Curated OER
Comparing Earth and Mars
Students work together to compare and contrast Mars and Earth. Using the internet, they answer questions given to them by their teacher and calculate answers showing their work. They graph their answers and discuss the results of the...
Curated OER
Earth Science Astronomy Unit: Seasons on Earth
Eighth graders describe how the Earth's position causes seasonal changes. In this astronomy lesson plan, 8th graders explain how solar radiation varies depending on the season. They create a collage or poster on each of the Earth's four...
Curated OER
Warming the Earth
First graders investigate how the sun warms the Earth and examine the rotation of the Earth and the sun. They create an illustration of the sun, examine a solar system model, and listen to the book "The Sun: Our Nearest Star." They also...
Curated OER
Elements of Physics: Motion, Force and Gravity
Students research about different human space explorations conducted by NASA. For this physical science lesson, students discuss why space exploration is important. They write a paper about their thoughts on continuing NASA's space...
Curated OER
Sundials and Shadows - What Can They Teach Us About Seasons?
Students collect and analyze data relating to seasonal changes. They view a video, research web sites and build a sundial to collect their data.
Curated OER
Understanding Space Travel
High schoolers study the unique environment of the moon and Mars. In this space science lesson, students design a city located in the outer space. They create a computer aided design, models or drawings of their cities and share them...
Curated OER
Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa. In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel.
Curated OER
Layers of the Earth
Eighth graders study the earth's surface. In this planet structure lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation then draw and label the earths layers.
Curated OER
A Comparison of Land and Water Temperature
Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.
Curated OER
Living On Earth
Students discover the many different animals within various habitats and discover how each individual species interacts with its particular environment. Through charting different animals and their distinct habitat and matching animals...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...
Curated OER
Discover Magazine: Size and Scale
High schoolers research measurements of the moon and Earth as well as the distance between the two in order to create scale models of the Earth-moon system. With a marble to be used as the moon, they must determine how large to make...
Curated OER
Special Edition: World Space Congress 2002: The New Face of Space
Learners experience and study how space offers expanding resources for commerce, science, technology and education. They view how advances in space can and do improve life on Earth. Each student views a geological exploration within this...
Curated OER
Collecting Leaves with Lewis and Clark
Fourth graders collect data on leaves collected, observe different species of leaves, and implement different methods of leaf preservation.
Curated OER
Analyzing the Relationship between Snowpack and River Flow
Students use the Internet to research current and past snowpack levels and river gauging station readings. They determine the relationship between snowpack and river flow. They predict future river flow.
Space Awareness
What is a Constellation
Why do some stars in a constellation appear brighter than others? Using a get-up-and-move astronomy activity, scholars explore perspective and the appearance of constellations in the sky while developing an understanding of the...
Curated OER
Mission to Mars
Middle schoolers consider the affects of space travel on the human body. In this human physiology lesson, students compare how the 5 different body systems work on Earth and in Space. Middle schoolers then design a product that an...
Messenger Education
Cooling with Sunshades
Messenger's sun shade measures 8 ft x 6 ft and will have temperatures reaching 700 degree Fahrenheit on the outside while maintaining a cool 70 degrees underneath. In the third activity of four, groups discuss the basic properties of...
PBS
Why Isn't There an Eclipse Every Month?
Searching for an eclipse activity that sends scholars over the moon? Try an interesting interactive to get their minds active! The resource, part of an extensive Space series from PBS Learning Media, uses modeling and data analysis to...
NASA
Photons in the Radiative Zone: Which Way Is Out? An A-Maz-ing Model
Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...
NASA
The Discovery of Jupiter Radio Waves
Lead your class on a journey to the planet Jupiter and provide them with fun facts in the process. Learners explore radio waves emitted by Jupiter to further understand how this data helps our daily lives. They conclude by discussing...
NASA
Exploring Data
Bring the sun to your class! Young scholars analyze actual solar wind data in the second instructional activity of a five-part series. Their analysis includes speed, temperature, and density data.
NOAA
Ocean Primary Production
A cold seep is an area on the ocean floor where hydrocarbons leak from the earth, creating entire unique biomes. Learners explore cold seeps, photosynthesis in the ocean, and its limitations due to loss of sunlight. They further explore...
Curated OER
Apollo Moon Landing
Students explore paper rockets, learn about the Apollo Program and Apollo spin-offs, and use simple office supplies to design and create a new useful product. This amazing plan is incredibly well written and leads students through a...