Curated OER
The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural patterns to...
Curated OER
Spacd Day:Probing For Knowledge
Young scholars investigate the uses and purpose of the Hubble telescope. They create a model of the telescope and conduct research about the history behind the invention of it. Students use the information in order to create a context...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Lining up the planets
Students follow cue cards in order to order the planets in the correct order in the solar system. In this planets lesson plan, students work in groups to make a 2D model of the planets.
NASA
Development of a Model: Analyzing Elemental Abundance
How do scientists identify which elements originate from meteorites? Scholars learn about a sample of material found in a remote location, analyzing the sample to determine if it might be from Earth or not. They study elements, isotopes,...
Chicago Botanic Garden
GEEBITT (Global Equilibrium Energy Balance Interactive TinkerToy)
Students use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data to...
Space Awareness
History of the Universe
Your pupils may believe that you and their parents are the oldest things in the universe, but surprise! There are elements of the universe that are even older. Elementary scientists create a class timeline to demonstrate the expansive...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Lost in Space
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.
Curated OER
Paper Rockets
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
Curated OER
Why Do We Have Night?
Learners engage in a fun, creative way to discover how the Earth moves. This lesson helps students explain why there is day and night. It can also create curiosity to further study the solar system and eclipses!
Curated OER
The Sun in Our Lives
Third graders identify the different parts of the sun. In this astronomy lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun's energy drive life processes on Earth. They construct a model of a solar system using large rolls of toilet paper.
Curated OER
Those Changing Theories.
Students investigate the developing theories towards a heliocentric models of the solar system. In this science based instructional activity students explore how science theories change over time based on evidence. Students view...
Curated OER
Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa. In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel.
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Earth, Sun and You
Middle schoolers model Earth's revolution round the sun by walking a mini-globe around a lamp. You will assess whether or not they tilt and rotate the planet properly and that the revolution is counterclockwise. Discussion beforehand...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Gears and Drive Belts
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...
Curated OER
The Earth-Sun-Moon System
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.
Curated OER
Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Classroom Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Students use a concrete model of the Sun and Earth to observe and manipulate a 3-D model of the Sun and Earth.
Curated OER
Discover Magazine: Size and Scale
Students research measurements of the moon and Earth as well as the distance between the two in order to create scale models of the Earth-moon system. With a marble to be used as the moon, they must determine how large to make Earth...
Curated OER
Sweet Candy Comets
Fourth graders use candy to make a comet. In this lesson, 4th graders examine the role comets have played throughout history, students watch NASA videos about comets and complete the lesson by making an edible model of a comet. This...
Curated OER
A View Of Home From The Front Door and From Space
Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...
Curated OER
Being Nosy About Our Neighbors
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...
Curated OER
DASH Sunrise and Sunset/ Seasons Chart
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.
Curated OER
Cosmic Wheels
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.