Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan on Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners construct a solar system model. For this space science lesson, students calculate the eccentricity of a planet's orbit. They calculate the period of a planet's revolution using Kepler's formula.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Orbit Lesson

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pack Your Bags for a Trip to Another Planet

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Student investigate and understand the planets and their characteristics and create a hypothetical travel brochure through the solar system.
Lesson Plan
1
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Growing Up With A Mission

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
New Horizons began its journey to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, it continues its mission. In that time, scholars have surely grown, but how much more will they grow by the time New Horizons reaches its destination? Find out with an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting to Know Saturn: Moons, Rings, and Relationships

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students identify the different objects that orbit Saturn. For this space science lesson, students plot the graph of orbital speed and distance. They explain why planets and asteroids remain in orbit around the sun.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metrics And Measurements

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a study of measuring distances between geographical locations on a map. They are able to define and use the map scale in conjunction with the metric system. For this activity they make their own maps and measure the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Stories Curriculum

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the stories told by ancient cultures about the constellations. They listen to stories told by the Greeks and Romans. The classroom should have posters of constellations for the lesson plan and the teacher performs...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hello, Anybody Out There?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students understand that people believe there may be life in other solar systems. In this communication with other solar systems lesson, students analyze our planet and write things they want to communicate to other solar systems.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 2 Sun & Stars

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Young scholars describe stellar objects using terms such as stars, planets, satellites, orbits and light. For this sun and stars unit, students research stellar objects through seven individual lessons discovering star characteristics,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun lesson, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Students create a sundial and observe the changes to...
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

Saturn’s Moons

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students compare Saturn's moons to the Earth's moon.  In this moon lesson students work in groups and complete a lab activity then answer questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Diversity

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the infrared radiation and the part of the spectrum that is not always visible.  In this electromagnetic lesson plan students complete a lab activity on the different wavelengths.
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Phases of Charon

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Pluto, although no longer considered a planet, has five moons. Pluto's moon, Charon, is the focus of a resource that describes how the moon is viewed from the surface of Pluto. Photos help individuals see how Charon would look at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientific Notation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore the concept of expressing numbers in scientific notation. In this scientific notation instructional activity, students understand the importance of using scientific notation by finding real world examples where...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MARS Dead or Alive

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students describe the design and construction of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs). They imagine that they can visit Mars and think about what they want to find out about the planet. The review the solar system and discuss distances...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Searching For Protoplanetary Disks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners download NASA Hubble Space Telescope views of star-forming regions in nebulae and look for evidence of planetary systems forming beyond our own solar system. They hypothesize about mysterious objects in NASA HST images.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SIZING UP SOL

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders produce a projected, pinhole image of the sun and from measurement of the image and projection distance, calculate the actual size of the sun. They estimate the sun's apparent brightness from different planet.
Lesson Plan
1
1
PBS

Inspector Detector

For Teachers 4th - 8th
How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Universe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are asked what do they recall about weather. They reasearch weather on the other planets of the solar system. Students work in groups and each group is assigned two planets. They create a display showing the weather on each...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Factors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design a space settlement for colonizing a planet in our solar system. In small groups, they play a space colony game and read an article about human needs in space to prepare for the design stage. They discuss their design...

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