Curated OER
The Reasons for the Seasons
Young scientists use a globe and a light to simulate the rotation of the earth and sun to show the seasons. Additionally, they simulate direct sunlight and indirect sunlight showing intensity of the sun, and answer questions based...
Starry Night Education
Comets and Meteors
Comets are also known as dirty snowballs or icy mud balls. With your super scientists, create a model comet nucleus to discover how they are made and take part in a scientific discussion to learn how it behaves.
Curated OER
Making a Sun Clock
In this clock construction lesson, young scholars use a pencil, compass, and sun clock diagram to construct a homemade sun clock. A very interesting lesson on combining images with text.
Curated OER
Modeling the Seasons
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
University of Colorado
Terra Bagga
One way to identify possible volcanic activity on other planets is by testing the planet for magnetism. A science lesson begins with pupils constructing their own planet from a dead battery, magnets, paper, and tape before labeling...
Curated OER
Moon Phases, Day/Night
Fifth graders observe a demonstration that shows how the alignment of the sun, moon, earth relate to the phases of the moon that occur each month. They describe the moon's phases after experimenting in a small group setting and recording...
Curated OER
Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses
Each of the Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses are associated with a city and a symbol. This hand out is intended as a quick reference guide to help learners recall 12 of the most prominent of these figures.
Curated OER
The Reasons for the Season
Students explain the reason for the changes in season. In this lesson examining the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, students use an applet to discover how the alignment of the Earth and the Sun cause the change in seasons.
Curated OER
Orientation of the Earth in Space
Young scholars hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's...
Curated OER
Earth and Seasons
Sixth graders comprehend that the path Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is called its orbit. They also comprehend that the axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles. Students...
University of Colorado
Terra Bagga
Earth's magnetic poles switch positions about every 200,000—300,000 years. In the activity, groups create a planet with a magnetic field. Once made, they use a magnetometer to determine the orientation of the planet's magnetic field....
Curated OER
Cooler In The Shadows
Young scholars investigate the concepts of shadows and how they are projected with objects different positions in relation to the sun. They conduct an experiment by observing objects in different positions. Then students record the...
Curated OER
Reasons for Seasons
Students investigate a model of the tilt of the Earth in its relationship to the Sun during the different seasons of the year. They study the solstices and equinoxes, while determining how sunlight hits the Earth with different angles in...
Curated OER
The Tides
Students experience a computer based applet that explains why the Earth experiences tides.
Curated OER
Sun Shadow Cycles
Students use diagrams to review how the Earth rotates around the sun. In groups, they use the same diagrams to explain how the sun shadows are produced and how they differ between seasons. They describe the Earth's rotation and...
Curated OER
GPS Treasure Hunt for Knowledge
Students examine themselves as being part of a global community. For this global community lesson, students investigate GPS systems. Students gain knowledge on how the device works. Students discover that satellites provide information...
Curated OER
Comets and Meteors
Students construct a model of a comet nucleus using dry ice. They add other materials and describe the features. They complete related exercises on an Internet Web site.
Curated OER
True North, Magnetic North
Students explain why compass angles need to be corrected for regional magnetic variation. They observe the difference between magnetic and true north. Each student measures the angle of variation for a town in a different state.
Curated OER
Mesopotamian Gods: Handout
Ancient religion was often times closely linked to social structure and government. Hand out a handy guide that describes 12 major gods and goddesses from ancient Mesopotamia. They are each connected to a location, symbol, and force of...
Curated OER
Measuring the Number Of Calories In Sunlight
Students., in groups, define calorie and compare the absorption of solar energy by three different collectors. They define solar constant and offer several explanations for discrepancies between the data collected and the solar constant.
Curated OER
The Phases of the Moon
Students view an applet to study the phases of the Moon in relation to the orientation of the sun, moon, and Earth.
Curated OER
Health Issues Related to Space Experiments
Students participate in a science activity that integrates connections between health issues on Earth and how those issues are related to studies conducted on the International Space Station. T
Curated OER
An Overview of Solar Radiation
Students examine the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Students compute basic radiative "constants" of the sun-Earth-atomosphere system. They examine the wavelength of maximum radiation emission.
Curated OER
A New Slant On The Seasons
Students identify how the tilt and position of the Earth causes the seasons. After a discussion of the seasons and when they begin. Using themselves as the objects in the universe, they role play how the rotational movement of the...