The first remote sensors were people in hot air balloons taking photographs of Earth to make maps. Expose middle school learners to space exploration with the use of remote sensing. Groups explore and make observations of a new...

Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.

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...

Pupils discover soil characteristics and how it is formed on Earth and the Moon by examining local samples to a lunar simulant. They replicate the effects of wind erosion by scraping dry bread with sandpaper. Students use rocks and...

Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, was discovered in 1978. Lesson is a walk through of how to solve for the phases of Charon. It uses two different points on Pluto and takes into account the tilt of the pole, the rotational axis, and...

Don't be caught in the dark! Young scientists investigate the causes of both solar and lunar eclipses using an interactive to help them understand the development of an eclipse over time. They then research facts and characteristics...

In this solar system instructional activity, students read about the planets, asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and the moon. Then students complete 25 multiple choice, 4 true or false, and 3 short answer questions.

Sixth graders are introduced to the correct terminology for the phases of the moon and arrange picture cards in the correct order. They use flashlights and Styrofoam balls to illustrate the phases of the moon. They write science journal...

Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.

Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...

Pupils explore the findings of Galileo and research the moons of Jupiter. They construct simple telescopes, and examine the moons for themselves at a star party. They record their findings in a journal.

Students describe the phases of the moon and play a game with moon phase cards.

Students use the Internet to gather information on tides and then use this information to determine the period of revolution of the moon around the earth (part 1) and the relative pull of the sun and the moon on the tides (part 2).

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...

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 identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.

In this sun's diameter activity, students use a photograph taken by the SOHO satellite of the sun showing a change in diameter from one month to another. Students find the average diameter of the sun, they determine the percent change in...

Students study the science of the moon. In this moon observations lesson, students study vocabulary associated with the moon, study a lunar calendar, and a phases of the moon's orbit around the Earth.

Young scholars create a scale model of the Earth and the sun that demonstrates where the SOHO satellite is in relation to the Earth.

Students explore placing a satellite into orbit, then about forces needed to keep an object in orbit. They examine how satellites orbit in elliptical paths and about properties of ellipses. They learn Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion

In this moon worksheet, students review the different spacecraft missions that went to the moon and the information learned about the moon from these travels. This worksheet has 11 fill in the blank and 2 short answer questions.

Fly around the Martian surface. Pupils view a presentation on the planet Mars featuring a flyover that shows different views of the surface where rovers have landed and explored on different missions. As individuals watch the images, the...

Sundials are more than just primitive clocks. Learners build their own sundials to study the location of the sun across the sky throughout the day. They use shadow evidence related to their sundials to make conclusions about solar movement.

Students explore space science by conducting an illustration activity. In this lunar lesson, students discuss what the moon is and the role it plays for our environment on Earth. Students view images of the moon and utilize chalk to...