Stunning images make up this slide show on the inner planets of our solar system. While visiting Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, viewers also are introduced to the International Space Station and the Spirit Rover on Mars. Follow this...

Fifteen detailed pictures and informative captions delve deep into the exploration of stars—their life cycle and importance in the universe. 

Upper-elementary astronomers take on the role of interplanetary real estate salesmen. They research an assigned planet and create a PowerPoint to persuade the rest of the class to purchase property and move there. This fun project would...

Students calculate real ratios that exist between the planets Earth and Mars. After a lecture/demo, students use worksheets and access Internet sites to do their calculations.

Aspiring astronomers assess the inner planets using this handout. They read about the characteristics of each, noting that all four of them have rocky surfaces. Rotation and revolution are introduced, including Venus' retrograde...

How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the instructional activity includes a game about consumers and...

Middle schoolers develop an understanding of our planet as a system by designing a very-long-duration space mission in which the life-support system is patterned after that of earth.

All of the gas giant's atmospheres consist of hydrogen and helium, the same gases that make up all stars. The third in a series of 22, the activity challenges pupils to make scale models of the interiors of planets in order to...

Earth is 149,600,000 km, or 92,957,130.4 miles, from the sun. Young astronauts create an interactive model to learn the distances between planets. Nine groups, each representing a different planet, are spread around at class-calculated...

There's no need to stay inside; get out of the classroom and create a scaled map of the solar system on your playground field! In collaborative groups, scholars identify the distance between the sun and other planets, place planet...

Why do scientists use models? In the first installment of 22, groups create scale models of our solar system. They then share and discuss their models.

In this everyday editing worksheet, learners correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the planet Pluto. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.

In 2006, New Horizons began its mission to fly to Pluto. As it continues its journey, scholars track its progress with the help of an informative website, all the while reinforcing measurement concepts with the construction of a scaled...

Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...

Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...

People may not be able to jump over the moon, but scientists can still study it! The moon is covered with mons (mountains) and mars (seas). Aspiring astrologists learn about the moon's features and phases in a PowerPoint presentation. In...

What does the ground around your home have to do with water pollution? Young ecologists learn about their local watershed and create their own cause-and-effect models of the hydrosphere.

Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...

Celebrate the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss with a lesson that features the memorable tale of The Lorax. After listening to a riveting read-aloud, scholars take part in a grand conversation about the story and environment. Then...

Explore the solar system with this lesson. Learners create a model of the solar system using toilet paper. With this creative approach, learners create a solar system according to distance and scale parameters, and write down a list of...

Have your class learn about the solar system using this hands on technique. Learners review what they know about the planets, and create a clay model of the solar system. There are a list of resource links to make this lesson a complete...

Students research the amount and sources of water on Earth. They interpret data to create a physical representation of water and land mass on the planet. They then use art materials to create a visual and tactile representation of...

Students discuss glaciers and write a definition for a glacier as a class. After discussion, they participate in an activity that demonstrates how glaciers can cause dramatic changes and create new landforms. Groups discuss their...

To find life on another planet, scientists look for gases (atmosphere), water, and temperatures that are not extreme. In this activity, groups of pupils become "Titan-ians," scientists who want to explore Earth for possible life forms....