Students examine their shadows and why they are different in the summer and winter.  In this seasons lesson students complete an activity to see how the earth's tilt on its axis changes the length of shadows. 

Here is a very basic look at the moon and its positioning around our planet. The pictures and labels here show different phases and will help your space explorers understand our changing views of the moon along with the Earth's tilt and...

Didn't catch the last solar eclipse? Now every day can be eclipse day, thanks to an interactive lesson from PBS' Space series for middle schoolers! The well-rounded multi-media experience includes video clips, an interactive, and...

Searching for an eclipse activity that sends scholars over the moon? Try an interesting interactive to get their minds active! The resource, part of an extensive Space series from PBS Learning Media, uses modeling and data analysis to...

Students explore how the angle of sunlight affects the Earth's temperature and seasons and then apply this understanding to their local situation.

Students discover the relationship between the sun and Earth.  In this weather lesson, students examine the effect of the sun on the Earth's seasons.  Students complete a weather activity using props to simulate the sun and...

Turn your classroom into a live demonstration of how the earth and sun interact to create the four seasons. Using a globe, a light source, and a series of constellation cards, super scientists discover how the...

People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM lesson. Learners first investigate how the rotation of Earth...

The climate at the equator is hotter than the climate at the poles, but why? The lesson goes in depth, explaining how the angles of illumination relate to the heating rate at different latitudes and seasons. Scholars use a strong lamp,...

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...

Fifth graders investigate the Earth's rotation and revolution and the moon's orbit around the Earth. They participate in a class discussion about how night and day occur, and take notes. Next, they watch a video about the solar system...

Travel through space as you learn about the galaxy, solar system, planets, and much more. An extensive resource for studying astronomy in upper-elementary and middle school classrooms.

Give your classes a visual model of a rare phenomenon. Learners use an interactive activity to explore the connection of location, tilt, and size to the occurrence of an eclipse. Pupils consider both solar and lunar eclipses throughout...

Eighth graders describe how the Earth's position causes seasonal changes. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders explain how solar radiation varies depending on the season. They create a collage or poster on each of the Earth's four seasons.

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years! Your earth scientists can also fly through a year of daylight data. They analyze a graph and then answer five multiple choice questions about the rising and setting of the sun, the total number of...

In this astronomy test, students answer 50 true/false and multiple choice questions about the relationships of the earth, moon, and sun. The test also includes questions about the solar system, galaxies, and the universe. An answer key...

Sixth graders conduct and analyze a survey that explores public perceptions about the reasons for seasonal change. They measure the changing length of days, observe shadows and discuss how the Earth's axis of rotation affects the seasons.

Students investigate a model of the tilt of the Earth in its relationship to the Sun during the different seasons of the year. They study the solstices and equinoxes, while determining how sunlight hits the Earth with different angles in...

Students understand that the rotation of the Earth is responsible for the seasons. In this seasonal cycles lesson, students learn how the rotation of the Earth affects the seasons. Students answer questions about the rotation, the...

Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun.  In this webquest lesson, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as an...

Students study the seasons of the Earth. In this seasons instructional activity, students study the science of the seasons on Earth by studying the tilt and axis of the Earth's orbit. Students read background information and four...

In this eclipses worksheet, students are given diagrams of a solar and lunar eclipse. They fill in each diagram with given terms and color the diagram to indicate the process for each type of eclipse.

Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter, and measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps.

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.