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Celestial Photography
Students practice photographic skills and gain an awareness of photography as a scientific tool.
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Please Ex-Planet
Seventh graders create a model of an earth centered solar system and a model of the sun centered solar system. As a class, they discuss why the earlier astronomers believed their model and why it changed when evidence arose that this...
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Spacd Day:Probing For Knowledge
Young scholars investigate the uses and purpose of the Hubble telescope. They create a model of the telescope and conduct research about the history behind the invention of it. Students use the information in order to create a context...
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Finding Jupiter's Moons
Students explore Jupiter's Moons. They calculate and predict the location of Jupiter's 4 large moons. In addition, they draw Jupiter with its moons correctly shown for the time of the observation.
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Time Travel to the Edge of the Universe and Back!
Students analyze the size of the universe and calculate the time to travel to near and distant destinations.
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Best of the Solar System
Students visit a site which provides images to be analyzed. Notes are taken and planets are named based on observed features and observations. Using peer review, they try to determine the identity of the planets. They are free to browse...
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Seeing The Sun In A New Light
Young scholars examine the observation of "coronal holes," by x-rays, also about related fast streams and moderate magnetic storms that recur at 27 day intervals. They study NASA'S great observatories.
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Measuring Elevation
Students practice measuring elevation, one of the key coordinates used by astronomers. They describe how the elevation of an object is measured.
and combine compass directions and elevation to find celestial objects.
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The Universe
Fifth graders identify and discuss responsibilities of careers related to the study of the universe, such as an astronomer or an astronaut. They compare what the world looks like now to what it might look like in the year 3000.
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Sweet Candy Comets
Fourth graders use candy to make a comet. In this lesson, 4th graders examine the role comets have played throughout history, students watch NASA videos about comets and complete the lesson by making an edible model of a comet. This...
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What are Stars?
Young scholars research the solar system and it's characteristics. For this solar system lesson, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system. Young scholars use the Internet to research their...
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MASS
Students distinguish between weight and mass. They examine how in oscillations of a mass against an elastic spring--in the absence of gravity, or in horizontal motion--the length of the oscillation period is proportional to the square...
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THE MANY COLORS OF SUNLIGHT
Students examine rainbow components, spectral colors, colors perceived by the eye, hot solids, glowing rarefied gas, absorption, that light is a wave, and optics.
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WAVES AND PHOTONS
Learners examine the many types of electromagnetic waves, the concept of an EM wave, how James Clerk Maxwell proposed a slight modification of the equations of electricity, Heinrich Hertz and his radio-frequency, wavelengths, and light...
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The Universe
Students describe what scientists mean by an "expanding universe" in their own words. They explain how scientists comprehend the universie is expanding. Students comprehend the vast scale of the universe. They comprehend how theory...
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Using Star Charts and Maps
Students study star charts and describe locations of objects. In this scientific models lesson students use coordinates and identify characteristics.
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Moon Light Through the Month
Students work in small groups to arrange moon phase cards into the correct sequence. The goal is to circle as many consecutive numbers as possible in two minutes.
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Four Seasons
First graders examine and describe the characteristics of the four seasons. Using a computer, they write one sentence about each of the four seasons and draws an illustration to accompany it. They present each drawing and sentence to the...
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Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Students complete a WebQuest in order to better explain solar and lunar eclipses. They observe images and videos of eclipses from around the world.
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The Tides
Students experience a computer based applet that explains why the Earth experiences tides.
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
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Astonishing Planetary Discovery
Students access the Internet, research one of the planets, copy and paste necessary information, and design a creature that would survive for a year on their planet. They present their creature and its qualities to the rest of the class.
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How Far Away Is Saturn?
Students work together to create a scale model of the solar system. They write a descriptive paper and a paper comparing and contrasting the Earth to Saturn. They discuss their writings with the class.
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Patterned Paragraphs
Students reinforce the importance of being specific while dealing with events of a sequential nature, such as the phases of the moon.