Curated OER
Our Solar System - Comparing Planetary Travel Distances
NASA presents a mini-unit on distances in our solar system. It incorporates scientific concepts of gravity, mass, density, and payload while your aspiring astronauts also employ mathematics skills. They calculate speed, they determine...
Curated OER
The Solar System and Beyond: The Moon
Here is a very basic look at the moon and its positioning around our planet. The pictures and labels here show different phases and will help your space explorers understand our changing views of the moon along with the Earth's tilt and...
Space Awareness
Navigating with the Kamal
Historians have proven that as early as 1497 skilled navigators were using a kamal to sail across oceans. Scholars learn about navigation tools and astronomy before building their own kamals. They then learn how to use it to determine...
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...
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Problems With Space Exploration-Reading Comprehension
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage about problems with space exploration, then complete a set of comprehension activities, including writing 2 paragraphs about a given topic.
Curated OER
Reflect on this Mote of Dust
Students explore space science by analyzing a speech by Carl Sagan. In this cosmos instructional activity, students view an online video of a speck of a "pale blue dot" in the distance of space which turns out to be Earth. Students write...
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Moon Mining
Go on a moon mining expedition from the safety of your classroom with this space exploration simulation. Using simple models of the moon's surface prepared ahead of time by the teacher, young scientists are challenged with locating and...
Curated OER
Those Who Have Come Before Me
Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...
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Early Navigational Tools And Nautical Developments of the Early European Explorers of Africa And America.
Students identify navigational tools. They describe and label seven of the nautical advances that enabled European explorers to travel to Africa and America thereby initiating a new era of exploration.
NASA
Next Generation Spacecraft - Orion
Emergine space engineers discover the area of complex geometric shapes. They find that, just as a spacecraft is composed of many smaller parts, so can polygons be broken into smaller shapes.
Curated OER
Rocket Me into Space
Students engage in a lesson that reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere by using the principles of Newton's third law of motion. Also, the principles that engineers deal with when building a...
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Strange New Planet
Students choose a spherical object to decorate with stickers, scents, etc to make it interesting. They write a key to the features for future explorers. Students use viewers to observe mystery planets. Students simulate NASA missions by...
National Endowment for the Humanities
On This Day With Lewis and Clark
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
Curated OER
Facts and Myths about our Solar System
Sixth graders explore popular ideas about the Sun and Moon. In this space science lesson, 6th graders separate commonly accepted details about our solar system into facts and myths. Students research a particular idea and create comic...
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Extraordinary Explorers
Students, using the Internet, B41460research facts about explorers and travelers. They also state what places they have explored and share with the class.
Curated OER
Early Space Missions
In this space missions worksheet, students read about the launch of the space shuttle Magellan and its exploration of Venus. Students complete 2 short answer questions based on the reading.
Curated OER
Designing a Crew Exploration Vehicle
Take your class on an out-of-this-world adventure with this fun engineering design lesson. Working in small groups, young scientists design, build, and test crew exploration vehicles using some creativity, teamwork, and an assortment of...
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Great Explorations: To the End of the Earth and Beyond
Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension-Space
In this comprehension worksheet, students read 5 short paragraphs about space, then complete a set of 4 related questions. Worksheet contains a link to additional activities.
Curated OER
Exploration Yesterday and Today
Students compare and contrast the voyages of early explorers with the space explorations of the present day. After reading the biographies of Benjamin Banneker and Timothy Livengood, students create a Venn Diagram comparing and...
Curated OER
Discovery, Ship to Shuttle
Students define the meaning of discovery, and view and discuss the images on the Florida Quarter. They read about Ponce de Leon and the space shuttle, and complete a chronological order activity.
Curated OER
Classifying Stars and Constellations
Students examine stars and constellations. In this space science instructional activity, students visit selected websites to discover information about the classification of stars. Students also practice identifying constellations.
Curated OER
Reach for the Stars
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 discuss the value of space...
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NASA Robots
Learners investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The learners demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.