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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Learning Lab: The Universe, an Introduction

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Start with the questions all students ask: How big is the universe, how far away are the planets and stars, how did they form and when, how do they move and why? Build on their natural curiosity. The Smithsonian, in cooperation with...
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: How Did the Universe Begin?

For Students 3rd - 8th
Bite-size introduction to two scientists-Hubble and Lemaitre-who played key roles in formulating the theory of the origin of the universe known as the big bang. Includes an interactive timeline on which you can plot out the approximate...
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Graphic
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Gallery: Structure in the Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
The Universe is very diverse and contains many unique elements that can be observed in this gallery of pictures.
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Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Our Solar System: The Universe

For Students 3rd - 5th
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on the Universe and what it is made up of.
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Graphic
California Institute of Technology

Spitzer Space Telescope: Big Galaxy in Baby Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
This image, titled "Big Galaxy in Baby Universe" features an infrared picture in four parts of a distant galaxy. The text under the image details various specifics about the picture.
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Spin a Spiral Galaxy

For Students 9th - 10th
This interactive activity from NOVA Online lets you spin a spiral galaxy, including our own Milky Way. It demonstrates that what you can learn from visible light observations of a galaxy is largely determined by the angle from which you...
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Handout
Ducksters

Ducksters: Astronomy for Kids: Galaxies

For Students 1st - 9th
Kid's learn about the science of Galaxies. Large groups of stars such as the Milky Way throughout the universe are an interesting part of astronomy.
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Article
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: How Big Is the Universe?

For Students 2nd - 8th
Provides facts about the Universe, Jupiter, the Milky Way Galaxy, and Superclusters.
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Website
Other

University of Leicester: Elliptical Galaxies

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a general overview of elliptical galaxies, including a look at what defines an elliptical galaxy, what determines its shape, and it's physical nature.
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Got Calcium?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site has an article on, "The Milky Way galaxy doesn't contain any milk, but it sure does have a lot of calcium. There's enough calcium floating between the stars to fortify trillions about trillions of stars."
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Interactive
A&E Television

History.com: The Space Race: Interactive Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
A virtual journey through space offers photos and facts about Earth and its neighboring planets, comets, other celestial bodies of the Solar System, and the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies.
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Lesson Plan
University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas Mc Donald Observatory: Stars and Galaxies

For Students 9th - 10th
Do galaxies collide? Apply concepts of scale to grasp the distances between stars and galaxies.
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Website
National Earth Science Teachers Association

Windows to the Universe the Milky Way Galaxy

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn what Milky Way galaxy is made of and what it looks like, as well as how it relates to other known galaxies. Read "Questions and answers about the Milky Way" for further information.
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Handout
European Space Agency

European Space Agency: Story of the Universe

For Students 3rd - 8th
The story of the universe is told in this engaging site by the European Space Agency. The history of European space science is timelined with dates ranging from 1066 to present day. The birth of galaxies, the big bang, and the beginnings...
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eBook
Libre Text

Libre Texts: Physics: Dark Matter: Rotation Curve of Galaxy

For Students 9th - 10th
The universe goes beyond the sun. Scientists study the amount of mass in the universe, but they also need to measure it in the far outreaches of the universe that are in the dark. Find out how they measure the mass of the entire universe.
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Handout
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Cosmology: Galaxies

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Cambridge Relativity provides a brief description of the structure of the Milky Way galaxy. The parts described are the disc, bulge, and halo.
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Website
Other

An Atlas of the Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
What does the universe look like? This website offers visitors a collection of images that serve as an "atlas" of our universe. See multiple charts showing the Earth's distance from the Sun and other stars, find helpful terms in a...
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Website
Space Telescope Science Institute

Hubble Site: Secret Lives of Galaxies

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is provided by HubbleSite from NASA. "Telescopes around the world are beginning to harvest new clues to the origin and evolution of the universe's largest building blocks, the galaxies." Site offers links to images, video,...
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Welcome to the World of Multiwavelength Astronomy!

For Students 9th - 10th
This Imagine the Universe site provides an introduction into the multiwavelength universe and astronomy. Site provides graphics, links to a quiz, facts on this topic as well as teacher resources.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Milky Way and Beyond: Globular Clusters

For Students 9th - 10th
Globular clusters, compact groups of about a million stars that move around together in galaxies, are among the oldest objects found in the universe. Since they are found most galaxies and since they've been around for so long, globular...
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Interactive
ACT360 Media

Act Den: Sky Den

For Students 9th - 10th
This journey will help you solve big questions about the universe. You will be able to see beyond human capabilities and will learn what scientists are discovering.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Dark Matter

For Students 9th - 10th
Site provides an introduction to dark matter and what it really is. Provides links to a quiz as well as facts about dark matter. Offers links to additional resources as well as related topics.
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Lesson Plan
University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas Mc Donald Observatory: The Milky Way

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will work in groups to make up a story and picture that explains how someone living thousands of years ago in their location might have explained the Milky Way.
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Unit Plan
Other

Northrop Grumman Corporation: Into the Unknown: Resources

For Students 9th - 10th
The Northrop Grumman Corporation provides numerous resource about outer space and beyond.

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