Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TARGET EARTH

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the possibility of an asteroid hitting planet earth. In this planetary lesson students complete a lab activity to see the effects of an asteroid hitting earth and compare different craters.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Two Views of the Universe

For Teachers K - 6th
Students build the two models of the universe created by Aristotle and Copernicus. They compare and contrast the two universes. They create hypothesis on how each model functions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lining up the planets

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students follow cue cards in order to order the planets in the correct order in the solar system. For this planets lesson plan, students work in groups to make a 2D model of the planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up in the Sky

For Teachers 1st
First graders associate events and objects with day or night. They create a word bank and use is as a reference to create sentences about the sun. They conduct sun-themed experiments and art projects.
Handout
Curated OER

Our Solar System-- Fact File

For Students 2nd - 3rd
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outer Space and Beyond

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students compare and contrast the size, characteristics, composition, and orbits of the planets in our Solar System. They view a PowerPoint presentation, and in small groups conduct Internet research on a selected planet. Each group...
PPT
Curated OER

Jupiter

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
A student-produced PowerPoint provides basic facts about the planet of Jupiter. Illustrated slides highlight its physical attributes and satellites. A lot of interesting information about Jupiter is included, such as the fact that twenty...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System Distance Activity

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space - In Your Face or Not?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders, in groups, examine how it doesn't matter if they can see the planets in the solar system or not--they're there.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extra Terrestial Excursions

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders determine how long it would take to fly to each of the planets in the solar system. They do two calculations: one, if they were using conventional jet, the other if they were using the fastest spacecraft possible.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Are We Going?

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students practice rounding numbers to ones and tens places, multiplying numbers, and working with simple fractions. They study the placement and distances of planets in the Solar System.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outer Space and Cyber Space

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders learn about the Solar System while they use mean, median and mode to explore the characteristics of the planets. Students web publish expository writing.
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Is There Anyone Out There?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Try This On For Size!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Astronomy

For Students 4th - 5th
In this astronomy instructional activity, students read a detailed text about our solar system. Students then answer 15 questions about the information presented.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Space, The Funky Frontier Internet Research Worksheet

For Students 4th - 5th
In this solar system learning exercise, students explore a web site called The Nine Planets, to refresh their knowledge of the solar system, and to research new facts about Uranus. They answer three questions about Uranus, write an essay...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Planetary Debate

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students' are given a research sheet to complete in small groups. They are to select a planet or moon to research using the Internet. With this research and their completed form, each group defends their planet or moon in a debate...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Planet Cryptogram

For Students 4th - 5th
In this science worksheet, students answer six clues about the solar system. Students use their answers to complete a table with corresponding numbers for each letter.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Your Galactic Address

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover their place in the universe.  In this astronomy lesson, students identify their location on various maps that have increasingly larger scales.  In the end, the students write their address in terms of their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Big Bang and the Formation of the Universe

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders conduct an experiment to understand the Big Bang Theory.  In this Big Bang Theory lesson, 6th graders will observe a balloon with confetti popping to emulate and analyze information related tot he Big Bang theory....
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Making A Sundial

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

How Far is Far?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
The earth only revolves around one thing — and it's not any of your pupils. The lesson includes two activities dealing with the distance to the sun and the moon. First, scholars create a pin hole camera and use the rules of similar...
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,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Out of This World (Language Arts)

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders, in groups, research the planets in the solar system and create a guidebook for travel.