Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food for Spaceflight

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Trip To Outer Space: Planet Exchange

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students examine the different planets in outer space. Each class studies a different planet and creates a scavenger hunt for the other classes to explore that planet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Crew Exploration Vehicle

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Take your class on an out-of-this-world adventure with this fun engineering design lesson plan. Working in small groups, young scientists design, build, and test crew exploration vehicles using some creativity, teamwork, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get a Leg Up

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the...
Writing
K12 Reader

A Planet in the Solar System

For Students 2nd - 5th Standards
Take young scientists on an exploration of the cosmos with this cross-curricular writing exercise. Tasked with producing an expository composition describing a planet of their choosing, students perform research and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Mobiles: Recycled Art

For Teachers K - 2nd
If you have a little left over tinsel and aluminum foil, your class can create these fun moon and star mobiles. Poster board or recycled cardboard become your moon and stars; the tinsel gives them sparkle. This would be a great...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moon Mining

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Go on a moon mining expedition from the safety of your classroom with this space exploration simulation. Using simple models of the moon's surface prepared ahead of time by the teacher, young scientists are challenged with locating and...
Lesson Plan
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University of Colorado

Looking Inside Planets

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All of the gas giant's atmospheres consist of hydrogen and helium, the same gases that make up all stars. The third in a series of 22, the activity challenges pupils to make scale models of the interiors of planets in order to...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Let's Investigate Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Regolith

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
You may not be able to take a field trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean your class can't study moon rocks. Using graham crackers as the moon's bedrock and powdered donuts as micrometeorites, young scientists simulate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lift Off with Rockets!

For Teachers K
Students obtain information concerning rockets and the use of them in space, create their own rocket on the computer with the graphic choices on the website www.goobo.com, and write descriptive words or phrases to describe their rockets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's "Out" There?

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate the five outer planets. In this space science lesson, 1st graders read the book Our Solar System and identify the five outer planets. Students create a booklet and write about outer planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Amazing Skeleton

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study the skeleton, about the number of and types of bones in the body, and how outer space affects astronauts' bones. They discover how to take care of their bones here on Earth to prevent osteoporosis, or, weakening of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planet of Plenty

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine a small piece of land to determine the diversity of life on Earth. They role play as visitors from outer space seeing life on Earth for the first time. They measure and observe their plots while working in small groups....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up in the Sky

For Teachers 1st
First graders associate events and objects with day or night. They create a word bank and use is as a reference to create sentences about the sun. They conduct sun-themed experiments and art projects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System Adventure

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study the solar system and our galaxy, then write a science fiction story based on what they discover. They utilize worksheets and access websites imbedded in this plan to gain ideas for their stories.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Temperatures

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students list data collected by marine buoys and the different kinds of moored buoys. They describe how data is transmitted worldwide. They explain the difference between near shore and offshore air and water temperatures.