Curated OER
Planets or Not, Here We Come!
Students, working in groups, research planets in terms of the size, temperature, number of moons, and potential for life. They use packets and worksheets as guides for their research. Students may role-play as aliens visiting their...
Curated OER
Planet Paths: Studying Planetary Orbital Paths
Students define and identify planetary orbit, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola, and simulate Kepler's Second Law. They explore interactive websites demonstrating orbital motion and complete modeling activities.
Curated OER
MAPPING THE TOPOGRAPHY OF UNKNOWN SURFACES
Students describe in words and graphic displays the elevation or depression profile of sections of Mars' Olympus Mons and/or Valles Marineris. They explain how orbiting spacecraft build up global maps one data slice at a time.
Curated OER
The Solar Cycle
Students research the solar cycle. In this Science lesson, students use the internet to investigate the solar cycle. Students produce a spreadsheet and graph from the information collected.
Curated OER
Mission Impossible! Are We Alone in the Universe, or Are We Just One of Its Citizens?
Students examine NASA strategy for scientifically studying any celestial body. They brainstorm about all previous space explorations and missions they can recall, and propose an expedition plan to become space explorers of the future.
Curated OER
Planetary Orbit
Students compare and contrast ellipses of various eccentricities that represent the shape of planetary orbits. They make a circle with the string by trying the two ends togther. Students calculate the eccentricity of their ellipses by...
Curated OER
Earth and Sun's Distance
Students consider the shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. They view the first segment of Science Court video and use Timeliner software to construct a scale of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Curated OER
Discovering Our Planets
Fifth graders use a website to research the planets. They complete an activity sheet and discuss their planet facts. They demonstrate revolution and rotation.
Curated OER
Out of this World! 1
In this space science instructional activity, students use reference books or Internet searches to find the answers to 15 questions about the solar system.
New Mexico State University
Lab 6: Kepler's Laws
A 15-page package thoroughly teaches your physics or astronomy learners about Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. Each one is stated and explained. Class members answer questions, solve problems, and participate in the classic...
American Museum of Natural History
Field Trip Earth
Take a field trip around Earth by way of satellite images. Learners watch a video lesson that describes different images taken from orbiting satellites. They then test their visual skills in a 14-question online quiz.
American Museum of Natural History
What is Astronomy?
Go study the universe. Pupils learn seven aspects about astronomy and astronomers. They begin to learn about constellations; distance and motion between objects; gravity; the electromagnetic spectrum; dark matter and energy; and teams of...
Curated OER
Labeling the Solar System Worksheet
In this labeling the solar system worksheet, students label the planets in a graphic of the orbits of the solar system. They also label the sun as the center of orbits.
Curated OER
Zodiac Constellations
In this space science worksheet, students learn to identify the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. Students read the information and look at the detailed drawings of each constellation and when it is visible in the night sky.
Curated OER
Lunar Myths
Fourth graders explore the phases of the moon. In this moon lesson, 4th graders research myths regarding the moon and create a PowerPoint presentation to share their findings.
Curated OER
The Webb Space Telescope: Detecting Dwarf Planets
In this detecting dwarf planets worksheet, students read about the Webb Space Telescope that will be launched in 2014 to detect dwarf planets using an infrared telescope. Students solve 3 problems and create a graph for each using given...
Curated OER
Exploring the Solar System
For this exploring the solar system worksheet, 6th graders use the online Gizmo then answer 14 questions and complete a chart about planets and orbits.
Curated OER
Eight Planets
In this planets worksheet, 3rd graders use clues from a son "Eight Planets" write planet names under clues and visit a web link to complete a planet game. Link to song not given.
Curated OER
Where Is Saturn in the Solar System? Where Am I in the Solar System?
Students discover the planets and their location in the solar system. They complete a KWL chart on Saturn and discuss. They complete the lesson with a writing activity.
Curated OER
Investigating the Dynamic Martian Polar Caps
Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter, and measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps.
Curated OER
Outer Space and Beyond
Students compare and contrast the size, characteristics, composition, and orbits of the planets in our Solar System. They view a PowerPoint presentation, and in small groups conduct Internet research on a selected planet. Each group...
Curated OER
The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic
High schoolers are introduced to the ecliptic, the zodiac and the apparent motions of the Sun, Moon and planets across the sky.
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
Curated OER
The Outer Planets
In this outer planets worksheet, students determine if 15 statements about Neptune, Pluto, Saturn and Uranus are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized words in the sentences to make the statements true.