Curated OER
Mars
After reading a short excerpt about the planet named after the Roman god of war, Mars, your class will answer four comprehension questions. The activity challenges them to fold over the paper and answer the questions without referring...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
Curated OER
Exploring Dwarf Planet Eris
In this planet Eris activity, 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...
Curated OER
The Milky Way and Beyond
Students consider the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy. In this Milky Way lesson, students hypothesize the length of time necessary to cross the Milky Way.
Curated OER
Cometary Orbits
Young scholars study orbits and ellipses and see the differences between orbits and comets. In this investigative lesson students do an activity that shows them what objects are more like comets and fill out a worksheet.
Curated OER
Our Solar System-- Fact File
For this space science worksheet, students read facts about the solar system. Students look at the diagram showing the position of the planets. Pluto is included as a planet here.
Curated OER
Word Processing and Internet Planet Report
Fourth graders write a research report on a selected planet in the solar system. They conduct Internet research, save a graphic from the Internet onto a disk, bookmark websites, and present their report.
Curated OER
Planetary Mobile
Students receive pre-cut templates of cardboard with appropriate diameters of each planet and the sun. They use multi-colored construction paper, scissors, yarn, and other art supplies to create their own models of planets. When students...
Curated OER
Mercury
Middle schoolers study the planet Mercury and develop an understanding of the planet's composition, geology, and other important characteristics. They explore a Web resource on the planet Mercury which is the central focus of this lesson.
Curated OER
Distances in Space
In this distances in space worksheet, students learn about astronomical units and light years as measurements for great distances. Students use both of these units of measurements to solve five problems.
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of a Star
Students investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation. In this lesson on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science and...
TLS Books
Neptune
Did you know that Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea? Young astronomers read about this and other facts about the eighth planet from the sun in a short informational text passage.
Space Awareness
Oceans as a Heat Reservoir
Oceans absorb half of the carbon dioxide and 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Scholars learn how and why the oceans store heat more effectively than land and how they help mitigate global warming. Pupils...
University of Colorado
Planetary Distances on the Playground
Earth is 149,600,000 km, or 92,957,130.4 miles, from the sun. Young astronauts create an interactive model to learn the distances between planets. Nine groups, each representing a different planet, are spread around at class-calculated...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About Stars?
Illuminate the information about stars. Pupils respond to 10 multiple choice questions about stars. The questions cover topics such as the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun, and the life cycle of a star. The resource works as a...
Curated OER
Solar System Distance Activity
Students examine the distances between the Sun, planets, and smaller objects in the Solar System. They design a model using beads that shows the scale distances of the Solar System using astronomical units converted into a 10 centimeter...
Curated OER
The Discovery of the Solar System
High schoolers explain the observed motion of the planets. The inner ones move back-and-forth across the position of the Sun, while the outer ones usually advance in one direction, but with occasional temporary reversals known as...
Curated OER
Best of the Solar System
Young scholars visit a site which provides images to be analyzed. Notes are taken and planets are named based on observed features and observations. Using peer review, they try to determine the identity of the planets. They are free to...
Curated OER
Our Solar System
Sixth graders use the internet to examine the different bodies in space. In groups, they select one project they want to complete and are given a timeline for when the sections are due. To end the activity, they present their...
Curated OER
Try This On For Size!
Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...
Curated OER
The Big Bang
Students explore our universe. In this solar system lesson, students gain knowledge about the solar system, galaxy, the universe and the Big Bang Theory. Students watch videos and view a slideshow.
Curated OER
On Jupiter
Students tour Jupiter. In this scenario based lesson, students examine the size of Jupiter and make models of the other planets in the solar system to show how large Jupiter is compared to the other planets.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Lost in Space
Students identify the planets by making two models of the Solar System. They create a model that shows the order of the planets and a model that shows the planets sizes as compared to one another. They may write about the planet they...
Curated OER
Ordinal Numbers Are Out of This World
First graders identify and write ordinal numbers by following the sequence the school bus followed during a field trip to the nine planets in the solar system. This is based on the book The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System.