Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas
Observing the Moon Activity
In this moon activity, learners observe the moon on three consecutive nights and draw their observations. They answer questions about the phases of the moon and its position in the night sky. They identify the position of the sun, earth...
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Solar Racing
Learners harness the power of the sun to design, construct and evaluate a solar-powered model car of their creation. They race their cars in a "Solar Sprint" race modeled after the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Junior Solar...
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Science--Learning About Light and Shadows
In this light and shadows worksheet, students find 5 transparent items and 5 opaque items from the classroom and categorize them underneath their appropriate headings. Students look at 4 boxes with shadows and draw a little sun to show...
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The North (Wall) Star
Young scholars engage in a lesson which shows them that celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects -...
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Taking a Voyage away from Home
Students experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
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An application of the Parallax Effect
In this parallax effect worksheet, students observe 2 photographs taken of an active area of the sun by 2 STEREO satellites and 1 photograph taken of the same active area of the sun by the SOHO satellite. Students observe the shift in...
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Student Exploration: Summer and Winter
In this recognizing the seasons online/interactive worksheet, students explore the Earth's positions and determine the summer and winter season. Students answer 21 short answer questions
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The Reasons for the Season
Students explain the reason for the changes in season. For 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.
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Finding the Way
Learners identify and research navigational tools used in deep sea explorations. They are introduced to a compass, the Global Positioning System and sonar technology and then describe their uses in underwater exploration.
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The Reasons for the Seasons
Sixth graders conduct a controlled investigation to determine the length of the sun's shadow on a fixed object (i.e., flagpole, telephone pole, etc.) over a three-day period (one day in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the...
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The Solar System
High schoolers construct a sketch of the planets in our solar system using concentric circles and angles. In this solar system lesson plan, students plot the position of each planet on concentric circles using graph paper. The sun is...
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Classroom Planetarium
Students work in groups to create the planets of the solar system. In this planets lesson plan, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets. Students discuss the...
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Cut and Paste Moon Phases Activity
For this phases of the moon worksheet, students are given pictures of the phases of the moon and they cut them out and paste them to a diagram with the names of the phases. They answer questions about the moon, the phases and the...
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Stars
In this stars worksheet, students determine if 15 statements about stars, constellations, Polaris, light years and the position of the stars are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized word in the sentence to...
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Differential Thermal Calorimetry
Students access prior knowledge of infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, gamma rays, x-rays and cosmic waves. In this electromagnetic waves lesson, students hold a mock trial electromagnetic spectrum. Students present characteristics of the...
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Systems of Equations in Space Science
In this system of equations instructional activity, students solve 2 problems by creating a system of equations for each problem in order to determine the average intensity of flares from the sun and the average power from a satellite...
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The Plasmasphere
In this plasmasphere worksheet, learners read about the dilute region of gases 10,000 kilometers above the Earth where atoms are ionized. Students use a photograph taken by the IMAGE EUV instrument to answer 3 questions about the...
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KNOW YOUR PLACE IN SPACE
Students examine the positions of the nine planets in respect to our solar system and explain the unique characteristics of each planet.
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Matter, Matter
Students define vocabulary related to the parts of the atom. In this matter lesson, students navigate the web to find the structure and the forces that affect atoms. Students complete an experiment with positive and...
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Patriot or Loyalist? A Revolutionary Decision
Students research as a reporter would and present the loyalist and patriot point of view on the American Revolution. In this patriots versus loyalist instructional activity, students produce a project such as a video debate or...
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Models of the Earth and Moon
Students explore the earth's rotation and phases of the moon. In this planets lesson, students rotate and revolve around a light representing the sun. Students use movement and props to simulate what causes the phases of the moon as well...
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How Are Magnetic Fields Related To Sunspots?
Middle schoolers discover that sunspots are the result of intense magnetic forces on the photosphere of the sun by observing images from the SOHO satellite.
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The Seasons of the Earth
In this seasons worksheet, 3rd graders study a diagram that shows the Earth's rotation around the sun as it relates to the seasons. They describe the position of the Earth during each season in a short answer format.
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A Model Solar System
If Earth is modeled by a grapefruit, what planet could be represented by a golf ball? This activity uses everyday and not-so-everyday objects to create a model of the Solar System.