Space Awareness
Navigation in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond
Ancient texts, like Homer's Odyssey, mentions navigating ships by observing constellations. Pupils learn about the link between history and astronomy as they relate to navigation in the Bronze Age. Scholars complete two hands-on...
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Settlement Exploration: Then and Now
NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...
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Space Exploration
Sixth graders investigate the historical even surrounding the Apollo Mission to the Moon. They conduct research specifically to find information about the astronauts on the mission. The students conduct class discussion about the...
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Sky Watchers: Ancient Astronomers
Students close their eyes and picture the sky. They are asked to brainstorm things they may see in the course of a night and day, such as the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. Students work in groups to coduct their research. They...
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Mesopotamian Gods: Handout
Ancient religion was often times closely linked to social structure and government. Hand out a handy guide that describes 12 major gods and goddesses from ancient Mesopotamia. They are each connected to a location, symbol, and force of...
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Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses
Each of the Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses are associated with a city and a symbol. This hand out is intended as a quick reference guide to help learners recall 12 of the most prominent of these figures.
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Sky Watching
Students complete night-sky observations to understand how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. Students complete a timeline worksheet giving the history of telescopes. Students then then make their own observations...
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Adventures in Exploration
Fifth graders research major explorers in history using their textbook and then create a timeline using Timeline Software. Students participate in class discussions and write an essay about the explorer they researched.
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Galileo Galilei Questions for Study
In this online interactive philosophy instructional activity, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Galileo's contributions to science.
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Birthday Customs
Students are introduced to the customs and origins of a variety of common birthday celebrations. They work in groups to research common birthday customs and history and then make individual books highlighting a custom that has meaning to...
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Yin And Yang
Students examine the symbols of change, Heaven and Earth, as expressed in
Chinese art and literature in this High School lesson. Evaluation is accomplished through a short, small-group research project.
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A Flag for Mars
Students investigate the historical use of flags on Earth, debate ownership issues for interplanetary exploration, and design a flag for Mars. The implication of placing a flag at a location forms the focus of the lesson.
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Nazis Flying Saucers – Film Sparks UFO Debate
Students explore the aircraft used in World War II. For this World History lesson, students read an article that describes a "flying saucer" created by the Nazi's. Upon completion of the reading, students answer questions on the article,...
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How Often?
In this social studies worksheet, students answer 24 questions about a variety of social studies questions. Students are divided up into two teams and the first team to answer a question correctly gets a point.
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Tribal Origin Stories
The teacher reads and retells Californian tribal origin or creation stories that come from the traditions of a variety of California Indian tribes. Then, pupils get together in groups and retell the stories they just heard; just as...
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Sybil Ludington's Ride - a poem
Fourth graders examine the role a teen from the Hudson Valley played in the American Revolution. They view the map of Sybil's ride and calculate the distance using the map's legend.
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Comparing the Satellite and Broadcast Radio Landscapes
Students research the development of satellite technology over the last 50 years students explain how the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed the rules for corporate ownership of multiple media outlets.
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The Chinese Zodiac And The Western Zodiac
High schoolers create individual horoscopes that contrast and compare Western and
Chinese views of their futures using poster boards and magic markers. In-class discussion is used to evaluate the use of the Zodiac in different cultures.
Cornell University
Cornell University: Astronomy: Aristarchus
This site from Cornell University provides a discussion of how Aristarchus arrived at his conclusions of the distance from the Earth to the Sun and Moon. Also has his methods for determining the size of the Moon and the Sun.
NASA
Nasa: From Stargazers to Starships: The Calendar
A lesson plan that gives an overview of solar and lunar calendars, their history and lore. Also, of the day and the month, and their relations to the rotational period of the Earth and the orbital period of the Moon.For versions in...
Nine Planets
The Nine Planets: An Overview of the Solar System
A detailed overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons in the solar system.