Curated OER
Rover Races
Students identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. In this space science instructional activity, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and...
Curated OER
Gravity, Angles, and Measurement
Students relate math to real life scenarios. In this geometry lesson, students launch a ball tracking each launch using a graph. They analyze their data for speed, angles and distance, trying to improve on each launch.
Curated OER
Reflections on Earth: Exploring Planet Earth from Space
Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...
Curated OER
Our Neighborhood in the Milky Way
For this Milky Way galaxy worksheet, students are given a table of distances and angles of nebulae and star clusters from the sun. Students plot each one on a piece of paper and solve 2 problems using the data.
NASA
Just How Far is That Star?
Pupils often wonder how we know the distance to various stars. Starting with a thought experiment and progressing to a physical experiment, they determine the brightness and distance to various stars. The evaluation requires critical...
Messenger Education
Cooling with Sunshades
Messenger's sun shade measures 8 ft x 6 ft and will have temperatures reaching 700 degree Fahrenheit on the outside while maintaining a cool 70 degrees underneath. In the third activity of four, groups discuss the basic properties of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Eratosthenes and the Circumference of the Earth
The class gets to practice being a mathematician in ancient Greece, performing geometric application problems in the way of Eratosthenes. After following the steps of the great mathematicians, they then compare the (surprisingly...
NASA
Determining the Nature, Size, and Age of the Universe
Prompt scholars to discover the expansion of the universe themselves. Using photographs of other galaxies, they measure and then graph the size and distance of each. Finally, they draw conclusions and prove the universe is expanding.
NASA
Raisin Bread Universe
What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...
Santa Monica College
Flame Tests of Metal Cations
Scientists used flame tests to identify elements long before the invention of emission spectroscopy. Young chemists observe a flame test of five metal cations in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Individuals then work...
Virginia Department of Education
Isotopes
Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...
Curated OER
By Land, Sea or Air
Students learn navigational techniques change when people travel to different places. They understand differences between navigation on land, water, air and in space. They explain the concept of dead reckoning as it applies to...
Curated OER
Which Quadrilateral Is It?
Young scholars prove conjectures about geometric figures on the plane or in space using coordinate geometry. They develop fluency in operations with real numbers, vectors and matrices using mental computation or paper-and-pencil...
Space Awareness
Valleys Deep and Mountains High
Sometimes the best view is from the farthest distance. Satellite imaging makes it possible to create altitude maps from far above the earth. A three-part activity has your young scientists play the role of the satellite and then use...
NASA
Discovering Some of Your “Yardsticks” Are Actually “Meter-sticks”
The Milky Way gets great reviews on Trip Advisor — 100 million stars. The activity allows scholars to rethink their assumptions and prior knowledge. Pupils observe a set of two lights at equal distance and brightness, but they believe...
PBS
Data Plots of Exoplanet Orbital Properties
Scientists discovered the first exoplanet in 1995 and by early 2018, they confirmed the existence of more than 3,700—that's a lot of data! As part of the PBS 9-12 Space series, scholars interpret data about exoplanets. They compare...
Curated OER
Lessons for Beginner Atlatl Users
Ninth graders research weapons of the Aboriginal people and throw a dart with and without the use of an atlatl. In this cross curricular lesson, 9th graders research the weapons of the Aboriginal people. They throw darts with and without...
Curated OER
UFOs
Students, in groups, construct a catapult. Then they conduct a series of experiments by catapulting a marshmallow, using different lengths of spoons, across the room. They predict, measure, and record the measured distance on a worksheet.
Curated OER
Mathematics at the Frontier of Astronomy
Students explore the different types of measurements used in astronomy. In this space science lesson plan, students explain the relationship between planets' orbits and distance from the sun using Kepler's Laws. They discuss how math...
Curated OER
Notes: Characteristics of Stars
Students investigate stars and the solar system by completing a worksheet. In this space science lesson plan, students complete a fill in the blank worksheet based on the stars and components of the cosmos.
Statistics Education Web
10,000 Steps?
Conduct an experiment to determine the accuracy of pedometers versus pedometer apps. Class members collect data from each device, analyze the data using a hypothesis test, and determine if there is a significant difference between the...
Curated OER
Making Cookies- How many per hour?
Fifth graders measure how long it takes to make cookies. In this measuring time instructional activity, 5th graders explore how to manage time. Students decide when to start making breakfast on time, how to calculate playing time into...
Curated OER
Planning a Road Trip!
Learners generate plans for a fictitious road trip. For this time management lesson, students investigate the most effective way to travel the country arriving at specific cities. Learners create their plans based on time and distance.
Curated OER
Amelia the Pigeon: As a Pigeon Flies
Students follow Amelia's adventure on a satellite image. They use measuring and math skills to determine the distance she traveled.