in diameter, the number of years it will take for the moon to be at a certain distance...
Curated OER
TE Activity: A Roundabout Way to Mars
Learners investigate Hohmann orbit transfers using cardboard and string while focusing on the orbits of Earth and Mars. They look at the planets orbits around the sun and transfer orbit form one planet to another to determine what a...
Curated OER
How To Build a Planet From The Inside Out!
High schoolers read about the Spitzer Space Telescope and the technology used to learn about planet composition. They calculate the radius of a planet, the size of a planet, the average density of a planet and the likely core composition...
Curated OER
Lakes of Methane on Titan
In this methane lakes worksheet, students read about the false-color synthetic radar map taken by the Cassini spacecraft indicating methane lakes on Titan. Students solve 4 problems about the surface area of the lakes from the image, and...
Curated OER
Action-Reaction! Rocket
Learners construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the distance...
Curated OER
Perimeters: Which Constellation is the Longest?
High schoolers use diagrams of the constellation Orion and the constellation Ursa Major which show the distances between the stars of the constellations. They calculate the perimeters of each, find the average distance of the stars for...
Curated OER
Spitzer Sees a New Ring Around Saturn
In this Saturn's rings learning exercise, students read about the Spitzer telescope that detected a new ring around Saturn. Students solve 6 problems including determining the formula for the area of a circle, finding the volume of the...
Curated OER
The Transit of Mercury
In this transit of Mercury learning exercise, students read about Earth and Mercury lining up so that Mercury passes across the disk of the sun from the Earth's view. Students solve 3 problems and they determine the diameter of the solar...
Curated OER
Seeing Solar Storms in STEREO-I
In this geometric calculations of solar storms 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. They use...
Curated OER
The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
Curated OER
Lines, Segments, and Rays
Fifth graders use their arm, toothpicks, and marshmallows to create lines, segments, and rays. In this lines, segments, and rays lesson plan, 5th graders learn how these appear on a plane.
Curated OER
Science Trail
Students explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun lesson, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Students create a sundial and observe the changes to...
Curated OER
Trends of Snow Cover and Temperature in Alaska
Learners compare NASA satellite data observations with student surface measurements of snow cover and temperature. They practice data collection, data correlations, and making scientific predictions.