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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
Curated OER

Junior Solar Sprint Series: Gears and Drive Belts

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Activate middle schoolers' minds with this physical science activity. Learners vary the diameter of gears and the number of teeth on them to find how energy output is affected. This writeup features well-developed background information...
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Lesson Plan
PHET

Soda Bottle Magnetometer

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Introduce learners to set of complete instructions that describe how to build a magnetometer that works just like the ones professional photographers use to predict auroras. The diagrams are wonderfully descriptive, and the written...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Let's Investigate Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy instructional activity. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Residential Power System

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Perform data analysis on energy consumption to apply algebraic expressions to the real world. Learners will write and solve equations that answer various questions from residential power use. They will collect data at home and calculate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Renewable Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Renewable Energy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of the Atmosphere and Greenhouse Effect in Determining the Surface Temperature of the Earth

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students complete research and solve problems that show the factors that determine the temperature of the earth's surface including the effect of greenhouse gases. They look at the relationships between solar energy, atmosphere, and how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electrolysis of Water

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the electrolysis of water by completing an experiment.  In this water lesson students will explain how hydrogen can be extracted from water and how energy flows through an electrolysis system. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth-Sun-Moon System

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders construct a model of the earth-sun-moon system using students as the sun, moon, and earth. They discuss ways that time is related to the movement of the earth and moon.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Powered Cars

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students build and race solar powered cars after a teacher lecture. They answer questions based on their experiences with the car they build.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Extra-Solar Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water on the Moon

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders evaluate the pros and cons of using a system on the moon.  In this water on the moon lesson students construct a solar water collector and estimate the amount of water in a given sample. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WEAVING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEMATIC UNITS

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the planets by researching and writing a report about one of the nine planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being Nosy About Our Neighbors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the scientific method to explore the effect of size on impact cratering. They compare images of landforms on Earth to those of other planets to compare surface processes. Students infer the geologic history of another...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Puzzling Planets

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students list the order of the planets, describe the general characteristics of each planet and explain why we could not live on other planets without special equipment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the relationship between the Earth and the Sun. They define key vocabulary terms, and in small groups conduct Internet research, exploring a variety of websites. Students answer comprehension questions, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planet Picking

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers arrange the planets according to their distances from the sun. In this astronomy lesson, students list interesting properties about each planet. They identify an unknown planet photo.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Destination Mars!

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders view Mysteries of Earth & Mars Video on DVD and record thoughts in their online journal. They record data in a spreadsheet about each planet then form a theory of the best time to launch a space craft from Earth to land...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Orbit Lesson

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Research (Grades 9-12)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to planetary research and familiarize them with the planets and their features. They see that each planet has unique features. Planets have some common features and that images can be used to study the planets and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DASH Sunrise and Sunset/ Seasons Chart

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders rotate as the person to enter the information of sunrise and sunset into a spreadsheet. The teacher also demonstrates how to convert the spreadsheet into a chart.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moon WebQuest

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research basic information about the moon and identify the phases and order of the phases of the moon. They conduct Internet research, complete a moon WebQuest, and write a magazine article about the moon using their...
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Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Looking Inside Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Researchers use scientific data to understand what is inside each of the planets. The first in a series of six, this instructional activity builds off of that concept by having pupils use a data table to create their own scale models of...

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