Space Awareness
Investigating the Atmosphere - Air Takes Up Space
How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...
Curated OER
Health Issues Related to Space Experiments
Young scholars participate in a science lesson that integrates connections between health issues on Earth and how those issues are related to studies conducted on the International Space Station. T
Curated OER
Spuds in Space
Students explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.
Curated OER
Communication Delay
Construct a maze in your classroom and have a blindfolded scientist act as a space rover, maneuvering unfamiliar terrain while another scientist plays commander. Classmates record the number of occurrences of the commander having to...
NASA
Cleaning Water
From their sweat to the water vapor in their breath, astronauts recycle every possible drop of water while in space. After watching a short video describing the different ways materials are recycled and reused in space shuttles, young...
Curated OER
Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Students investigate...
Curated OER
Science Safari: Energy Resources
Students discover how scientific methods are integral to the creation of energy. In this energy resources lesson, students follow the provided procedures to learn how science impacts energy production.
Curated OER
Space the Next Frontier
Young scholars examine the use of space as the frontier of the future. Using the colonist's experience coming to the New World, they identify challenges they would face if they were to settle in space. As a class, they share what they...
Curated OER
To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before
Students study pictures of space vehicles and make their own space vehicle. In this space vehicle lesson plan, students study pictures of the vehicles and compare and contrast the pictures. Students classify the space crafts and then...
Curated OER
Where We've Been and Where We're Going
Students travel with Christa McAuliffe through space demonstrations. In this space lesson, students follow through the past to the present air travel. Students understand the benefits and problems associated with zero gravity and how it...
Curated OER
Simple Rocket Science
Young scholars demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion. They discuss the history of rockets, observe how a rocket works, and draw a picture and write an explanation of the balloon experiment.
NASA
Cleaning Water
Give young scientists a new appreciation of fresh, clean drinking water. After learning about the ways astronauts recycle their air and water, your class will work in small groups creating and testing their very own water filtration...
NASA
Lava Layering
Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars.
Curated OER
Weather
Students explore the earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate. They begin class with a discussion about weather patterns, atmosphere, and the layers of the earth. After the class discussion, students rotate through four stations to...
Curated OER
Introduction to Gases
Students are introduced to gases. In this science lesson plan, students demonstrate that gases are a state of matter, generate a number of gases, discover some properties of gases, compare some of the properties of different gases, and...
Curated OER
LIFE IN SPACE Human Body: An Un-Earthly Home
Students examine an effect of zero gravity on the human body using a baby food jar, balloons and a jar with a large mouth.
Curated OER
Making Predictions About Measurement
Upper graders experiment with measurement. They estimate the length, volume, and weight of various objects, then rotate through stations making predictions concerning measurements and then testing their predictions.
Curated OER
Weather: It Works, or Not?
Students discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...
Curated OER
Bottle Rocket
Young scholars construct and launch a simple bottle rocket. Working in teams, they construct a simple bottle rocket from 2-liter soft drink bottles and other materials.
Curated OER
Fossil Evidence
Students evaluate each other's fossil imprints and they try to identify the original object. They comprehend the importance of accuracy in identifying a fossil imprint. Students create an answer sheet that has space for the names of the...
Curated OER
Rubber Gardens
Students recycle discarded automobile tires and create gardening sites for limited space areas.
Curated OER
Skateboard Disaster
Students conduct a hands-on experiment with collisions between two skateboards of different masses. They are introduced to the concept of conservation of momentum in collisions and consider how their observations might help engineers...
Curated OER
BOUNCING INFORMATION AROUND
Learners examine how satellite signals are sent and duplicate it with a mirror, flashlight and black paper.
Curated OER
Rocking the Boat
Students work together to discover the concepts of stability and equilibrium. They examine how equilibrium is related to an item's center of mass. They create their own action scene in a literacy activity.