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What's Up? Astronomy Curriculum
Students study astronomy. In preparation for a field trip to a planetarium, students discuss the stars, planets, and light. They explore the importance of the north star and constellations. The Digitarium system is used to assist the...
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Solstice And Equiniox Curriculum
Students engage in a lesson that investigates finding the dates of the solstices and equinoxes. They define the terms related to the concept and conduct research in order to explain the physical occurrences. They also relate to how the...
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How Do We Know?
Students investigate the history of astronomy and how the study of constellations has evolved since the dawn of ancient civilization. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The teacher uses demonstrations to model how the...
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Astrology: Fact Or Fiction?
High schoolers investigate the concept of astrology and how it evolved from history. They use the Zodiac in order to find the location of constellations in the night sky. The differences between astrology and astronomy are compared and...
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Gross Motor Development
Fourth graders participate in a game reflecting the solar system, stars, and rockets. They simulate how space invaders move and hit stars and rockets. They discuss how scientists study the stars and planets.
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Exploring Stars
Fifth graders explore the life cycle of stars. They analyze small, medium, and large stars and view a video that compares the life cycles of the various sized stars. They create a flipbook movie detailing the life cycles of a star and...
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Star Gazers
Young scholars research stars, constellations, planets and galaxies including names, shapes, sizes, colors, patterns and ages. They suspend the stars and planets from the ceiling and change monthy to display the various constellations....
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The Moon and The Stars
Students study the moon and the stars. They explore the vocabulary associated with the moon and the stars and cultural references including the Chinese Moon Festival. They participate in reciting poems, nursery rhymes and songs related...
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SkyServer Scanvenger Hunt
Students discover the variety and beauty of objects in the sky and the ability of a research telescope to obtain quantitative information about these objects. They use the SkyServer Navigation Tool to identify objects and record...
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Constellation Mapping
Students plot constellations on a grid map. They discuss the various ways early explorers planned their travels. Students identify and recognize major constellations. They color their maps and take them home to try to find various...
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Stars and Galaxies
Eighth graders define constellations and how they are used as reference points and identify stars and constellations in the nighttime sky. They construct their own planetarium star finder and identify the location of circumpolar, zodiac,...
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Discover!
Students design a double spiral mobile to illustrate the different stages in the life of a small-mass star like our Sun, and in the life of a large-mass star. They complete both spirals and create a small hole at the top. Next they use a...
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Star Master Viewer
Students construct the viewing tubes by cutting along the designated line shown on the template, rolling the paper into a tube, and taping the tube securely. Next they cut out the cardstock circles - the StarCards cutting on the outside...
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Star Light, Star Bright : Exploring How Stars Are Classified
Young scholars work in small groups to organize stars into different categories. They consider size, luminosity, color and temperature, organize the groups and ten report their categories to the class.
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Determining Red-Shift in a Receding Star
High schoolers practice manipulating algebra formulas with more than one variable. They examine the topics of velocity, wavelength and frequency. They determine the amount of red-shift in a receding star.
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Finding Out About the Stars and Planets
Students complete a web-based activity to study the planets and solar system. Students complete a number of activities including a slide show that depict the true facts about planets.
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Glow in the Dark Stars and Planets
Learners view a "night sky" made from glow in the dark stars. They discuss stars, planets, the sun, and constellations.
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Astronomy
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
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Investigating the Earth-Moon-Sun System
Eighth graders research Native American legends involving the sun, moon, and stars and compare them to the origin of present day knowledge. They create a written report and make an oral presentation of their findings to the class.
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Our Sky: Home of Stars and Planets
Students discover that astronomy is a branch of science that includes the study of planets, stars, and constellations.
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Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students create an astrolabe and locate the North Star in the night sky. They determine the latitude of the North Star, and calculate an average latitude based on class results.
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Solar System Unit
Learners probe an interdisciplinary unit on our solar system. Distances between planets, their characteristics, and applications to student's personal lives are analyzed in this experience. The unit contains seven lessons.
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Star Art
Pupils study about stars, constellations, and myths that accompany them. Then they create their own constellation using black paper and toothpicks and write a myth about their constellation. Their constellation can be viewed on an overhead.
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Constellation Creations
Fourth graders puncture holes in black paper to represent stars in constellations. They glue white paper behind the black to show the stars. They create several constellations and keep them to use as study guides.