Curated OER
Ancient River Valley Civilizations
Ziggurats, cuneiform writing, the Tower of Babel, hieroglyphics, pyramids, the Great Wall. Launch a unit on ancient cultures, with a presentation that introduces viewers to ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Sumer, Egypt, Indus, and China....
American Museum of Natural History
What is Astronomy?
Go study the universe. Pupils learn seven aspects about astronomy and astronomers. They begin to learn about constellations; distance and motion between objects; gravity; the electromagnetic spectrum; dark matter and energy; and teams of...
Curated OER
Sky Watchers: Ancient Astronomers
Students close their eyes and picture the sky. They are asked to brainstorm things they may see in the course of a night and day, such as the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. Students work in groups to coduct their research. They...
Curated OER
Astronomy - Ancient Philosophies
Combine science and social studies with this collection of notes on ancient astronomy. Ideas propagated by early scientists influenced the way people viewed life and our place in the universe. Examine the philosophies of Aristotle,...
Curated OER
Time Line of Astronomy Events and Discoveries
Learners work in groups to present a segment of a timeline of events and discoveries in astronomy. In this astronomy lesson plan, students teach their classmates about their section of the timeline.
Curated OER
Exploring the Sky: Reading Maria's Comet
Discover the science behind astronomy. After reading the book Maria's Comet, which is about a young woman who breaks new ground by becoming a female astronomer, young learners practice reading comprehension with worksheet questions about...
Curated OER
The Ancient Maya
Young scholars explore the culture of the Mayans through a variety of activities. In this lesson about Maya, students analyze pictures in books and on websites, produce scale models of Maya architecture, and create Maya mosaics. Young...
Stanford University
Expansion of the Inca Empire
If you could write your own history textbook, what would you include? Learners play the role of textbook writers by examining evidence of the Inca Empire. With primary sources from Spanish and indigenous perspectives, as well as images,...
Curated OER
Observing the Sky
Young scholars explore astronomy. In this astronomy lesson, students discuss the history of the movement of celestial bodies and then communicate with other young scholars regarding the movements that they observe in the sky nightly....
Curated OER
Good Timing
Students investigate time, how people measure it, and how it influences our lives. They complete an online Webquest, analyze various calendars, answer discussion questions, and identify references to time in a newspaper article.
Curated OER
The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th century.
Curated OER
Astronomy Merit Badge
Young scholars explore astronomy through the Starry Night Constellation Adventure software. They print star charts and identify constellations. They sketch the Big Dipper and describe the Milky Way. They list the five most visible...
Curated OER
Exploring Mars
Learners, 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...
Curated OER
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...
Intel
Starquest
Almost every ancient culture observed the stars and saw pictures in the patterns. Studying stars allowed them to guide travelers, determine when to plant crops, when to harvest food, and the stories surrounding the images include some of...
Curated OER
History of Mythology, Astronomy and Astrology
Ninth graders examine the relationships of science and technology and how it influences people's perceptions of places. In this mythology and astronomy lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
History of the Universe
Students describe how the universe was formed. In this astronomy lesson, students listen and respond to questions in a PowerPoint lesson that includes various theories about how the universe was created.
Curated OER
Come On Over To Maya Place
Fifth graders analyze the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture lesson, 5th graders study the Mayan culture noting similarities and differences between the Mayan culture and their own. Students examine hieroglyphic writing and the Mayan...
Curated OER
Ofelia Romero The Maya Culture and Civilization
Fifth graders investigate the Mayan culture, number system, alphabet, hieroglyphics, history, civilization, artistry, and sports in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Islamic Scientific Contributions to Civilization
Seventh graders explore several well documented artistic and scientific accomplishments that were discovered or perfected during The Golden Age of Islam. They are staff writers of a magazine who create a feature article about a topic...
Curated OER
Sky Quest: Exploring the Constellations
Students examine constellations and planets through completing various activities. Students work individually and in groups to create drawings based on stars, compare and contrast the night sky with and without a telescope and learn...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
The Zarkah Stone
Astronomy stars read the account of the Zarkah meteorite that struck thickly populated Park Forest, Chicago in 2003. In doing so, they differentiate between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. They will also be able to explain...
Curated OER
Sky Quest
Students identify constellations in the evening sky. In this Sky Quest lesson, students create their own star patterns using a star map worksheet. Students explain how different celestial bodies in space are viewed through a telescope.
Curated OER
Aurora Borealis
Students read background information about the Aurora Borealis and complete a science experiment based on the lights. In this Aurora Borealis instructional activity, students read information about the formation and background of the...