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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Determining distance between planets and the Sun

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use a model to determine the distance between the sun and plants in our solar system. They determine a scale to use that represents the distance between the Earth and sun. Students calculate the scale distance that each planet...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth/Globe (poles & equator)

For Teachers 1st
First graders create his/her own paper mache earth and label the poles and equator. The land masses can be added and labeling of specific bodies of water. The paper mache earth can then be used to discuss the sun, moon, and the earth and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring the Sun's Diameter

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students project and measure the suns image using a refracting telescope.  In this sun's diameter lesson plan students calculate the magnification of the telescope and determine the diameter if the Sun. 
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PPT
Curated OER

Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Solar System

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Fourth and fifth graders will love showing what they know about the planets and our solar system. This game is fashioned after "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and has the class work through fifteen different solar system related...
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App
1
1
Vosonos

Interactive Minds: Solar System

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Travel through space as you learn about the galaxy, solar system, planets, and much more. An extensive resource for studying astronomy in upper-elementary and middle school classrooms.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Planetary Distances on the Playground

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Earth is 149,600,000 km, or 92,957,130.4 miles, from the sun. Young astronauts create an interactive model to learn the distances between planets. Nine groups, each representing a different planet, are spread around at class-calculated...
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PPT
Glynn County School System

Characterizing Stars

For Students 6th - 12th
Are brighter stars actually brighter? Turns out they are probably just closer! A presentation compares features of stars to our favorite star, the sun. In addition, solar lovers learn to classify stars based on their masses,...
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Lesson Plan
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1
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Planetary Distances on the Playground

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
There's no need to stay inside; get out of the classroom and create a scaled map of the solar system on your playground field! In collaborative groups, scholars identify the distance between the sun and other planets, place planet...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Tropical Belt

For Teachers K - 4th Standards
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Greenhouse Gas Modeling Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Why are greenhouse gases called greenhouse gases? Young Earth scientists learn about greenhouse gases though experimentation in the second installment of a 3-part series. They use lamps to model radiant energy as well as warming through...
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Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Our Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...
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Activity
NASA

When Do Lunar Eclipses Happen?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Who needs the daylight to simulate a lunar eclipse? Astronomers model the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to explain the necessary conditions for a lunar eclipse. Investigators cut and label a paper plate to represent the Earth and...
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eBook
Utah Education Network (UEN)

Utah Open Textbook: 3rd Grade Science

For Students 3rd Standards
How do we interact with Earth? Scholars learn about the sun, Earth, moon, forces, gravity, and heat sources by reading a text and performing hands-on demonstrations. They also differentiate between living and non-living things using...
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Activity
1
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Teach Engineering

An Inflated Impression of Mars

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Help your class understand the magnitude of the distance between Earth and Mars with an activity that asks small groups to use balloons to create scale models of the Earth, Moon, and Mars. Class members figure out the distances between...
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Interactive
PBS

NASA's Eyes on the 2017 Eclipse

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How did the 2017 eclipse look in Los Angeles—or Chicago? Experience both views, plus many more, using a lesson from PBS's Space series for middle schoolers. Scholars follow the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth during the most recent...
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eBook
Utah Education Network (UEN)

Utah Open Textbook: 6th Grade Science

For Students 6th Standards
There are many interactions among living things and their surroundings. By completing a reading, scholars learn about the Earth, the moon, and the sun and how they relate to the solar system. They also investigate the basics of physical...
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Interactive
McGraw Hill

Orbital Velocity Interactive

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Why does it take Pluto 90,000 days to orbit the sun, but it only takes Mercury 88 days? An interactive lesson helps pupils find a connection between the speed of orbit and distance a planet is from the sun. The simulation allows for...
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Activity
NOAA

Satellite Communications

For Students 3rd - 5th
How do satellites communicate? What types of satellites orbit Earth? Discover and mimic the way satellites communicate between two points in a hands-on activity that has pupils using mirrors, flashlights, and marbles.
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Interactive
PBS

Why Do We Have Seasons?

For Students 5th - 12th
Explore the reason for the seasons! An interactive lesson allows learners to explore the earth's rotation from the viewpoint of four cities at different latitudes. It provides descriptive information at eight points during the orbit...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

NOVA Energy Lab Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can our energy resources keep up with our ever-growing population? Science scholars learn the basics of energy and Earth's energy resources during an electrifying lesson. The resource combines video clips and an engineering design...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Ocean and Climate: Heat Redistribution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Here on Earth, heat goes with the flow! Young climatologists dive in to the connection between ocean currents and heat distribution during a science lesson. Scholars work with interactive and print resources to create a thorough...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Angle on Forest Ecology

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students measure and calculate the angle of the sun. They compare the leaf types on the north and south to compare the effects of the sun on the type of vegetation. They complete the activities inside the classroom or on a trip to a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Distance Makes a Difference

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a clay model of the Sun and Earth. In this space science lesson, students explain how distance affects the appearance of objects. They write a poem or riddle about the Sun in their journal.
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Organizer
Curated OER

How Does the Sun Affect the Earth?

For Students 1st - 4th
In this sun worksheet, students brainstorm the different ways the sun affects the Earth. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.

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