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Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Plotting a Supernova Light curve

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Supernovas burn for a short time but can give scientists extensive information about the universe. Learners analyze given data about the change in the light magnitude of a supernova. They look for patterns in the data and use them to...
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Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Star In a Box (Paper-Based)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Do stars age gracefully? Young astronomers use colored paper and data on luminosity and temperature to model the changes of a star during its lifetime. They then compare models of stars of different mass and radii. 
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Activity
California Academy of Science

Paper Cup Planetarium

For Students 2nd - 6th Standards
Bring the night sky to your classroom! Using simple materials, learners create flashlight constellations on the wall. They then use their imaginations to create their own star patterns that tell a story.
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Activity
NASA

Speaking in Phases

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Hear from deep space. Pupils learn how satellites transfer information back to Earth. They learn about three different ways to modulate radio waves and how a satellite sends information with only 0s and 1s. Using sound, class members...
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Activity
NASA

Water Works on a Blue Planet

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...
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Activity
NASA

Keeping Nine Eyes on the Weather

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Take a look at climate change from another angle. Readers learn about the MISR instrument on the Terra satellite and how it studies Earth. Pupils experience how the multiple cameras give scientists multiple views so they can better study...
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Activity
NASA

Packing for a L-o-o-o-ng Trip to Mars

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Pack just enough to fit. Crews determine what personal items to take with them on a trip to Mars. Each team must decide what to take with them on a two-and-a-half year trip to Mars and whether their items will fit within the allotted...
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Activity
NASA

Taking Apart the Light

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...
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Activity
NASA

Write the Book on Weather Metrics

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
It's not easy to measure the weather. Pupils learn about what all weather has in common—the atmosphere. Scholars discover how a meteorologists must be able to measure aspects of the atmosphere and decipher the data. They then create a...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

Story Explorers: Evaluate News Coverage

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What makes an issue or event newsworthy? Scholars complete a K-W-H-L chart based on a recent news event. As they complete the chart, small groups collaborate to analyze coverage of the story or event.
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Activity
National Endowment for the Humanities

A Defense of the Electoral College

For Students 9th - 12th
Each presidential election year, the debate about the electoral college rages. Michael C. Maibach's "A Defense of the Electoral College" offers young political scientists an opportunity to examine a reasoned argument for why the...
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Activity
iCivics

Students Power Elections

For Students 9th - 12th
A Students Power Elections resource guide provides would-be voters with the guidance they need to become voters. Included in the packet is information about voter registration and voting, how to research candidates and ballot measures,...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Dispute Over the South China Sea

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Just who owns the South China Sea—and its vast resources—has been a conundrum for decades. Pupils explore the international law and disputes surrounding the resource-rich body of water, as well as China's claims over it. A background...
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Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Persuasive Letters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Sharpen persuasive writing skills while trying to solve a community problem. Learners choose a burning topic and then write letters to persuade others to come around to their views. The provided procedures walk through how to guide the...
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Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Oral History Project

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Get up-close-and-personal with history using guidance for an oral history project. An engaging resource takes pupils through brainstorming through feedback for a project to interview and collect oral histories from members of their...
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Be an Energy Saver

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Small conservation steps can have large impacts. Individuals access an online checklist and rate themselves on their conservation practices. They reflect on current practices and learn about new ways to contribute and how to do better....
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Exploring Variables While Testing and Improving Mint-Mobiles (for Middle School)

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
There are more ways to use mint candies than to just eat them. In groups, learners design and build race cars using mint candies, drinking straws, Popsicle sticks, index cards, and other materials. They decide on an independent variable...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Exploring Variables While Testing and Improving Mint-Mobiles (for High School)

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Mint candies are good for more than just one's breath. Using basic materials such as mint candies, straws, index cards, and Popsicle sticks, scholars create race cars that meet a given budget as well as design constraints. They perform...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Nanotechnology in Action: Organic Electronics

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Even electronics are going organic. Future engineers learn about organic fibers and their uses in electronics and textiles. Specifically, they study graphene and its properties by creating graphite-based fibers in a laboratory setting...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Flight of the Fruit: Weight, Gravity and Imagination

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Beware the falling fruit. Scholars design and build parachutes that can help protect fruit as it falls. They test out their creations, learning about gravity, weight, air resistance, and measurement concepts along the way.
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Create a Compass

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Historically, humans have used many methods of finding due north. Using a hands-on activity, learners create their own compasses. They then test their compasses in their neighborhood or to assist with stargazing.
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Start a Rock Collection

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Rocks hold evidence of Earth's past. A three-step guide describes the process of creating a rock collection. It provides a data collection sheet to make notes about each sample.
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Buried Bones

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Patience is the name of the game. Using Plaster of Paris and chicken bones, learners simulate an archeological dig site. They excavate the chicken bones over a period of several days using tools and a large amount of patience.
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Be a Water Saver

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Everyone must do their part to make a difference. The lesson link provides an 11-item questionnaire to reflect on conservation practices. Simple and straightforward, the lesson is perfect as a remote learning resource or as a tool for an...