Young scholars systematically investigate the time frame for complex life to develop on Earth. They approximate how many other planets there may be harboring Earth-like complex life in our galaxy.

Students engage in an overview of the story of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, and of Kepler's laws. Each of Kepler's laws be studied separately in more detail in later lessons. They examine Kepler's 3rd law.

Students explore summer solstice.

Students become familiar with repeating patterns in nature, namely the phases of the moon.

Students discover that the Earth rotates on its axis in a cyclical fashion. They examine how this rotation results in day and night.

Students explore how the angle of sunlight affects the Earth's temperature and seasons and then apply this understanding to their local situation.

Fifth graders use a website to research the planets. They complete an activity sheet and discuss their planet facts. They demonstrate revolution and rotation.

Students identify the Earth-Moon relationship and the phases of the Moon. They participate in an activity that illustrates why the Moon has so many different looks within a lunar cycle. They discuss solar and lunar eclipses.

Young scholars explore the concept of gamma ray bursts. They examine basic physics concepts about light, measure the shifts of spectral lines, and utilize Hubble's Law to deduce the velocity of an astronomical object.

Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...

Students research lightning paying particular attention to how it is formed, where it is most likely to occur, and how most people struck by lightning survive.

Students discuss the needs for robots in space discovery, and take turns simulating a robot and controller to demonstrate the difficulties of programming a robot to successfully complete simple tasks.

Students use Venn diagrams to highlight the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.

Students complete a unit of lessons on the four seasons. They examine the effect each season has on plants, animals, and people during the actual season, read magazine and newspaper articles, and create a calendar and poster about each...

Students explore the basic rights granted to all American citizens by the U.S. Constitution in the light of women's issues. The women's suffrage movement, the role of Susan B. Anthony, and the timeline of events on voting rights are...

Young scholars participate in an Electron Square Dance in which they act the part of atoms. They follow the structure of different atoms suggested by the teacher.

Fourth graders estimate the surface area of a pond using the chance method and the estimation method. They complete a graph and a short report comparing the results of the two methods.

Ninth graders complete a unit of lessons on the history of our knowledge of celestial objects. They conduct Internet research, plot the motion of a planet, construct a model of the sun's apparent motions, and create diagrams of the solar...

Students explore the world of geometric shapes by writing poetry. They use the Diamante Poetry worksheet. They select one geometric shape and, using the template, create their own poem.

Pupils investigate and research what the space shuttle and ground crews must do to make sure all goes well from liftoff to landing each time the shuttle leaves earth.

Students study about the Columbia crew and their mission, how space shuttles work, and explore the history of the shuttle program. By accessing many websites imbedded in this plan, students gain a deep understanding of the Space Shuttle...

Students investigate the coincidental parade of planets and witness dramatic views of the solar system by researching websites and participating in online activities. They write about their findings.

Fifth graders accurately measure the distance to eight points on an uneven surface by conducting a simulation of sattelite altimetry. They create a two-dimensional model of the simulated ocean surface by graphing data from the Radar Run...

Students demonstrate how to take bearings using a compass. In pairs, they select objects in the classroom then write down its first initial and bearing. They exchange papers and try to disciver their partner's object.