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Clay Planets
Learners create scale models of the planets out of clay and compare them to the real planets.
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Mercury, Venus, and Earth
Young scholars learn information about the planets Mercury, Venus, and Earth by playing a trivia game.
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Planet Research and Brochure
Fourth graders design a brochure based on the planet that they researched. In this planets lesson plan, 4th graders include the data, important facts, and completed as a team.
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Unit 2 Sun & Stars
Students describe stellar objects using terms such as stars, planets, satellites, orbits and light. In this sun and stars unit, students research stellar objects through seven individual lessons discovering star characteristics, how...
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Our Sky: Home of Stars and Planets
Students discover that astronomy is a branch of science that includes the study of planets, stars, and constellations.
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Astronomical Data
In this astronomy worksheet, learners use a chart with planetary data comparing the inner planets to each other. Students will use the period of rotation, period of revolution, and distance from the sun for these inner planets to...
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Hoop Trip To The Planets
Students practice locomotor patterns already introduced while reinforcing facts about each planet.
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Plan a Mission to Recently Discovered Planet
Students plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science instructional activity, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Students work in groups...
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Planet Interiors
Students compare and contrast the Earth's interior with 2 other planets by looking at images on the computer. In this planet interiors lesson plan, students write a paper about their findings.
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Paper Rockets
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
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Spacing Out
Students explore environmental and geological conditions on other planets in our solar system, comparing their findings to information about Earth. They propose technologies that might assist in supporting human life on those planets.
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A View Of Home From The Front Door and From Space
Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...
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The Atom
In this atom worksheet, students read about the parts of the atom and how atoms combine into molecules and compounds. Students learn how to read a periodic table. This worksheet has 20 fill in the blank and 10 matching questions.
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Finding Extra-Solar Planets
Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.
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Solar System: Earth
Learners research Earth including what makes it suitable for life, its rotation, geological composition and gravity.
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Interstellar Real Estate - Defining The Habitable Zone
Students explore the orbital characteristics a planetary home needs to support Earth-like life forms. They develop an understanding of critical planetary mass to determine which newly discovered planets might be capable of supporting life.
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Know the Planets
In this planets instructional activity, students complete an on-line quiz, choosing questions and matching answers. Students score 1 point for each correct answer; a printed version is available.
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SETI WebQuest and the Drake Equation
Students complete a WebQuest where they research the Internet for extraterrestrial intelligence. In this extraterrestrial lesson plan, students also explore how the Drake Equation can predict the occurrence of life elsewhere.
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Dark Matter In The Universe
Middle schoolers investigate the concept of dark matter and how it occurs in the universe. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students use the information by reading at least two articles about dark matter. They also...
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Ellipses and Kepler's First Law
The class examines graphs in the form r = F(¿¿) in polar coordinates (r, ¿¿), in particular with the circle, ellipse and other conic sections. They determine the nature of an ellipse by studying the role of the semimajor axis and...
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Exploring the Universe
Students conduct Internet research to find information about each planet and present their findings to the class. Students research statistical information and two interesting facts about each planet, then create a multimedia...
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Solar System: Uranus
Young scholars research Uranus and its geological formation, atmosphere, magnetic field, satellites, and rings.
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How Far Away Is Saturn?
Students work together to create a scale model of the solar system. They write a descriptive paper and a paper comparing and contrasting the Earth to Saturn. They discuss their writings with the class.
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Out of This World (Science)
Students participate in various hands-on activities to visually demonstrate the positions of the planets from the sun. Then they draw a pictorial representation of the order of planets from the sun.