Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth and Seasons

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders comprehend that the path Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is called its orbit. They also comprehend that the axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

May Earth be Revolving around the Sun?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore how Aristarchus used the position of the half-full Moon to estimate the distance to the Sun, and how he made a great error, but still figured out that the Sun is much larger than Earth.
Lesson Plan
S2tem Centers SC

Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then,...
Activity
NASA

Eclipse Activity Guide

For Teachers K - 12th
Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

For Students 6th - 12th
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be inhabitable. A thorough online resource describes the greenhouse effect and how it occurs. The source highlights the different types of gases that work together to absorb the sun's...
Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Winter

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
As the days get shorter and a chill enters the air, it's time to start teaching your little ones about the wondrous winter season. Through a series of teacher demonstrations, whole-class read alouds and discussions, and hands-on...
Activity
Star Date

Solar System Scale Model Demonstration

For Students 6th - 8th
Explore outer space and decorate your classroom with an astronomy project. Learners create a visual model with the creation of a scaled solar system using different sized balls.
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Oceans as a Heat Reservoir

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Our Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Clay Planets

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Why do scientists use models? In the first installment of 22, groups create scale models of our solar system. They then share and discuss their models.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Cosmic Cookies

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars read about each planet then bake a plate of cosmic cookies—no-bake cookies decorated to look like the planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

Journey to the Stars

For Students 6th - 12th
Fifteen detailed pictures and informative captions delve deep into the exploration of stars—their life cycle and importance in the universe. 
Activity
4
4
Community Consolidated Schools District 168

Solar System Model Project

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Challenge young astronomers to demonstrate their knowledge of the solar system with this fun open-ended science project. Provided with a short list of requirements, students are given the freedom to use their creativity and whatever...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Britannia Rule the Waves

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...
PPT
Mr. E. Science

Atmosphere

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Earth's atmosphere is full of different energies, from thermal to wind to electromagnetic radiation. Through the presentation, class members discover these energies and how they determine weather patterns.
Worksheet
2
2
K12 Reader

Absolute Location

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Where in the world are we? As a reading comprehension exercise, kids read a short passage about navigation using latitude and longitude, and then respond to a series of questions based on the article.
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Space Travel Guide

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Neptune takes 164.8 Earth years to travel around the sun. In the fifth of 22 lessons, young scientists create a travel guide to a planet in our solar system. They provide tips for others on what to bring, what they see, and their...
Interactive
School Science

The Big Bang Time Machine

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars take off on an interactive spaceship to explore a historical timeline of the big bang theory. They learn about the evolution of mammals and humans, the formation of stars and planets, and the chemical composition of the early...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teach Engineering

Air Under Pressure

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Introduce your class to air masses and how they affect the weather with a activity that focuses on the differences between high and low air pressure systems. The class explores actual weather data using archived weather data.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does the Wind Blow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Looking to the Future

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
New Horizons set forth on a mission to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, the spacecraft is still on its way. Here, enthusiastic scholars predict what they will be like—likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.—when New Horizons arrives at its...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Is the Sky Purple?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The color of the sky depends on the time of day. Young scholars experiment with scattering different wavelengths of light to recreate the color of the sky. They observe both the longer blue wavelengths and the shorter red and orange...
Assessment
Sunburst Visual Media

Clouds

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
Support science instruction with a combination of engaging activities and skills-based worksheets that focus on clouds. Learners take part in grand discussions, write an acrostic poem, complete graphic organizers, solve word...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Modeling Eclipses with Size and Distance Scales

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Size within the solar system is a difficult thing for pupils to imagine. Using everyday objects, they build models to show the scale between the sun, moon, and Earth. They situate their props in proportional distances between the objects...

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