We are the world! Each of your class members models Earth and holds a styrofoam ball to see its phases. Thorough teacher background information and a detailed lesson plan will make this a cinch to teach. If you do not want to purchase...

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 activity. The focus...

Have you ever wanted to turn off gravity? This simulation allows learners to do just that in addition to altering other variables. Scholars can move the sun, Earth, moon, and space station to see how distance affects gravitational pull....

Young scholars investigate the different phases of the moon.  In this lunar cycle lesson, students create models of the sun, earth and moon and investigate why we observe the moon the way we do.  Young scholars observe a...

In 150 BC, Seleucus of Seleucia theorized that the moon causes the tides. Scholars learn about what causes tides by studying the interactions of gravity between the sun, moon, and Earth. They use technology to formalize otherwise...

Students explore the earth's rotation and phases of the moon. In this planets activity, students rotate and revolve around a light representing the sun. Students use movement and props to simulate what causes the phases of the moon as...

Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...

If you feel like you're standing still, you're wrong! The Earth is constantly rotating and orbiting under our feet. Demonstrate the Earth's movement within the solar system with a collaborative activity. With a candle or lamp in the...

The moon takes just over 27 days to orbit around Earth. Young scientists position themselves as the earth as they rotate around the sun and hold the moon. This allows them to observe the patterns and phases of the moon.

Researchers think they have evidence of a new planet deep in our solar system that is the size of Neptune and orbits the sun far beyond Pluto. The orbit simulator shows the orbits of our well-known planets, as well as Pluto and the comet...

How did the 2017 eclipse look in Los Angeles—or Chicago? Experience both views, plus many more, using a lesson from PBS's Space series for middle schoolers. Scholars follow the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth during the most recent...

Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. For this astronomy lesson, 3rd graders explore the different phases of the moon using an interactive online website. They compare and contrast the features of the...

Third graders explore the rotation of Earth and the moon. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders participate in an Earth and moon simulation in which part of the class "becomes" the sun, while other children represent the moon by...

Learners simulate how the Moon causes ocean tides. In this earth science lesson, students calculate gravitational acceleration using a mathematical formula. They compare the force of attraction between the Earth, Moon and Sun system.

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...

Pupils investigate that the sun is at the center of the solar system through role play. One student is the sun and one student is the Earth. The students then show how the Earth orbits around the sun. Pupils view a flashlight and globe...

Second graders distinguish the different phases of the moon. In this astronomy lesson, 2nd graders study the history of its discovery and myths about its origin. They simulate how the moon's surface is illuminated by the sun.

Third graders construct a model of the earth-sun-moon system using students as the sun, moon, and earth. They discuss ways that time is related to the movement of the earth and moon.

Didn't catch the last solar eclipse? Now every day can be eclipse day, thanks to an interactive lesson from PBS' Space series for middle schoolers! The well-rounded multi-media experience includes video clips, an interactive, and...

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what constellation you were seeing or whether that bright object was a star or a planet? Are you searching for the best tilt-to-view constellation and planet app that money can't buy?...

Sixth graders role play the parts of the sun, the moon and the Earth as they simulate the concepts of revolution and rotation. They act out the parts in small groups and discuss the concepts as a class.

Ignore the full moon, it's just a phase. Young scholars observe and record the moon during a full cycle before learning to predict future phases. Then the instructor leads a discussion on the other solar system objects that...

Jupiter has 67 moons! As the seventh in a series of 22, the exercise shows learners the size and scale of Jupiter and its Galilean moons through a model. They then arrange the model to show how probes orbited and gathered data.

Students discover the relationship between the sun and Earth.  In this weather lesson plan, students examine the effect of the sun on the Earth's seasons.  Students complete a weather activity using props to simulate the sun...