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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...
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Lesson Plan
University of Connecticut

Building Your Own Biosphere

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Comet Model and Eat It!

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students construct a comet model based on procedure provided. In this space science lesson, students compare the physical properties of comets to the models they made. They record their observations and share them with the class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Amazing, Powerful Sun

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine where energy comes from and how it can be used.  In this solar energy lesson students explore different aspects of the sun. 
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Seasons Around the World

For Students 1st - 5th
Why does Earth experience summer, fall, winter, and spring? Using an informative demonstration, learners see how the angle of the sun on Earth and the rotation of Earth determine the seasons. Scholars work in pairs to learn that the...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A View Of Home From The Front Door and From Space

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scale Models to Planet Size

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale lesson, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: You're in Hot Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Meteorite Mysteries: Building Blocks of Planets

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students simulate the formation of chondrites and asteroids. In this astronomy lesson, students demonstrate accretion using balloons and static electricity. They compare and contrast their models to the actual process of chondrites and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blast Off with Model Rockets

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Learners investigate science and math by building a rocket. In this geometry instructional activity, students build a rocket using paper towel tubes while investigating questions about launching a rocket. They discuss balance and unique...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneers of Space

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore how to use natural resources in the next millenium. Students create a KWL chart and then research information on our solar systsem, natural resources, and environments. Students build a model of a future community and...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Making A Sundial

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Day and Night in the World

For Students 1st - 5th
How do different parts of the world experience day and night? Introduce scholars to the concept of global citizenship while teaching about animal behavior with discussion of nocturnal and diurnal animals. Then, learners complete...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Voyage Scale

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify how models are powerful tools of exploration and that the sizes of the planets and distances between the planets in the Solar System span a large range. They make a sign for each planet they have created in the...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

History of the Universe

For Students 3rd - 5th
Your pupils may believe that you and their parents are the oldest things in the universe, but surprise! There are elements of the universe that are even older. Elementary scientists create a class timeline to demonstrate the expansive...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Building Blocks

For Teachers 7th - 12th
This PowerPoint is a comprehensive review of all the facts related to an atom's basic structure and function. What makes this unique is that it is geared toward an audience of junior geologists. After introducing the periodic table of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walk a Mile in your Orbit

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create an awareness of the distance between the planets and the complexity of the solar system through a model of an active solar system. they incorporate physical education and math with the ability to convert distances...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Impact's Comet on a Stick!

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students create a model of a comet. In this space science lesson plan, students compare their model to the characteristics of a real comet. They evaluate and make necessary modifications to their original design.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Distance in Space

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore space science by measuring distances between planets. In this solar system lesson, 6th graders view a Bill Nye video and discover the conversion between the metric system and imperial measuring systems. Students...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Touch Down

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Protect the marshmallows! Groups create contraptions that will keep marshmallows in a cup, even after dropping them from a certain height. This is a fun way to model the shock-absorbing capabilities of spacecraft.
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Lesson Plan
Starry Night Education

Comets and Meteors

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Comets are also known as dirty snowballs or icy mud balls. With your super scientists, create a model comet nucleus to discover how they are made and take part in a scientific discussion to learn how it behaves.
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Lesson Plan
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PBS

Invisible Force

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Investigate invisible forces. Young engineers design a setup that changes the direction of a steel ball using a magnetic force. The purpose of the setup is to model the gravitational pull of spacecraft by planetary bodies.