Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clouds

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students explore basic cloud types and the weather associated with each one.  In this earth science activity, students participate in numerous activities including going outside to observe the clouds they see, making a cloud in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Count

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the night sky with their star counter. They to determine the types of stars and the number that can be seen from their local area and share their data via the Internet. They participate in NASA online projects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a Cloud?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students identify what clouds are made of. In this weather science lesson, students look at clouds outside the window and draw what they see in their journals. Students read the book It Looked Like Spilled Milk and identify what clouds...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Process

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore Earth science by completing a could identification activity. In this weather lesson, students discuss the different forms of measurement for the weather of Earth. Students discuss global warming and examine a list of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Demonstrating Moon Phases

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders participate in a demonstration of the moon's phases. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders watch as the teacher demonstrates moon phases with a bright light and a Styrofoam ball. They answer questions associated with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun Does What?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In this sun lesson, students explore the sunset and shadows. Students prove that the sun's position changes during the day. Students investigate what causes a shadow....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind

For Teachers 1st
First graders read and explore the folktale, The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind. In this folktale lesson plan, 1st graders read the tale and describe the sun. There are several interdisciplinary extensions included: students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stars and Constellations

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate how ancient cultures viewed their world in terms of astronomy. They read and discuss an informational handout, construct an astrolabe, and locate stars and constellations using star charts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up, Up and Away

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders experiment with gravity and air pressure. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders build their own kits and fly it. They investigate the questions: what keeps a kite in the air and what are some important factors when flying a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Vocabulary Review

For Students 4th - 5th
In this vocabulary worksheet, students circle the letter of the word or phrase that means the same as the word in bold. There are 10 sentences and 4 choices for each.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Stars

For Students 7th - 9th
In this stars worksheet, students determine if 15 statements about stars, constellations, Polaris, light years and the position of the stars are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized word in the sentence to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Big Bang and the Formation of the Universe

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders conduct an experiment to understand the Big Bang Theory.  In this Big Bang Theory lesson plan, 6th graders will observe a balloon with confetti popping to emulate and analyze information related tot he Big Bang theory....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blending Butterflies

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students create camouflage butterflies. In this camouflage lesson plan, students read about the different types of camouflage. Each student in the class chooses a spot in the classroom and creates a camouflaged butterfly. They hang up...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Getting an Angle on the Sun and Moon

For Students 7th - 10th
In this Sun and Moon worksheet, 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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biography of a Star: Our Sun's Birth, Life, and Death

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine how astronomers use parallax to determine the distances of stars in the Sun's neighborhood. They construct a pinhole protractor, and measure angles and calculate distances.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seven Quacks Me Up

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the day and night sky and add a page for the number 7 to their countiing books.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

School Forest Lesson- Looking at Literature

For Teachers K
Students compare what they learned though literature to the school forest. In this environment lesson, students visit the forest surrounding their school to listen to literature and identify objects in nature.  Students create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phase In, Phase Out, the Magnificent Moon

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss why the moon appears to change shape. They use flashlights and balls to simulate the sun's light shining on the moon during its different phases. They read books, paint pictures and write sentences about the moon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sky and the Dichotomous Key

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students use a dichotomous key to distinguish between different types of clouds
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

How Did the Universe Begin?

For Students 6th - 12th
The Big Bang Theory is more than a television show. Pupils read how Edwin Hubble observed other galaxies and noticed that the galaxies are moving away from each other. Scholars learn about the idea of the big bang and what happened next...
Worksheet
2
2
K12 Reader

What Is Gravity

For Students 2nd - 3rd Standards
This cross-curricular reading comprehension worksheet asks kids to read a short passage about gravity and then to answer questions about the article.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

A Closer Look at Mars

For Students 6th - 12th
A website looks at how we know so much about Mars—telescopes, robots, and spacecraft—and the search for martian life. Following the informational text are three questions that quiz pupils about possible life on Mars. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity of Colors

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate color diversity by experimenting with jelly beans.  In this color spectrum lesson, students observe colored jelly beans through different filters and light sources to change the existing look of the bean....
Worksheet
Curated OER

Exploring Power-Law Functions Using WISE Data!

For Students 11th - 12th
In this power-law functions worksheet, students solve 3 problems using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Experiment in the constellation Carina. Students use a photograph to determine the number of stars as bright as the brightest...