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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heavens Above

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study the stars and their positions.  In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Starry Night Time and Day Time

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My! What a Sky!

For Teachers 1st
First graders read "Goodnight Moon" or "Day And Night" and discuss what they see in day and night skies. They read and sing lyrics to the "Day and Night" song. They identify objects in the sky as day or night objects. They illustrate day...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sensing the Invisible

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study visible light and explain why we want to use infrared radiation to study Mercury.  In this sunlight instructional activity students construct a device to measure the presence of infrared radiation in sunlight. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day and Night

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Windows to the Universe Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students access the Internet to go on a scavenger hunt to investigate the solar system.  In this space mission lessons students fill out a worksheet  and explain how technology and scientific inquiry have helped us learn about the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mercury

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the planet Mercury and develop an understanding of the planet's composition, geology, and other important characteristics. They explore a Web resource on the planet Mercury which is the central focus of this lesson.
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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

Our Solar System to Scale

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers calculate the diameter of planets and their relative distances.  In this space science lesson, students discover how small or big the planets are in comparison to each other. Middle schoolers use cross multiplying...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth, Sun Mood and Stars Unit (Planets too!)

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders prepare five activities to do then show their energy saving skills.  In this investigative lesson students create five projects then participate in an energy saving demonstration. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does the Distance Between the Earth and Sun Cause the seasons?

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners reflect upon the concepts of seasons. The concepts are taught using a variety of different teaching approaches. A activities lead to a reflection that will help students to make a cognitive transfer of information form...
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Lesson Plan
Voyage Solar System

Round and Round We Go — Exploring Orbits in the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson plan then...
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Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Looking to the Future

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
New Horizons set forth on a mission to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, the spacecraft is still on its way. Here, enthusiastic scholars predict what they will be like—likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.—when New Horizons arrives at its...
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Lesson Plan
Starry Night Education

The Stars

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Three astronomy activities in one resource! Here you will find one hands-on activity, one demonstration, both with discussion questions, and one activity worksheet. During these lessons young scientists discuss how stars are different,...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Climate Zones

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
The climate at the equator is hotter than the climate at the poles, but why? The lesson plan goes in depth, explaining how the angles of illumination relate to the heating rate at different latitudes and seasons. Scholars use a strong...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Words and Comparatives

For Teachers 8th
Which is bigger: the sun or the moon? Which is nearer: the planets or a star? English Language Learners first located a series of space-related nouns and adjectives in a word search, and then identify the comparative and superlative...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth

For Teachers 1st
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System: Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research Mars, read why it is called the Red Planet and find out whether there is or was life on Mars.
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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

Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Lost in Space

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore outer space as they visit the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in order to learn about our solar system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Rotation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the rotation of the Earth as it occurs in the 24 hour cycle. They use models of planets and the globe to make observations of movements made. Students brainstorm prior knowledge and then participate in a demonstration of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moons Of The Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate the solar system and its moons. They conduct research in groups to find information. Also the teacher uses models of the planets in order to teach different facts about the solar system through the use of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy Merit Badge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore astronomy through the Starry Night Constellation Adventure software. They print star charts and identify constellations. They sketch the Big Dipper and describe the Milky Way. They list the five most visible...

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