NASA
Nasa: Sci Jinks: What's a Solstice?
Find out how the Earth's tilted axis affects the seasons on the Earth.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Our Stars
In this lesson, learners will observe and communicate how the stars are in the sky both day and night. The extremely detailed lesson includes photos and videos of the lesson in actions, examples of student's work, materials, parent...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Our Sky
What objects are in the day sky and the night sky? How do they seem to move? Come and explore with us as we discover the sun, moon, planets and stars! This detailed lesson plan includes pictures and videos of the lesson in action,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Glaciers, Water and Wind, Oh My!
This hands-on activity explores five different forms of erosion (chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature). Students rotate through stations and model each type of erosion on rocks, soils and minerals. The students record their...
Read Works
Read Works: Article a Day Set: Time
[Free Registration/Login Required] This Article-A-Day-Set provides six articles related to "time." Students will learn about the days of the week and months of the year.
NASA
Nasa: Image Science Center: Ask the Space Scientist Earth
Site from NASA contains a collection of 91 questions pertaining to the Earth's atmosphere, magnetic field, ionosphere, rotation and origin of life.
Other
Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: What Makes Day and Night?
This activity will allow you to model day and night cycles. A rotating student holding a map (provided) models the earth. A lamp is used to model the sun. Numerous worksheets (pdf) and additional website resources are also provided.
McREL International
Mcrel.org: Planet Rotation [Pdf]
A worksheet regarding the axis of rotation within each of the planets. PDF
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Tree House Weather Kids: What Causes the Season?
Explore what causes the change of seasons on the Earth.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Moon Journal Activity
Students use the process of journaling to make discoveries about the moon. This activity involves having students write observations about the moon in a journal. Using their observations they go to an online resource and choose...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Seasons
For this activity, students create a small model of the Earth using a styrofoam ball and a skewer. They then explore the relationship between the Earth and the Sun (a flashlight) to understand why it is hottest at the Equator, and why we...
Other
Electric Sky: Vernal Equinox
This site, created by an amateur who has studied astronomy for thirty years, provides a scholarly explanation of the vernal equinox. Links to definitions of significant terms.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Weather & Climate: Seasons
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of seasons and how they are caused by the Earth's rotation and orbit.
Ministerio de Educación (Spain)
Ministerio De Educacion: Astronomia Visible
This site has maps of the nearest stars and constellations. Earth and star daily rotation, proper motion of the stars and many other topics about the solar system are also shown.Read phonetically
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Kepler System Model
This site from Open Source Physics offers a file with a simulation of Kepler's theory of planetary motion, tested with the Earth rotating around the sun and another planet of the user's choosing. The download requires Java.
Math Is Fun
Math Is Fun: A Day
How long is a day? What do most children do during certain hours of the day? What is day? This site offers the answers to these questions, lists the days of the week, and provides a hour-by-hour listing of what a typical kid's day...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:1 Investigation 6 Celestial Model
Third graders will gain an understanding of why stars appear to move across the night sky.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
The following lessons help students from grades 6-8 understand sleep and circadian rhythms. Lesson topics iinclude: day and night, seasons, sundails, clocks, sleep and sleep patterns and sleeping in space.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Global Weather Machine
In this illustrated essay from NOVA Online, explore the cyclical process of weather creation and the effects of El Nino on the global weather system.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Measuring Wind Speed
Fourth graders measure wind speed over the course of a week and graph the results.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Meteor Showers
This video segment adapted from NASA uses animation to illustrate the properties of meteor showers and comets. Included is are visualizations of a comet's tail and of Earth passing through a debris stream left behind by meteoroids.
Ohio State University
Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Common Misconceptions About Day and Night
Misconceptions about the causes of seasons and day and night are common through all ages. Use the information on this site to help your students understand these concepts. Included are links to many resources and lesson plans for...
Other
Bad Astronomy/phil Plait: Tides and Why Our Days Are Getting Longer
Why does the Moon always shows the same face to the Earth? Why is the Moon's rotation period the same as the length of time it takes to orbit the Earth? Why are there two tides a day? These questions and more are answered here.
Other
Lee Trampleasure: Science Education: Coriolis Effect
Examine three examples of the Coriolis Effect with reference to wind. The effect is that when an object is moving perpendicular to the rotation of a sphere the object will appear to travel in a curved line. Prevailing winds will look as...