Students are provided with drawings of planet surfaces in order to investigate different types of planetary terrain. They make observations for each planet and discuss the characteristics observed. The lesson includes background...

Gravity is just one consideration when determining human habitability on a new planet. The lesson connects four different units and starts with connecting the various systems: planetary systems, human body systems, etc. After scholars...

Solar art inspires! Scholars study planetary geology with an artistic analysis. Pupils view a PowerPoint presentation on the solar system and space exploration and then try their hand at planetary image analysis using art techniques. 

Students examine how lava flows change the landscape.  In this lava lesson students complete a lab activity where they create a lava flow using cake batter. 

Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 

Students, working in small groups construct scale models of the planets and solar system. They examine images of Mars and discuss what might have caused the features. They record facts about their planetary research in their journals and...

Students create a biosphere using the computer program SImEarth. They work in small groups to create "Daisyworld" in which they model aspects of the Gaia hypothesis. They form a question to answer and choose variables to investigate in...

Students build an understanding of the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and its local and global processes influencing climate and air quality. They analyze air masses and the life cycle of weather systems.

Sixth graders decorate an empty cereal box with information and games showing their comprehension of factual information about an assigned planet. This is a nice, creative lesson about the solar system.

Students model the biosphere and manipulate variables affecting change and plan their experiments with the help of others. They describe their question, hypothesis, and methods of investigation.

Students study the earth in relation to the solar system.  In this planetary lesson students complete several investigations into the measurement of the earth and its magnetic field.

Ninth graders study the origin and organization of the solar system. They investigate the Earth's place in the system and how planetary motions explain natural phenomena observable from Earth.

Students use the scientific method to explore the effect of size on impact cratering. They compare images of landforms on Earth to those of other planets to compare surface processes. Students infer the geologic history of another...

Students build a scaled model of the solar system. In this space science lesson plan, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and relative gravity.

What can one learn about a planet based on a small surface sample? Learners will explore artifacts from a mystery planet and see what they can determine about the planet based on the evidence in front of them. 

The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...

The propellant needed for space explorations runs in the thousands, while paying to get the craft into orbit costs millions! In the second installment of three, two activities explore laws of conservation of energy and momentum. Using...

Students simulate crater formation through a lab activity. In this space science lesson, students calculate how much energy is transferred during meteorite impact. They identify different factors affecting the size and depth of craters...

In this using the internet worksheet, students search several websites to review information about the heart, human senses, the solar system, and planets. Students also read information about the rock cycle and answer provided questions.

Students examine our society's fascination with Mars.  In this journalism lesson students read an article that outlines the various ways Mars has captured our imagination and are given topics for discussion and a chart to...

This unit teaches students about the forces that shape planets and help them to evolve. Lessons provide background information and assessments.

A lengthy scholarly article that discusses the geologic time scale, its history of development, age-dating events that occurred in different eras, and how absolute and relative dating are used to assess the ages of the Earth and Moon....

This lesson plan integrates physics, biology, and geology to understand planetary processes that contribute to climate change through time. It includes an activity that demonstrates heat transfer and it uses figures and charts to...

This illustrated timeline from the Lunar and Planetary Institute provides a journey through four-and-a-half billion years of time from the birth of our solar system to its current existence today.