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Testing and Refining Aircraft Design
Young scholars design and make a flying device. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for the design of their device. They choose an idea or combination of ideas to use for their design and create a sketch of their design. The...
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Mars
Students debate the ethical considerations involved in colonizing and terra-forming Mars. They have a preliminary discussion and view a video clip about Mars, then break into support and oppose groups to research and prepare their...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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Our Solar System
In this solar system worksheet, students complete a database comparing the 9 different planets' mass, surface temperature, rotation period, orbital period, moons, and distinguishing features. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
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Nebular Theory-Origin of the Solar System
In this Nebular Theory worksheet, students are given diagrams of the stages that occurred in the formation of the solar system. They order the diagrams based on the occurrences of each event and answer twelve questions about the Nebular...
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Exploring Jupiter: Galileo Curriculum Module Issue One
In this exploring Jupiter: Galileo Curriculum Module issue one worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle that tests their knowledge of Jupiter; their are 11 links to other worksheets to explore the planet.
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The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural...
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A Star is Born
High schoolers research the life cycle of a star. In this astronomy instructional activity, students work in groups to research on stage in stellar evolution and report back to the class their findings. They will discuss as a class the...
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Cake Batter Lava
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.
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Orbital Mechanics
Twelfth graders examine the misconceptions of Newton's laws of motion. In this motion and gravity lesson plan students interpret data and see the effects of gravity.
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Introduction To Orbital Mechanics
Students use NASA drawings to build a model satellite for a specific mission. They design a set of drawings for their satellite showing its subsystems as well.
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Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
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Stellarium
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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From the Gulf of Mexico to the Moons of Jupiter
Students compare deep ocean conditions to those found on the moons of Jupiter. In this Earth science lesson, students consider the possibilities and conditions needed to support simple life. Students examine the habitats and life found...
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Solar System Socratic Questions
Students reflect on and discuss theories of how the solar system was formed. They respond to prompts in a structured sequence to relate the formation of the solar system and the age of the Earth.
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Exploration to Mars... or Not? An Exercise with Split-Screen Electronic Peer Review
Students use split-screen technology which is utilized for an electronic peer review assignment that has students justify whether humans should continue their investigations of the Red Planet or not.
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Charting The Planets
Learners conduct different activities in order to unlock the secrets of the universe. They answer different questions that are written to assess knowledge of the planets. Information can be found on the internet to help.
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Is There a Tenth Planet?
In this planets learning exercise, learners read about how our solar system's planets were discovered and how scientist believe there might be a tenth planet. After reading, students complete 4 short answer questions.
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Was Kepler Correct?
Students investigate the elliptical orbit around the Sun. They use the information gathered to measure the distance to the Sun from the closest orbital point and the farthest orbital point.
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Atmospheric Shielding from Radiation I
In this radiation worksheet, students calculate the distance of a satellite in orbit to determine the placement of a radiation detection device. This worksheet has 2 problems to solve.
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Hello, Anybody Out There?
Young scholars understand that people believe there may be life in other solar systems. For this communication with other solar systems lesson, students analyze our planet and write things they want to communicate to other solar systems.
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Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
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Indian Ocean Explored
Students consider the information presented in the WNET videotape of India: Land of the Tiger/Unknown Seas (Episode 3). In this biology lesson, students view the video and engage in a discussion about the questions posed in the video.
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The Day the Atom Died (Grade K-1)
Students investigate what is wrong with the Rutherford atomic model. In this chemistry lesson, students answer questions about the atomic model after watching a video. They draw conclusions from the video and discuss how the atomic model...