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Space Exploration
Young scholars explore different planets of our solar system. Students gather specific information on each of the planets. Young scholars choose suitable planet for colonization.
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Try This On For Size!
Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...
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Our Solar System
Students explore the solar system on the internet and video programs. They investigate the names of each planet and their places in the solar system. They chose their favorite planet and design an advertisement to sell a vacation to...
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The Toilet Paper Solar System
Students classify the planets in the solar system, study planetary objects, and measure the relative distance between planets. In this solar system lesson, students use toilet paper to complete a scale model of the distance between the...
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The Solar System and the Forces Behind It
Sixth graders discover why planets stay in orbit. In groups, they use everyday materials to examine the effect of gravity of objects and calculate how mass changes based on gravitational pull. To end the activity, they discuss how...
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On Jupiter
Students tour Jupiter. In this scenario based lesson, students examine the size of Jupiter and make models of the other planets in the solar system to show how large Jupiter is compared to the other planets.
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Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
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Exploring the Solar System
Students are introduced to the nine planets and countless moons of the solar system. Using the internet, they research one of the planets to determine if a manned mission to the planet would be possible. They share their information...
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Our Solar System
Third graders describe the composition of our solar system. They recognize the names of the planets in our solar system and compare and contrast the nine planets that orbit the sun.
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The Voyage Scale
Students identify how models are powerful tools of exploration and that the sizes of the planets and distances between the planets in the Solar System span a large range. They make a sign for each planet they have created in the lesson...
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The Discovery of the Solar System
Pupils study the ideas behind the heliocentric theory of Copernicus. They examine about retrograde motion of the planets as they move around the sun. They study astronomers who include Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Galileo.
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
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The Sun's habitable Zone
High schoolers explore the average surface temperature of planets. They use the Planet Temperature Calculator to find the average temperature. Students explore how the distance from the sun affects the Earth's average surface...
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Earth
Fourth graders have a spatial awareness of the plants by orally discussing what they saw after they stepped out the model of the solar system. They recognize the similarities and differences between Earth and the other planets by being...
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Mars Curriculum
Pupils study Mars and other plants in the night sky. In a planetarium setting using Digitarium planetarium system, students identify the Big Dipper and Polaris. They explore the major differences between the planets and the stars. ...
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Space Science: Locating Voyager 6
Sixth graders, in groups,create fact sheets about a lost space craft. Using data charts and additional compiled information, other teams of students attempt to locate the craft based on the clues given. In groups, 6th graders compile...
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Fractions, Decimals, and Gravity
Pupils discuss how weight is directly related to gravitational force on a planet. Students then choose Space Traveler as companion and compute how much their guide weighs on various planets, based on each planet's relative surface...
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Objects in the Solar System
Eighth graders define a planet by the orbit around the sun, have a large enough gravitational force to hold a sphere shape and needs to clear the neighboorhood of it own orbital zone. They describe comets, meteoroids, meteor, meteorites...
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Distance in Space
Sixth graders explore space science by measuring distances between planets. In this solar system lesson, 6th graders view a Bill Nye video and discover the conversion between the metric system and imperial measuring systems. Students...
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What on Earth is Greater Than?
Students compare things that are greater than, less than, or equal to, compare the Earth to other planets, and list planets from greatest size to smallest size.
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Out of This World (Solar System)
Fifth graders, in groups, create a pictorial model of the solar system and place the planets in correct order.
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Ordinal Numbers Are Out of This World
First graders identify and write ordinal numbers by following the sequence the school bus followed during a field trip to the nine planets in the solar system. This is based on the book The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System.
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American Idol Presents: Solar System Night
Students explore facts about the solar system. They conduct research, and compose lyrics to well-known songs about one of the planets or various members of the solar system.
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MARS Dead or Alive
Students describe the design and construction of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs). They imagine that they can visit Mars and think about what they want to find out about the planet. The review the solar system and discuss distances...