Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extraterrestrials Visit Earth

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Learners compare the unique characteristics of Earth to other planets and then write descriptions of Earth that might attract fictional extraterrestrials to visit the planet. They design an appealing travel brochure that incorporates the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Mobile

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets or Not, Here We Come!

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Pupils, working in groups, research planets in terms of the size, temperature, number of moons, and potential for life. They use packets and worksheets as guides for their research. Students may role-play as aliens visiting their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Planets

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. For this astronomy based lesson, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the Smithsonian Museum.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Cosmic Cookies

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars read about each planet then bake a plate of cosmic cookies—no-bake cookies decorated to look like the planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's "In" There: A Study of the Inner Planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify and explore the four inner planets. In this planet science lesson, 1st graders watch a PowerPoint about the planets. Students read the book Our Solar System and discuss the inner planets. Students create a book...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets an Introduction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate one planet, enter information into a database, and print the database sorting for each of the attributes.
Activity
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Star Date

Modeling the Night Sky

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Dramatize the stars and planets as they become a visual representation of the solar system in this activity. Young astronomers track and simulate various constellations as they orbit the Earth to learn the position and motion of...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

Beyond Planet Earth

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars take a journey through space with 16 eye-catching images. Along the way, learners read captions starting with the moon, then move onto asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter.
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Distribution of Elements in Earth’s Crust

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How do scientists know the difference between a meteorite from space and a regular rock from the earth? Scholars read a passage and answer comprehension questions about the creation of the solar system. They extrapolate the main ideas to...
PPT
Glynn County School System

Our Sun

For Students 6th - 12th
The sun is responsible for almost 99 percent of the solar system's mass. As an essential part of our lives, the sun has many important features. A PowerPoint lesson presents information about features such as sunspots, the magnetic...
Activity
BW Walch

Kelper's Second Law: How Do Planets Move?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Kepler's second law of planetary motion, specifically, the law of equal areas, is demonstrated by your high schoolers. On the provided graph paper, they mark out the designated path of Earth at two different times of the year and then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling the Planets!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the planets and create brochures to share their information.  In this planets lesson, 4th graders navigate the Internet to gather information for a brochure about an imaginary trip to their planet....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strange New Planet

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students simulate different spacecraft missions using materials provided. In this space science lesson, students observe and record a planetary model's features from a distance. They relate this activity to scientists' space exploration...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Our Planets

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use a website to research the planets. They complete an activity sheet and discuss their planet facts. They demonstrate revolution and rotation.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Out of this World! 1

For Students 4th - 5th
In this space science worksheet, students use reference books or Internet searches to find the answers to 15 questions about the solar system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inner Planets

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a booklet about the inner planets after researching the characteristics of each planet. Students research the following items for each planet: moons, size, rotation, orbit, atmosphere, an interesting fact. Their final...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomical Distances and Space Travel

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students estimate the size of the solar system and the distance to the nearest star.  In this space instructional activity students complete calculations and use Sattgast Hall as a scale model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Word Processing and Internet Planet Report

For Teachers 4th
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.
PPT
Curated OER

Jeopardy - Earth Sciences

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Questions about water, weather, geology, astronomy, and the scientific process make up this Jeopardy game. It is a pretty well-rounded set of slides, although you may want to be aware that a few of the questions are specific to the state...
Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Space Travel Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 
Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Manned Mission to Mars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
To go or to not to go — the question for a mission to Mars. This resource provides details for a possible manned mission to Mars. Details include a launch schedule, what life would be like on the surface, and how the astronauts would...
Lesson Plan
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University of Colorado

Strange New Planet

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The first remote sensors were people in hot air balloons taking photographs of Earth to make maps. Expose middle school learners to space exploration with the use of remote sensing. Groups explore and make observations of a new...
Activity
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NOAA

The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...

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