NOAA
The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine
How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...
Curated OER
Chalkboard Challenge: Science Vocabulary
Review science vocabulary with your students using this Jeopardy-style PowerPoint. Categories for this game include: Solar System, Plants, Weather, Cells, and Rocks. There are a total of 25 clues; five for each category.
Curated OER
What is the Solar System?
Students study the solar system. In this solar system lesson, students create graphic organizers, and participate in class demonstrations illustrating size and distance within the solar system.
Curated OER
Earth Day
Students participate in activities that familiarize them with what Earth Day is, why it is important, and why it is a celebration.
Curated OER
Analyzing Hurricanes Using Web and Desktop GIS
Young scholars analyze hurricanes. In hurricanes lesson, students use the Internet and GIS to analyze hurricanes. Young scholars view the National Atlas of Maps to discuss the direction hurricanes move. Students study the wind and...
American Museum of Natural History
Beyond Planet Earth
Scholars take a journey through space with 16 eye-catching images. Along the way, learners read captions starting with the moon, then move onto asteroids, Mars, and Jupiter.
Teach Engineering
Where Are the Plastics Near Me? (Field Trip)
With a piece of plastic here and a piece of plastic there, here a piece, there a piece, everywhere a piece. Teams go on a field trip in order to document the locations and kinds of plastic trash in an area near them. The eighth...
Curated OER
Solar System
Students research the nine planets on the internet using the provided links. They also search for pictures of each of the nine planets and use these pictures to create a PowerPoint slideshow. Finally, they prsent their slideshow report...
Curated OER
Space Science: Phases of the Moon
Looking for a terrific lesson plan on the phases of the moon that has lots of good worksheets? With two excellent websites are embedded in the plan, the activity is sure to spark some interest in your astronomy unit. Some common...
Curated OER
Planets on Parade
Review all of the planets in our solar system with this informative PowerPoint. Each planet is listed on its own slide, accompanied by facts and an image. There are three multiple choice question listed at the end of the presentation.
Curated OER
Venus
Looking for a good instructional activity to help teach about the planet Venus? This instructional activity is for you! An excellent photograph of Venus accompanies three paragraphs of text. Learners answer five multiple choice questions...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
Curated OER
What's This Solar System All About?
Sixth graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. In small groups, they participate in a Webquest, watch movies, complete graphic organizers, and answer questions, create a model of the planets, and develop a Powerpoint...
Columbus City Schools
Moon Phase Mania
Now you see it, now you don't. Our moon seems to pull a disappearing act from time to time—but why? Take your seventh grade scientists above and beyond to discover the truth about the moon and the role it plays in Earth's little corner...
University of Colorado
Clay Planets
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.
It's About Time
Orbits and Effects
What does your world revolve around? Challenge the class as they learn about orbits and the effects of them on our modern world. Young astronomers begin by measuring ellipses and calculating the eccentricity of Earth's orbit. Then, they...
Messenger Education
Exploring Exploring
The reason people first began trading was because of their desires for objects other societies possessed. In the activity, classes discuss why exploration has been a common thread in all societies and where these desires have taken...
Texas State University
Earth: Deposition and Lithification
Geology geniuses analyze sediment samples with a hand lens and sort according to physical characteristics. They also learn about the processes of cementation, compaction, and lithification within the rock cycle. The lesson plan is...
Curated OER
"101 Amazing Earth Facts" Game
Students read for comprehension, work cooperatively to learn "101 Amazing Earth Facts," and compete as teams in a Jeopardy-like game.
Curated OER
Voyage: A Journey through our Solar System
Young scholars build the Voyage scale model of the Solar System on a playground and "travel" to each planet. They recognize that the Sun and planets are tiny worlds in a vast space, giving them a new perspective on the Solar System, and...
Curated OER
Forces That Shape the Earth: Wind, Water and Erosion
For this forces of nature worksheet, students read a 2 page article on the forces of nature and answer 4 detailed comprehension questions about the forces of nature on Earth.
Curated OER
Image Classification
Students explore what are "multi-spectral" or "multi-band" images? They investigate how landscapes change over time- at least over the time-span of satellite imagery, particulary due to human influences. Students explore how to train...
Curated OER
You Are Here
Learners determine the relative size and distance of the planets in the solar system. They use ratios in their mathematical calculations to make models of the planets after discussing the relative sizes of the planets. They keep a...
Curated OER
Could the Solar System have Ten Planets?
Students react to statements about the solar system, then read a news article about a recently discovered object that could be another planet. For this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...