NASA
The Drake Equation
In this Drake Equation worksheet, students read about how scientists can estimate the number of intelligent civilizations that may exist in our galaxy. Students answer 7 questions about the Drake Equation and they use the internet to...
Curated OER
Regolith Formation
Learners study what regolith is and how it contrasts with weathering on Earth. In this weathering lesson students divide into groups, hypothesize and confirm their guesses.
Curated OER
Is There Liquid Water on Mars?
Students assess whether there is liquid water on Mars by analyzing images and data. In this planetary instructional activity students analyze temperature and pressure graphs and hypothesize about how water could have flowed on Mars.
Curated OER
Follow the Falling Meteorite
Students use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. For this earth science lesson, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is used by scientists to...
Curated OER
Teaching Atomic Structure Using Cooperative Learning
Individuals in a group of four each take on a different role: atomic number expert, mass number expert, isotope expert, and nuclear atom expert. They teach each other about their area of expertise. As an assessment, a short quiz is...
Curated OER
Exploring The Neighborhood of the Solar System
Students explain why exploring the universe for life on other planets is an important field of study. They use mathematical formulas to calculate the temperatures of planets as it relates to their distance from the sun. Students use...
Curated OER
A Journey Through Our Solar System
Students investigate the concept of the solar system in our universe by constructing a model that is made to a measurable scale. Once the model is constructed it should be placed in a wide open space for observation and demonstration...
Curated OER
The Voyage Scale
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...
Curated OER
Weather: It Works, or Not?
Students discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...
Curated OER
Satellite Drag and the Hubble Space Telescope
In this satellite drag and Hubble space telescope worksheet, students solve two problems using a graph showing the altitude of the satellite vs. the year with two lines showing two different types of re-boost and one line without...
Curated OER
Earth Systems Science
Students perform experiments designed to grow plants and bacteria in a controlled environment. In this ecosystems lesson students investigate varying conditions for growing plants and bacteria.
Curated OER
Paper Comet Model with a Deep Impact
Students create paper comet models. They discuss facts about comets and build a model to determine the way the sun affects a comet. They create a comet and label the head and tail portions. They discuss their comet model and share it...
Curated OER
Regolith Formation
Students compare and contrast the process of regolith formations. In groups, students define regolith and discover how regolith is formed on the Earth and on the Moon. They participate in experimental activities to simulate regolith.
Curated OER
Human Needs
Students investigate human needs and how they have adapted to different environments. They complete an experiment to discover the effect of stress on muscles. They use the food pyramid to create a plan for healthy eating.
Curated OER
Solar System Search
Young scholars learn the names of the nine planets. They are then given a worksheet which they use to identify the planets based on actively listening to the teacher's oral description. This is a great listening activity.
Curated OER
Sensing the Invisible
Young scholars study visible light and explain why we want to use infrared radiation to study Mercury. In this sunlight lesson students construct a device to measure the presence of infrared radiation in sunlight.
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sensing the Invisible: The Herschel Experiment
Learners of light will construct a contraption in which light is passed through a prism and shone into a box. The temperatures at different points along the path and outside of the path of light. The intent is to imitate William...
Journey Through the Universe
The Voyage Scale Model Solar System
Young scientists learn how to select a scale factor for a large scale model. Then they figure the scale for each of the planets and the distance between them. Finally, they construct a giant scale model of the solar system and answer...
Curated OER
Aerospace Engineering
Twelfth graders examine the physics of rocket flight. They build and launch model rockets to measure their performances.
Journey Through the Universe
Where to Look For Life?
Every year we discover new planets including more than 1,000 in 2016 alone. Will we ever find life on another planet? The lesson includes two activities to help scholars understand this concept. First, they analyze the temperature range...
Journey Through the Universe
Is There Anyone Out There?
What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human.
PBS
Inspector Detector
How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...
Teach Engineering
Are We Alone?
Find an answer to the age-old debate of whether life exists on Mars. Groups determine criteria to help look for signs of life on Mars. The activity has the class simulate testing Martian soil samples for signs of life before drawing...
Teach Engineering
Solving Energy Problems
Here's your chance to save the world. The eighth lesson in a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit has young scientists come up with ideas for individual or group projects. They identify ways to solve the energy crisis. Hope they...