Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky 3: Modeling Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students will construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows. Many questions and suggestions for variants on the activities are presented to allow you to tailor this lesson plan to your particular needs. It is best to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nine in the Sky

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the day and night sky and complete a page for the number 9 for their counting book.
Lesson Plan
Poetry4kids

Personification Poetry Lesson Plan

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Scholars take part in two exercises to boost their knowledge of personification. After reading a detailed description and excerpts from famous poems, writers list action verbs and objects then combine words to create a humorous...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun and Shadows

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Why do shadows look different in the summer than in the winter? What causes day and night? How can a sundial be used to tell time? Answer these questions and more through two engaging lessons about light and shadows. Fourth and fifth...
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
Curated OER

Sky Quest

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students identify constellations in the evening sky. In this Sky Quest lesson, students create their own star patterns using a star map worksheet. Students explain how different celestial bodies in space are viewed through a telescope.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Angular Diameter of the Sun

For Students 8th - 11th
Starting with a paragraph of information presenting the different ways we can observe planetary objects, pupils work through these instructions to see how they can observe and measure angles.  Your class will discover how these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sculptures from the Skies

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the design of the aircraft used by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They design a sculpture of aircraft using recycled materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Your Address in the Galaxy

For Teachers K - 8th
Students create a business card after researching their location in space and determining their Galactic Address.
Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Where Are We Going?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
Come take a ride on the space bus! Scholars go on an imaginary trip to pick up their peers from the inner and outer planets while reinforcing math skills. First, learners round decimals to identify each planets' distance from Earth....
Activity
Teach Engineering

Energy Forms and States Demonstrations

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Does a tennis ball have energy? What about a bowling ball? Demonstrate concepts of different forms of energy forms and states with a variety of objects. Using the equations for potential and kinetic energy,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Jeopardy Game

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore space. In this space lesson, students analyze the sky and what causes its changes. Students describe the moon patterns and use a model to show changes in its shape. Students also describe the first trip to the moon....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coasters

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Measure of the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Azimuth and Altitude

For Students 8th - 10th
In this azimuth and altitude worksheet, students answer fifteen questions about measurements of objects in the sky using a compass and an inclinometer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Night Sky: Summer

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Changing View of the Solar System

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students identify and name the eight planets and the five dwarf planets in our solar system. In this space science instructional activity, students view a slideshow of the planets and label them on an included Solar System chart.
Handout
International Technology Education Association

Telescope as Time Machine

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource provides an explanation of NASA's GALEX mission and how the space-based telescope can view distant galaxies as they were billions of years ago. The resource also discusses the other aspects of galaxies that GALEX...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Getting an Angle on the Sun and Moon

For Students 7th - 10th
In this Sun and Moon activity, students solve 6 problems about the angular scale of the images given, the size of the features on the images and the area of the features shown.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can I Turn a Solar Oven into a Refrigerator?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Whether you want to heat things up in science class or cool things down a bit, an intriguing lab's got you covered! Science scholars explore the principles of thermodynamics using a solar oven, then change the conditions to turn their...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

Being an Astronomer: Neil deGrasse Tyson

For Students 6th - 12th
An interview delves deep into the life of famous astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson. 
Unit Plan
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Nature Walk: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 2)

For Teachers 2nd Standards
Walking in nature is the theme of a unit designed to support English language development lessons. Scholars look, write, speak, and move to explore topics such as camping, woodland animals, instruments,...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Take Your Class to the Moon

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Get your kids talking about our lunar neighbor with these hands-on lessons.
Lesson Plan
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California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...