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Lesson Plan
NASA

Moon Phases and Eclipses

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Starry-eyed astronomers draw different views of the Moon in order to introduce its phases. Then they experiment with a ball and a lamp to recreate the phases. A demonstration ensures every pupil understands the process, and the...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

What’s the Problem with Isotropy?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Some patterns are so small, we can't see them without the help of technology. The same is true for cosmic microwave background radiation. During this activity and discussion, scholars examine both anisotropic and isotropic items and...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Raisin Bread Universe

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Melting Ice: Designing an Experiment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Gravitational Waves

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scientists participate in a hands-on experiment to explore Einstein's theory of relativity in a creative manner. They investigate various waves and compare their characteristics as they discuss how each wave is created. Next,...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Cosmic Microwave Background

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Begin your next class with a BANG! Pupils discuss the formation of our universe and its expansion before proceeding with an activity designed to demonstrate what most likely occurred billions of years ago. They conclude with a discussion...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Tools of the Trade

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know every state in the U.S. has at least one observatory? During the lesson, scholars research the cost of building and maintaining an observatory. They must present their information in a proposal to build a new observatory,...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Measuring Dark Energy

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
You're only 10 minutes late? Do you know how much the universe has expanded in those 10 minutes? Scholars graph supernovae based on their redshift and see if the results verify Hubble's Law. If it does confirm it, the universe is...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Century Timeline

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Scholars use the Cosmic Times and the Internet to create a timeline of events from 1916 when Einstein presented the Theory of General Relativity to 2016. Scientific discoveries are the main focus, then pupils add in events from culture,...
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Activity
International Technology Education Association

Sizing Up the Clouds

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How much rain can that cloud make? Through a simulation, the class estimates the amount of candy rain contained in different cup clouds. After probing the clouds using different methods, class members adjust their estimates. Participants...
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Activity
International Technology Education Association

Pixel This!

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Did the image I drew match the image you saw? By simulating a satellite and a ground station, teams of two transmit data in the form of pixels in order to recreate an image. They use four different levels of brightness, creating slightly...
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Activity
International Technology Education Association

Tidy Up Those Sloppy Force Fields!

For Teachers 7th - 12th
It is just magnetic. This resource presents the concept of Earth's and another planet's magnetic field and how spacecrafts detect them. Learners study a problem using magnetometers and participate in three experiments to come up with a...
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Handout
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NASA

How Rockets Work

For Students K - 12th
Now, that's some fire power! A five-page handout provides a description of the basics of how rockets work. The reading explains Newton's Laws of Motion by beginning with defining some of the important terms. The article finishes by...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption

For Teachers 5th - 6th
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Accessing Prior Knowledge: Global Climate Change Survey

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Begin a unit on weather and climate change by assessing prior knowledge of the topic. Learners respond to a survey with questions that ask what they think causes climate change, the effects of climate change, and if it is important to...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Greenhouse Gas Emissions — Natural and Human Causes

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What impact do humans have on greenhouse gas emissions? What are the natural causes of these gasses? Thanks to the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide eats away at the earth's atmosphere with the intensified help of humans. Young scientists...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Understanding the Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part instructional activity. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Weather or Not

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What is the difference between weather and climate? This is the focus question of a lesson that takes a deeper look at how weather data helps determine climate in a region. Using weather and climate cards, students decide if a statement...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Recognizing Change (Observation vs. Inference)

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What is the difference between making inferences and making observations? Young climatologists refer to a PowerPoint to make observations on each slide. They record their observations in a provided worksheet before drawing a...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Wrap-up a unit on global climate change with a lesson that examines the causes and effects of climate change. Learners fill out a chart that represents what they think causes climate change—natural and human-based—and what they think...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Are You Bigfoot?

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how our...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Faces of Climate Change

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Sometimes, the best solution to a problem can be found by walking in someone else's shoes. Here, scholars use character cards to take on the roles of people around the world. They determine how their character's life affects our...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Impacts of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.    
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Reflecting on What I Learned About Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
After three eye-opening lessons about our environment, scholars revisit a 10-question survey, reflect on their new-found knowledge, and take action by writing to a representative or creating a public service announcement about climate...

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