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Comets
Young scholars explore the nature and composition of a comet. They research comet facts, legends, and myths. They identify different types of comets and describe what happens to a comet as it travels closer to the Sun.
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Charting Seasonal Changes
Learners research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.
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Phases of the Moon: Cooperative Learning
Third graders examine the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders listen to a read aloud of The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley and discuss the phases of the moon. They complete a moon phase calendar and...
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How Far Away Is Saturn?
Students work together to create a scale model of the solar system. They write a descriptive paper and a paper comparing and contrasting the Earth to Saturn. They discuss their writings with the class.
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Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?
Pupils consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem. In this climate change lesson plan, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
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Food Chains and Endangered Animals
Students investigate how all links in the food chain are related. In this animal habitat lesson, students hypothesize about what would happen in the food chain if an endangered species were to become extinct. This lesson also includes an...
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Neptune
In this Neptune worksheet, 4th graders learn facts about the planet Neptune and read a short paragraph about the planet. Students enhance their understanding of planets.
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Retrograde Motion of Mars
Students investigate the motion of Mars. In this space science lesson, students use transparencies to trace the path of Mars through constellations. Students discuss the characteristics of the planet.
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The Toilet Paper Solar System
Young scholars classify the planets in the solar system, study planetary objects, and measure the relative distance between planets. In this solar system lesson, students use toilet paper to complete a scale model of the distance between...
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Star Child Astronomy
Students gain understanding of the relationship of Earth within the Solar System. They increase knowlegde of the planets, sun, moon, meteoroids, asteroids and comets.
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Inner Planets
Students create a booklet about the inner planets after researching the characteristics of each planet. Students research the following items for each planet: moons, size, rotation, orbit, atmosphere, an interesting fact. Their final...
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Finding Out About the Stars and Planets
Students complete a web-based activity to study the planets and solar system. Students complete a number of activities including a slide show that depict the true facts about planets.
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Moon Phase Stations
Third graders investigate the moon. In this Earth science activity, 3rd graders discuss the moon phases and how every 4 weeks the moon cycles through these phases.
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Do the Research!
For this research worksheet, learners read 9 questions about different topics and do research to find the answers. Questions range from geography to popular trivia.
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Sunspot Activity
In this space science worksheet, students find the data that is needed to help them acquire the knowledge concerning sunspots through observation and data collection.
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The Seasons
Students determine the effect of the earth's tilt on the amount of incoming solar radiation throughout the year. They simulate the earth's orbit around the sun using a light bulb and a globe to simulate the seasons. Assessment questions...
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Precession
Learners explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...
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Mars Calendar Project
Students design a calendar that displays time on Mars. They explore the differences between time on Earth and time on Mars while making the calendar.
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How Distant is the Moon?--2
Students examine total eclipses of the Sun and their limited regions of totality. They explain that this limited view occurs because the Moon is close enough to us for different points on Earth to view it differently.
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Planet Research
Pupils recognize that the other eight known planets, which revolve around the Sun, have characteristics and surface conditions that are different from Earth; and identify examples of those differences.
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Uranus
In this planet science worksheet, students learn 6 facts about the planet Uranus. Students also read a paragraph containing more information about the planet.
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Jupiter
In this solar system worksheet, 3rd graders read facts about Jupiter including its position from the sun, the length of its year, and number of moons. They read about its color, clouds, and Red Spot.
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The Planet Saturn
In this worksheet on the planet Saturn, students look at a picture of the planet and read accompanying facts, along with a brief paragraph.
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Comets
In this space science worksheet, learners learn 3 facts about comets and then read a short informational passage about comets.