Curated OER
Three D Constellations
Students are introduced to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder. They convert spherical coordinates to Cartesian coordinates to construct a three dimensional model of a constellation...
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The Quiz Game
Students are split into teams. Students travel to the stars lesson on a given web site and gather information about stars. Students then choose a category for the tag board that the teacher has made. The teacher asks a question and...
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Myths and Legends
Eighth graders write a myth about a constellation that is seen from the night sky in South Carolina. They draw a picture of their constellation to attach to their myth. They scan their pictures and type their stories into a web page...
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It's Still Polaris
Students observe the changing night sky over the course of an evening and chart the circumpolar stars as they traverse the sky in a progression around Polaris. They infer and discuss the cause of the changing star positions.
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StarDarts
Young scholars divide into groups of four or five and distribute materials to design StarDarts by drawing and cutting out 6-8 cardstock stars, each about one and a half inches across. They decorate their stars with phosphorescent paint...
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Pineapple Stars
Students watch a demonstration on how to create pineapple stars. As a class, they review the different types of fabrics and the best ones to use for this activity. They share their creation with the class and ask for constructive...
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How to be a Great Navigator!
Students, through teacher lecture and class discussion, explore historical methods of navigation: dead reckoning and celestial navigation.
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Luisa's Steller Evolution Lab
Students examine stars and constellations in the night sky. They complete a KWL chart and calculate the mass of stars. They also discuss how a star is formed.
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Mars: Off the Charts--Until You Put It There
Students explore the night sky and make illustrations which are shared in class the next day. Distinctions are made between the stars and the planets and views of the constellations for the season are made available. The work of early...
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How Long Would It Take To Travel To the Stars?
Students consider the amount of time that it would take to get to the star, Sirius using various modes of transportation, some practical and some whimsical. The practicality of physically going to another star system is explored in this...
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Palm use in Astronomy
Students identify and recall common constellations by using a palm pilot with astronomy software. Students will use their Palm to assist them in correctly identifying constellations using a telescope.
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Observing Mars in the Night Sky
High schoolers compare and contrast the orbits of Earth and Mars, locate the planet Mars, and diagram its retrograde motion.
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SIMPLY STARS
Students produce quilting stars that challenge students with unusual piecing situations, and the sampler format allows quilters to create freely with unusual fabric combinations.
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Take a Spin Through the Solar System
Second graders participate in a variety of activities to explore the Solar System in this unit.
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Astronomy: A Star Party
High schoolers explain the functions of a telescope. They name the parts of the telescope. After previously learning the planets and constellations, students identify and view them during a star party.
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The Mystery Constellation
Students decipher two teacher chosen mystery constellations a month. They listen to stories, explain what they know about constellations and name the mystery constellation.
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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.