What does math have to do with the behavior of the earth and sun? Learn how the movement of celestial bodies has influenced the development of trigonometry. Scholars connects the details in mathematics to their...

Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...

In this article about emails and plants worksheet, students read short descriptions about 8 planets in the solar system and then imagine they are visiting one of the planets and send an email to a family member describing their...

Learners explore the possibility of being on Mars and being able to identify the Earth.  In this space lesson plan students complete a set of calculations to see if this is possible. 

How quickly does light travel long distances? A short video simulates light going from the earth to the moon at two different paces. Scholars relate the distance to the rate to understand which simulation is correct.

Your class will use a set scale to convert diameters of planets to the model size, the diagram given to expand on the number of planets drawn as concentric circles, and examine the scale that would be needed to fit the larger...

First graders explore why the sun and moon seems to disappear and reappear creating day and night.

In this hunt for planets worksheet, students read about the Kepler satellite used to detect exoplanets. Students solve 6 problems including drawing a sun disk and determining the scale in kilometers/millimeter, finding the area of the...

For this planet Eris worksheet, students read about the discovery of this dwarf planet and its characteristics. Students answer 3 questions about the planets, the classification of planets and the definition of planets. Students define 7...

Students explore the different methods used in celestial Navigation and astronavigation. In this math lesson, students construct a sextant and demonstrate how it works.

How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...

In this space worksheet, students load a copy of ViewPoint and open the Solar System datafile. There they look through database sheets, using the Preview Sheet and Next Sheet buttons and respond to 8 questions. Then students do some...

Students research the solar cycle. For this Science lesson, students use the internet to investigate the solar cycle. Students produce a spreadsheet and graph from the information collected.

Students explore physics by completing measurement problems in class. In this speed of light instructional activity, students discuss the importance of knowing the speed of light and how it affects many aspects of human life on Earth....

Students practice rote counting to 20. After a lecture about the planets and the moons that surround them, they identify the number of moons surrounding various planets. Students compare and contrast the quantity of moons surrounding...

If Earth is modeled by a grapefruit, what planet could be represented by a golf ball? This activity uses everyday and not-so-everyday objects to create a model of the Solar System.

In this tidal forces worksheet, students read about the gravitational pull from the moon that causes the ocean tides. Students solve 3 problems including finding the Roche or the tidal radius for the Earth and Moon, comparing the Roche...

In this writing distances learning exercise, students re-write the chart to show the distance each planet sits from the sun using words rather than numbers, all measurements are in km.

For this math worksheet, young scholars read informational paragraphs and then answer 18 questions using data from their readings. Questions are about vectors, positions, distance and orbits.

Students calculate the diameter of planets and their relative distances.  In this space science lesson, students discover how small or big the planets are in comparison to each other. Students use cross multiplying fractions to find...

Discover the science behind astronomy. After reading the book Maria's Comet, which is about a young woman who breaks new ground by becoming a female astronomer, young learners practice reading comprehension with...

Middle schoolers engage in a lesson which shows them that celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects -...

In this stars rise in the east worksheet, students use geometry to show how the Earth rotates from west to east and why celestial bodies appear to rise in the east and set in the west. Students draw a figure and label given points in...

In this estimation worksheet, students use information about planets, given in a table, to complete a 16 question quiz. Answers are included on page 2. A reference web site is given for additional activities.