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Assessment
Concord Consortium

The Six Faces of Amzora

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Here's a task that is out of this world! Given a description of a fictional cube-shaped planet, scholars answer a set of questions about the planet. They create a two-dimensional map and consider the distances between locations on the map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THE PHYSICS OF MOVING THINGS (AND NOT A MOMENTUM TOO SOON!)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students list three examples of momentum found in their local environment; describe the importance of mass and velocity on momentum; and determine what is necessary to produce the greatest amount of momentum within a particular system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phases of the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore why when you examine the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. The moon never goes away or changes shape-we just see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth.
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Lesson Plan
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University of Colorado

Great Red Spot Pinwheel

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The great red spot on Jupiter is 12,400 miles long and 7,500 miles wide. In this sixth part of a 22-part series, individuals model the rotation of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. To round out the activity, they discuss their findings as a...
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Activity
International Technology Education Association

Tidy Up Those Sloppy Force Fields!

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
It is just magnetic. This resource presents the concept of Earth's and another planet's magnetic field and how spacecrafts detect them. Learners study a problem using magnetometers and participate in three experiments to come up with a...
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Lesson Plan
S2tem Centers SC

Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Azimuth and Altitude

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students use a compass and their hands to find positions of stars and planets in the night sky or of the sun during the day.
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Article
NASA

Catch a Gravitational Wave, Dude!

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
It is cowabunga time! Pupils read an article about the NASA LISA mission on gravitational waves and conduct additional research on them. The class participates in a science bowl type competition about gravitational waves. Panels of four...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stellarium

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the rotation of the planets from various locations on Earth Using planetarium software, they will make observations, and explain how the rotation of the planets varies based on ones location on the Earth. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WEAVING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEMATIC UNITS

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the planets by researching and writing a report about one of the nine planets.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Modeling Celestial Motion

For Students 7th - 12th
In this modeling celestial motion worksheet, students fill in the blank about the motion of celestial bodies: planets and stars. Students complete the blanks with information about the scientists and philosophers responsible for early...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Meteorite Mysteries: Building Blocks of Planets

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars simulate the formation of chondrites and asteroids. In this astronomy lesson, students demonstrate accretion using balloons and static electricity. They compare and contrast their models to the actual process of chondrites...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets Database

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research and create a database about planets and share the information.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Mars Worksheet

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this planet Mars worksheet, students color a detailed picture of Mars and answer 5 questions about its size, rotation, distance from the sun and other interesting facts. Students will need to do their own research to answer these...
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PPT
Curated OER

Oceans: Water, Water Everywhere. . . but Only on the Earth!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
It's not long, but it's thorough! This PowerPoint takes 4th - 8th grade earth scientists deeper into the oceans. They learn about tide and current activity and the forces that drive them. They also discover how wind and the rotation of...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...
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Unit Plan
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NASA

The Science of the Sun

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to the important role...
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Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Phases of Charon

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, was discovered in 1978. Lesson is a walk through of how to solve for the phases of Charon. It uses two different points on Pluto and takes into account the tilt of the pole, the rotational axis, and...
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Interactive
Curated OER

The Scoop on Tornadoes

For Students 6th - 9th
Use an online interactive worksheet to guide your young scientists into the fascinating world of tornadoes! Links to weather articles from the National Weather Service and Planet Diary give clear explanations as well as visual depictions...
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PPT
Curated OER

Sun, Earth, and Moon

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Cute graphics make this an attractive presentation for upper elementary classrooms, and multiple choice questions make it interactive as well. There is, however, a lack of coherence. For example, slide #4 addresses the air we breathe,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Earth and Mars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students work together to compare and contrast Mars and Earth. Using the internet, they answer questions given to them by their teacher and calculate answers showing their work. They graph their answers and discuss the results of the...
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Organizer
Curated OER

Earth And Its Moon

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this earth and moon worksheet, students read 4 different statements about the placement of the earth and moon during different times. Students write in the effect of each of these statements. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not Only a Drought

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the events that occurred during the Dust Bowl and differentiate between the good and bad agricultural practices.  For this Dust Bowl lesson students participate in activities that shows them how to be good stewards of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rotating Rings of Ice

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners work together to develop a model of Saturn and its rings. They identify what types of materials make up the rings and how they revolve around Saturn. They write a short paragraph describing the rings.