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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planet/Constellation Mobile

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students construct three-dimensional solar system mobiles.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gross Motor Development

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in a game reflecting the solar system, stars, and rockets. They simulate how space invaders move and hit stars and rockets. They discuss how scientists study the stars and planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quiz: Astronomy

For Teachers 3rd
In this science worksheet, 3rd graders will focus on various aspects of astronomy. Students will respond to ten questions all pertaining to stars, constellations, planets, and our solar system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

And a Star to Steer Her By: A Field Trip Guide for the Planetarium Show

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
In this field trip study guide for the planetarium show lesson, students construct a model of the Earth and describe the relative positions of the continents using latitude and longitude. Students construct a star chart to find...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Data Plots of Exoplanet Orbital Properties

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Scientists discovered the first exoplanet in 1995 and by early 2018, they confirmed the existence of more than 3,700—that's a lot of data! As part of the PBS 9-12 Space series, scholars interpret data about exoplanets. They compare...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
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Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Is There Anyone Out There?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
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. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hubble Space Telescope Webquest

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars research the Hubble Space Telescope. In this Hubble Space Telescope instructional activity, students complete a webquest about the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy and Me: Moons Over New Haven

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. In this astronomy lesson, 3rd graders explore the different phases of the moon using an interactive online website. They compare and contrast the features of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Quest: Exploring the Constellations

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine constellations and planets through completing various activities. Students work individually and in groups to create drawings based on stars, compare and contrast the night sky with and without a telescope and learn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the planets and celestial bodies in our solar system. In this outer space lesson, students identify the planets and record journal information about them and other celestial bodies. Students define outer space words.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meteorites

For Teachers 1st - 11th
Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. In this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gazing At Cosmic Pinballs

For Teachers K - 1st
Students explore the world of stars. They see that the color of a star tells how hot or cold it is, that stars come in different sizes. and that stars are moving through space. They draw lines connecting start to star.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Drake Equation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other than...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Illustrate the Constellations

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore space science by participating in a star identification activity. In this astronomy lesson plan, students identify different star patterns and discuss the movement of stars across the sky as the seasons change. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitable Zones

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students focus on stellar luminosities to estimate size of habitable zones, map out habitable zone around hot light bulbs that serve as models of stars, investigate how size of model "habitable zone" around light bulbs depends on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet the Neighbors: Planets Around Nearby Stars

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners explain why a transiting planet causes a periodic dimming in the light from its parent star. They determine the radius of a planet, and its orbital distance, by analyzing data and manipulating equations. Students compare the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Science: Journey Through the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the Solar System and examine the characteristics of al the planets. Through research and discussion, they create catalogs of the Solar System's components. Next, students use their findings to create Powerpoint...
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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
Curated OER

The Planet Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space - In Your Face or Not?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders, in groups, examine how it doesn't matter if they can see the planets in the solar system or not--they're there.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonizing the Stars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers compare and contrast the size, composition and surface features of the nine planets of our solar system with the possible sizes and compositions of extra -solar planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Trader and Economics

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use handheld computer with the appropriate software to explore economic skills. They purchase and sell items, travel to planets, and earn enough money to purchase a moon by playing a computer based game.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A DISAPPEARING ACT Astronomy: Do Stars Always Shine?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students observe why stars are not visible during the day with a classroom demonstration using an index card punched with holes.