Observing Mars in the Night Sky

In this science instructional activity, students read about the summer of 1971 when the Earth passed closer to Mars than it had since 1924. Students also learn about the retrograde motion of Mars as seen from Earth.

Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.

The North Star changes — it was previously Thuban but now is Polaris, and in the future, it will be Vega. The video discusses the cycles observed in the sky with only your eyes. It focuses on the zodiac constellations and why they are...

Take your class to the next level of star gazing and introduce them to star clusters with an entertaining video. The narrator explains the differences between open and globular star clusters. Pupils also discover the ages and orbiting...

Where does Earth fit in the grand scheme of things? Find out in an intriguing video filled with facts and beautiful images! Learners journey to the center of the Milky Way to discover how our galaxy works. The narrator describes the...

How does Mars move both eastward and westward in Earth's sky? A simple interactive describes the concept of retrograde motion using both color and graphic models. Learners understand that the speed of the orbit accounts for Mars' change...

The Sun's analemma, or its apparent figure-eight pattern as it moves across the sky, is the topic of a short video that explains the science behind this trajectory.

A website looks at how we know so much about Mars—telescopes, robots, and spacecraft—and the search for martian life. Following the informational text are three questions that quiz pupils about possible life on Mars. 

Students, working in small groups construct scale models of the planets and solar system. They examine images of Mars and discuss what might have caused the features. They record facts about their planetary research in their journals and...

Young scholars explore the changing of the seasons. In this astronomy and seasons lesson, students construct a model of the revolution of the sun and the moon. Young scholars compare the recorded solstice/equinox orbital positions and...