Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conservation in Small Spaces: Conservation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students define conservation, identify actions that conserve habitat and those that reduce habitat, and generate ideas about how one can practice conservation in everyday life.
Lesson Plan
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Radiation Budget Lesson: Exploring Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students experiment with sunlight and temperature. They study the definition of albedo, or the percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed.
Lesson Plan
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Aerosol Lesson: Science - Graphing SAGE II Data

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine and plot atmospheric data on bar graphs.
Lesson Plan
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I Wonder What Would Happen if Lots of Manduca Lived in a Small Place...

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the reasons why humans fight and look for similiarties in animals. They make predictions on what they think will happen when they observe insect crowding. They make conclusions about their predictions to end the activity.
Lesson Plan
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To Float or Not to Float - A Lesson on Density

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students observe and experiment with the concept of density. This is done using a simple experiment that helps them to apply scientific principles of observation and proving a hypothesis.
Lesson Plan
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Could the Solar System have Ten Planets?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to statements about the solar system, then read a news article about a recently discovered object that could be another planet. In this space science and current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the lesson plan...
Lesson Plan
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Solar Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the solar cycle through a series of experiments. In this space science lesson, students construct and evaluate solar cycle graphs. They explain how this phenomenon affects the Earth.
Lesson Plan
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Astronaut's Favorite Foods

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine space food. In this space science lesson, students visit suggested websites to identify the eight categories of space food. Students use a space food nutrition guide to classify space food.
Lesson Plan
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Categorizing Celestial Objects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students work together to develop a classification system for planets. They take a class vote and read an article about an astronomer's classification system. They write an essay on how scientists make decisions for the general public.
Lesson Plan
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Rocket Launch

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider constraints which contribute to the design of a model rocket. They begin to analyze a model rocket's design and flight. They must be very specific in their thoughts and discussions.
Lesson Plan
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Night Sky Observation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore space science by completing an observational worksheet. In this astronomy lesson, students view several worksheets in which students identify minor changes between separate images in preparation for real star...
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Making Light of Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the electromagnetic spectrum, focusing on visible light. They are introduced to the idea that all light travels as waves, and that wavelength defines the various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Lesson Plan
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Compost and Composting Experiments

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate the composting process through a variety of experiments. In this ecology lesson plan, students discuss the benefits of composting. They examine how compost affect plant growth.
Lesson Plan
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The Outer Planets

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners study the planets Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. For this solar system lesson plan, students read facts about the planets and their location in the solar system. Images, diagrams, and background information on the planets is...
Lesson Plan
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Plan a Mission to Recently Discovered Planet

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Pupils plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science lesson, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Pupils work in groups to research an...
Lesson Plan
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Reach for the Stars

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the significance of space exploration. In this space science lesson plan, students  visit selected websites to discover information about astronomy, lunar missions, and space travel. Students...
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Motion, Force, and Gravity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners write a research paper about human space travel. In this space travel lesson, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human space travel should...
Lesson Plan
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Not So Lost in Space

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times and...
Lesson Plan
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What’s That, I Can’t Hear You?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate forms of energy as well as light and sound. In this science lesson, students participate in hands-on activities that require them to evaluate how sound affects astronauts in flight. A video of this lesson being...
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Probes, Exploration and Application

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the benefits of the space program to our life on earth.  In this space exploration lesson students participate in a lab, answer questions and study radar mapping. 
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Crashed On the Moon

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare/contrast the environments of our moon and earth, and examine examples of how these differences would affect their daily activities on our moon. They develop lists of emergency supplies to bring if their spaceship crashed...
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Milestones in Human Spaceflight

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. In this space science lesson, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the mission. As a...
Lesson Plan
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SALLY RIDE

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students express what it would be like to launch off into outer space in a space shuttle. They include what it might feel like, look like, sound like, and any thoughts that go through their mind as they dart away from the Earth's...
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3,2,1.....Spinoff

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students investigate spinoffs of space exploration. In this space exploration lesson plan, students conduct research regarding technological advancements. Students use the information gained to write a script and produce a podcast.