All Around the Sun

Brighten up your teaching of the solar system with this middle school astronomy lesson. Over the course of these five activities, young astronomers get an up close and personal look at the sun as they watch videos, read articles, explore...

There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to the important role...

Unlock the mystery behind seasonal change with this collection of worksheets and activities. Whether they are drawing pictures of Earth's orbit around the sun, or graphing the temperature and daylight hours of different locations from...

Three activities make up a solar system lesson that features the sun, its light, and the shadows it produces. Scholars step outside to discover the changes shadows make at different times of day, take part in a demonstration of how Earth...

The moon orbits Earth while the Earth is rotating, and the Earth revolves around the sun. This can be a tricky concept for young astronomers. Implement an activity that helps distinguish between the movements of Earth's systems around...

Introduce basic Earth and space science to your budding astronauts. This handout works in two ways, the first part provides information about the sun, moon, eclipses, and Earth to be read to or by the class. The second part is composed...

Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...

Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson plan then...

Our future literally depends on the sun. The video introduces the sun as a star. It explains the plasma magnetic fields, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and more. It concludes with how we rely on the sun, how we protect...

How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...