Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based lesson. The focus of...

Don't be caught in the dark! Young scientists investigate the causes of both solar and lunar eclipses using an interactive to help them understand the development of an eclipse over time. They then research facts and characteristics...

Pupils explore the relationship between the earth, sun, and moon in our solar system. They create a moonrise/moonset chart, perform a dance that models the moon phases, and create a Styrofoam model of the moon's surface.

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...

Students discover scientific facts about the Moon and how some American Indian Tribes used the moon to measure time. They accomplish this by listening to stories and poetry, writing stories, communicating with an astronaut,...

Students determine the phases of the moon. They observe experiments to formulate explanations for moon phases. Students identify waxing crescent, waning gibbous, and the causes of the phases.

Learners explore space science by conducting an illustration activity. In this lunar instructional activity, students discuss what the moon is and the role it plays for our environment on Earth. Learners view images of the moon and...

Third graders discuss how Aristotle concluded that the Earth was round. As a class, they review theories about the Earth's shape and describe how life on Earth would be different if it were flat. Individually, they make a moon book in...

Learners examine eclipses. In this eclipse activity, students investigate solar and lunar eclipses. Learners complete a WebQuest and write a descriptive summary of eclipses. Lesson references a WebQuest, but does not include a link.

Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.

Students explain the reason for the changes in season. In this instructional activity examining the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, students use an applet to discover how the alignment of the Earth and the Sun cause the...

Learners review the characteristics of the planets and their moons. Using the internet, they research the relationship between the Earth and its moons. They take a template of the moon and draw craters of different colors to present to...

Eighth graders investigate the regular motions of the sun, Earth and the moon and explain how these are related to days, years, seasons, eclipses, tides and moon cycles. They participate in an exercise where they explore the...

Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.

Students participate in activities in which they find the Big Dipper and locate the North Star in the night sky, examine the relationship between the angle to Polaris and latitude, and determine latitude by using an astrolabe.

Students participate in a review unit in Astronomy using the Layered Curriculum. This allows them to take charge of the type of assessment that is given. The method also allows better differentiation of instruction to occur.