Curated OER
Modeling the Seasons
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
NASA
Eclipse Activity Guide
Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...
Star Date
Modeling the Night Sky
Dramatize the stars and planets as they become a visual representation of the solar system in this activity. Young astronomers track and simulate various constellations as they orbit the Earth to learn the position and motion of objects...
International Technology Education Association
Singin' the Black and Blues
How does the color of the sky change from blue to reds and oranges to black? An illuminating lesson explains how light travels through different mediums using the sun's light as an example. By examining diagrams and illustrations, pupils...
Curated OER
Azimuth and Altitude
Students use a compass and their hands to find positions of stars and planets in the night sky or of the sun during the day.
Curated OER
Unit VIII Worksheet 5: Circular Motion
Seven problems send physics stars out of this world! Challenge learners to calculate centripetal force, time to complete revolutions, circular speed, and acceleration. They also are asked to explain scenarios and draw a force diagram for...
Curated OER
The Solar System and Beyond
Survey the solar system by viewing this PowerPoint. Amateur astronomers discover that gravity is responsible for Earth's orbit around the sun and the moon's orbit around Earth. They explore the moon's phases and Earth's seasons. This...
Curated OER
No Shadow of Doubt
Fifth graders must use a pencil to draw in the shadows they think will be formed by a house, a greenhouse, and a tree. The sun is behind each of these objects, and an open field is in front of them. That's where pupils draw their...
Can Teach
Groundhog Day Songs and Poems
This Groundhog Day add a bit of rhythm and rhyme with 23 songs and poems that put a spotlight on the holiday's shining star, the groundhog.
Khan Academy
Challenge: Parting Clouds
Let the sun shine as your young coders move the clouds across the sky while practicing animation coding skills in JavaScript. Younger learners may benefit from more guided help or a whole-class discussion before trying this coding task.
University of Colorado
Looking Inside Planets
All of the gas giant's atmospheres consist of hydrogen and helium, the same gases that make up all stars. The third in a series of 22, the activity challenges pupils to make scale models of the interiors of planets in order to...
Prestwick House
Romeo and Juliet
What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet? Who is the rich count who wants to marry Juliet? The 24 clues in a crossword puzzle test readers' knowledge of the events in Shakespeare's famous play of two young star-crossed lovers.
Curated OER
An Interview with Mr. Sol
Students explore the sun, the galaxy, and planets. As an introduction to a class discussion of the sun, students perform a skit. They discuss the elements that make up the sun, stars and planets.
Curated OER
Bouncing Sunlight
Third graders use flashlights and balls to demonstrate how the light bounces off of the sun and reflects onto the moon. They record their observations in a journal.
Curated OER
Distance And Parallax
Students will determine distances to nearby stars using parallax. In this Astronomy lesson plan, students will use a web program, trigonometry, and sketches to determine the distance of stars.
Curated OER
Modeling Celestial Motion
In this modeling celestial motion worksheet, learners fill in the blank about the motion of celestial bodies: planets and stars. Students complete the blanks with information about the scientists and philosophers responsible for early...
Curated OER
Measuring the Speed of Light
Learners explore physics by completing measurement problems in class. In this speed of light lesson, students discuss the importance of knowing the speed of light and how it affects many aspects of human life on Earth. Learners identify...
Curated OER
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Students examine the relationship between temperature and brightness. In this astronomy lesson students will correlate the evolution of stars to the HR diagram plotted.
Curated OER
Timing An X-ray Pulsar
Students use X-ray data to identify an object as a rotating neutron star, and determine its period of rotation. They use XTE observations of the Crab Pulsar to determine the period of the light intensity, interpret this period as the...
Curated OER
The Quiz Game
Learners are split into teams. Students travel to the stars lesson on a given web site and gather information about stars. Learners then choose a category for the tag board that the teacher has made. The teacher asks a question and...
Curated OER
Six Insect Legs
Students observe and discuss the sun's position in the sky. They explore the number six, read various number books, and create the number six page for a counting book.
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt
Students study a research telescope to obtain quantitative information about these objects. They use the SkyServer Navigation Tool to identify objects and record celestial coordinates. In addition, they associate star brightness and...
Curated OER
Solar System Bead Distance Activity
Students create a scaled solar system model using colorful beads. In this space science activity, students convert AU units into metric measurements. They arrange the planets according to their distances from the sun.
Curated OER
The Earth, Sun, Moon, And Stars
Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...