Curated OER
Earth's Tilt Creates Seasons
Learners examine how the Earth's tilt creates the seasons. In this seasons lesson plan, students study a diagram that shows the rotation of the earth around the sun and how it tilts during the rotation. They answer 4 discussion questions...
Curated OER
Day and Night
Fifth graders investigate the Earth's rotation and revolution and the moon's orbit around the Earth. They participate in a class discussion about how night and day occur, and take notes. Next, they watch a video about the solar system...
Curated OER
Warming the Earth
First graders investigate how the sun warms the Earth and examine the rotation of the Earth and the sun. They create an illustration of the sun, examine a solar system model, and listen to the book "The Sun: Our Nearest Star." They also...
Curated OER
What Makes Day and Night? The Earth's Rotation
Students discover that the Earth rotates on its axis in a cyclical fashion. They examine how this rotation results in day and night.
Curated OER
Why Do We Have Day And Night?
Second graders demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. After a lecture/demo, student groups utilize raisins and apples to demonstrate day and night. They put togethre a...
Curated OER
Mississippi’s Contribution to Space Exploration
Eighth graders engage in a class discussion while going through a PowerPoint on Mississippi's contribution to space exploration. In this Space science lesson plan, the students will also participate in Brain Pop quizzes where they will...
Curated OER
Why Does the Moon Have Phases?
In this moon worksheet, students complete the sequence of the different phases of the moon to determine why the moon has phases. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
How Do Eclipses Occur?
In this eclipses worksheet, students write in the 4 steps explaining how an eclipse occurs. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
How Does the Sun Affect the Earth?
In this sun worksheet, students brainstorm the different ways the sun affects the Earth. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
The following lessons help students from grades 6-8 understand sleep and circadian rhythms. Lesson topics iinclude: day and night, seasons, sundails, clocks, sleep and sleep patterns and sleeping in space.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Astronomy
Eight hands-on lessons module in which students explore the characteristics of planet Earth, its moons, the sun, the solar system, planets, and the difference between science fact and science fiction.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: The Sun Is the Center of the Solar System
See what you know about the solar system by taking this brief interactive quiz and learning module.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Reasons for the Seasons
Lesson plan addresses misconceptions about seasonal changes and Earth's orbit through a pre-lesson plan survey and follow-up experiments to scientifically study the answers to questions found in the survey. Includes great teacher...
BBC
Bbc Schools: Ks2 Bitesize: Science: Physical Processes: Earth, Sun, and Moon
Help Sarah Jane and her team put the solar system's planets back in order. Following the activity, read more about the sun, the Earth, and its moon, and then take a quick quiz to check for understanding.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Foucault Pendulum
Students learn about the Foucault pendulum, an engineering tool used to demonstrate and measure the Earth's rotation. Student groups then create small experimental versions, each comprised of a pendulum and a video camera mounted on a...
Utah Education Network
Uen: A Moon With a View
Understand the rotation of the earth and the appearance of movement of other bodies in the sky.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Measuring Wind Speed
Fourth graders measure wind speed over the course of a week and graph the results.
Other
Earth Science: Earth's Surface and Heat [Pdf]
This textbook chapter looks at the role of temperature in sustaining life on Earth and on weather and climate. It discusses the Earth's movements and the seasons, the circulation of the oceans, wind and weather, and the water cycle....
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:1 Investigation 5 Making a Sundial
Make a sundial and learn how to use it.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Reflections of a Star
This simple lesson allows students to work cooperatively in determining the angular diameter of the Sun.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Weather & Climate: Seasons
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of seasons and how they are caused by the Earth's rotation and orbit.
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Scijinks: Seasons
An explanation about the rotation of the Earth and why the Earth has seasons.
NASA
Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Speed of Earth's Rotation
Presents an informative answer to the question "What is the speed of the turning of the Earth?"