Virginia Department of Education
Solar System Model
How many planets can you name? Did you get all 13 in our solar system, including the dwarf planets, or were you surprised when you read there are 13 planets? The instructional activity helps scholars understand the scale of the universe...
Teach Engineering
Air Under Pressure
Introduce your class to air masses and how they affect the weather with a activity that focuses on the differences between high and low air pressure systems. The class explores actual weather data using archived weather data.
Curated OER
Geometry In Space
Students Fulfill the requirements of Texas Standards as it relates to math and science. In this circle lesson, students identify the arcs and angles of a circle as it relates to Pi. They solve real life scenarios using space as an example.
Curated OER
Global Change- Earth as Home
Students create their own environment. For this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
Curated OER
Blame It On El Nino
Learners understand what the weather phenomenon El Nino is and what causes it. Students recognize how remote sensing technology can detect and predict El Nino. Learners discover how El Nino effects weather conditions throughout the globe...
Curated OER
How Hot is that Star?: Astronomy, Sun, Solar Temperature, Science
Students explain sun facts and solar information. They discover how temperature of a star is measured. They investigate the various scales used to measure temperature. They observe images of the sun. They classify stars according to te
Curated OER
Satellites and the Radiation Budget
Students engage in a prelab discussion about the earth's radiation budget and global warming. They use "trading cards" to find specific websites to research radiation budget questions.
University of Colorado
Phases of Charon
Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, was discovered in 1978. Lesson is a walk through of how to solve for the phases of Charon. It uses two different points on Pluto and takes into account the tilt of the pole, the rotational axis, and...
Curated OER
What's The Weather?
Students explore the role that remote sensing plays in predicting our weather. Students investigate weather websites, and read about the three kinds of clouds. Students record and draw their observations in science journals.
Curated OER
Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
PHET
The Sun: Pre- and Post-Assessment
Want to see how far pupils have come since the beginning of the unit? This activity is designed to be a pre- and post-assessment for a unit on the Sun. The first in a series of 18 that can be combined to form a complete unit. Two...
Curated OER
The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning
Students see how NASA scientists are studying the circadian timing system to improve astronaut's physical and mental tasks while working in space. They demonstrate how fractions, decimals, and percents are related.
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Curated OER
Basic Ideas of Inheritance
Students enter personal information into a database. The information is used to reinforce the ideas of inheritance that is found in 1st Grade Science. Access to technology is essential for this lesson. Adding the use of a mirror for...
Curated OER
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Fact Sheet
For this space worksheet, pupils will read facts about Mars and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Students will also find 24 space related words in a word search.
Curated OER
Homemade Barometer
To reinforce the action of air pressure, have your meteorology pupils construct a barometer. They place the barometer into a closed system, a miniature atmosphere if you will, and notice the movement of the needle on the homemade...
Curated OER
Soil Water Worksheet #1
Drawings of four groups of soil particles of varying sizes are displayed across the page for soil scientists to examine. As they complete the worksheet, place a set of similar soils at each table for hands-on experience. In this way,...
Curated OER
Soaring Through Space With a Kid Pix Slide Show
First graders create a slide show on Kid Pix about space. For this space lesson plan, 1st graders will explore the earth, sun, moon, and planets. After exploring their motions and locations around the sun, they create a 4 page slide show...
Curated OER
Earth
First graders define what a planet is and study the planet earth. They examine the effects of the sun on the earth and make a model.
Curated OER
How Can a Spacecraft Always Face the Sun?
Students determine the correct orbital path for a satellite that collects data about the sun so that its view of the sun never be obstructed by the Earth.
Curated OER
Nutrition in Space
Students discover the importance of a healthy diet during space travel and examine the physiological changes astronauts experience while in space. In groups, they develop questions to determine an astronaut's food intake and identify...
Curated OER
Astronauts Train in Deep-Space Brine
Students examine an article on astronauts training in deep space brine then discuss what they learned. For this investigative lesson students get into groups and design an exercise that includes isolation, silence and conflict resolution.
Curated OER
Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit
Pupils study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed. In this Earth's orbit instructional activity students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
National Wildlife Federation
Wherefore Art Thou, Albedo?
In the sixth lesson in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with connections to the...