Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Toilet Paper Solar System

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create a model of the distances of the planets in the solar system using sheets of toilet paper and markers. Generally accepted orbital parameters are applied.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WebQuest Solar System Colonization Project 2000

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders decide what would be needed to survive in space and use information collected in a WebQuest to find 10 places in the Solar System to create a space colony.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Beyond Earth

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate the solar system and what makes a planet habitable. They complete an online Webquest, simulate a NASA training program online, take an online quiz, answer discussion questions, and locate newspaper articles about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth, Sun and Moon

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate that the sun is at the center of the solar system through role play. One student is the sun and one student is the Earth. The students then show how the Earth orbits around the sun. Students view a flashlight and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets Curriculum

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students complete an in-depth study of the known planets in the solar system. As a class, students identify the planets that are known in the universe, in the night sky. They explain the differences between planets and stars and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NASA's Mars gamble pays off

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read an article about NASA and Mars and complete short answer questions about the article. In this Mars lesson plan, students also create a scale model of the solar system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomical Distances and Space Travel

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students estimate the size of the solar system and the distance to the nearest star.  In this space lesson students complete calculations and use Sattgast Hall as a scale model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Olympic Solar Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students use cardboard and aluminum foil to construct a solar oven that concentrates enough sunlight to cook a hotdog. They review the history and use of solar energy in relation to the Olympics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interplanetary Distance and Travel Time

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students are introduced to the challenges involved in understanding the space travel distances and the time involved to do so through the use of an interactive fable. The modeling and comparisons deal with specific distances at different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Asteroids

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study asteroids and how their size relates to a possible danger of one colliding with Earth.  In this asteroids lesson students see how big an asteroid has to be to cause destruction to Earth. 
Lesson Plan
Pacific Science Center

Worlds in Comparison

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Houston, We Have a Problem! An Introductory Lesson for the unit Stars, Galaxies and the Universe

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The lesson plan would make a stimulating introduction to a space unit. It is highly imaginative and suggests that the teacher darken the room to set the mood and dress as an astronaut. Teams are asked to help solve an imaginary problem...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are Stars?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research the solar system and it's characteristics.  In this solar system lesson, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system.  Students use the Internet to research their part...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Planetarium

For Teachers K - 4th
Students work in groups to create the planets of the solar system.  In this planets lesson, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets.  Students discuss the gravity...
Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Renewables Workshop

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Youngsters examine resource maps to find out which states are using solar and wind power and discuss as a class various other renewable energy sources. They use a provided data table to record pros and cons to each technology, build and...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Meet Our Neighbors: Sun

For Students 1st - 6th
The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Solutions; A Brochure

For Teachers 6th - 8th
By creating an energy brochure, teams of science learners inform others about the advantages of using alternative energy sources. An instructions page for your class and a grading rubric are provided. The lesson focuses on photovoltaics,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell

For Teachers 9th - 12th
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Modeling Eclipses with Size and Distance Scales

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Size within the solar system is a difficult thing for pupils to imagine. Using everyday objects, they build models to show the scale between the sun, moon, and Earth. They situate their props in proportional distances between the objects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing the Solar System to Life

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students make models of the planets and use the models to show revolution of the planets around the sun. They explain the rotation of the planets after demonstrating with balloons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Photovoltaic Cells and Systems

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This interesting document suggests nine different activities for shedding light on photovoltaic cells. A bit of background information is furnished for you, as well as many, many resource links. Listed for each activity are a learning...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of the Solar System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explain the observed motion of the planets. The inner ones move back-and-forth across the position of the Sun, while the outer ones usually advance in one direction, but with occasional temporary reversals known as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Solar System

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders use the internet to examine the different bodies in space. In groups, they select one project they want to complete and are given a timeline for when the sections are due. To end the activity, they present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Best of the Solar System - Planetary Research

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students increase their ability to recognize the planets and their surface features. In this exploratory activity students focus on details by studying uncaptioned images.

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