The Sun and the 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...

This Earth Day, celebrate our beautiful planet with an activity book that challenges scholars to show off their map skills, complete a crossword puzzle, write acrostic poems, alphabetize, and reflect on their personal Earth-friendly habits.

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...

An outstanding space science PowerPoint is here for your charges. It provides an effective overview of the Solar System; specifically the Earth and the Moon. The slides contain illustrations of the planets and focus on the Earth's...

After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...

From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...

Winter, spring, summer, and fall—these are the four seasons. But what exactly are seasons and how are they different around the world? Watch a brief video that provides a brief introduction to the four seasons.

The distance from the sun causes the seasons, right? Review common misconceptions that interfere with scholars' understanding of how the seasons of the year occur. A video from the Good Thinking PD series offers strategies for overcoming...

Students measure shadows to learn about the Sun-Earth relationship. In this astronomy lesson plan, students create a shadow stick of a Pokemon character and record measurements of its shadow in a data chart. Follow-up discussions guide...