There are more than 600,000 asteroids in our solar system. Pupils analyze images of two asteroids in order to determine if they are the same age. They count craters for each asteroid and compare numbers. 

Flash back to 1801 to meet Ceres, the first asteroid discovery! Use a video lesson to learn how careful plotting and measuring led to the discovery of Ceres. Once lost, mapping the orbit led to new astronomy and new mathematics to...

What are asteroids? Broken planets, moons, space debris? Take your young astronomers to the dividing line between our inner and outer planets with an engaging video. The narrator describes both early and current ideas regarding the...

Follow along as host Jessi and her mouse sidekick, Squeaks, examine space's comets and asteroids. Discover what they are made of, their size, where we can find them, and two of the more popular space objects of the group.

Dinosaurs owe their destiny to an asteroid. What are the chances humans will meet the same fate? A fascinating video lesson considers the probability of an asteroid colliding with the earth while taking into account variations in...

It turns out asteroids could be a gold mine—literally! An It's Ok To Be Smart video lesson describes the untapped resources orbiting our solar system. The presenter considers the possibilities of space colonies using these resources as...

We need a source of food to live on another planet. An installment of the extensive SciShow Space series suggests one option, farming on asteroids! Caitlin Hofmeister explains the challenges and benefits of potential future farms. She...

A thought-provoking video about asteroids and a "doomsday asteroid" that may hit Earth in the 2020's is presented here. This program could be used as a way to start a research project about asteroids with your class.

Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final instructional activity of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating...

Solve the ultimate who dunnit mystery: the death of the dinosaurs. Viewers watch an engaging video that describes how the asteroid impact hypothesis came to fruition and the evidence supporting it. The video also explains how life...

Should we be afraid of a large asteroid impact on Earth today? Young scientists estimate the size and composition of an asteroid similar to the one that caused the K-T mass extinction. They apply algebraic formulas to answer questions...

Two different groups of scientists published scientific papers in 1980 offering proof of a large asteroid hitting Earth between the Cretaceous and Tertiary layers of ground. Scholars use a worksheet to analyze the same type of data as...

Students examine the different types of asteroids and how they enter the atmosphere.  In this space activity students use mashed potatoes to create an asteroid they can eat.

Working in groups, learners create a mnemonic device, give an oral presentation, and create a pictorial representation of the correct sequence of the planets and asteroid belt from the sun. An assessment rubric is included in the lesson.

Students explore how to visually identify asteroids in SDSS images. They are able to explain that stars are so far away that they do not appear to move, even over the course of a human lifespan. Students identify the location of most...

Learners examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.

In this asteroid, comet and meteor worksheet, students complete a chart by determining which of 8 given characteristics belong to asteroids, comets or meteors.

How were we, as a planet, effected by ancient asteroid impact? We find that a cosmic impact was responsible for killing the dinosaurs, but it also led to the conditions that made human life possible. This is an informative clip that...

Teams must determine the size of cavern needed to house the citizens of Alabraska to protect them from the asteroid impact. Using scaling properties, teams first determining the number of people that could sleep in a classroom and then...

Taking somewhat of a humorous, paranoid viewpoint, this video explores the question of whether or not space objects are likely to take us out. From asteroids, to the sun dying out, to the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, the...

Can humans really live in space? Which elements and compounds are essential for life? An informative video explores the concept of mining asteroids for important chemicals needed to support life in space. Viewers then identify the...

There are many movies about asteroids destroying Earth and what we, as humanity, do to destroy the asteroid. This video presents the actual plans theorized by NASA. It mentions the pros and cons of each method as well as the reason we...

Can you predict what will happen more than 850 years in the future, down to the exact date? Scientists and mathematicians know exactly when specific asteroids will pass near us or possibly hit us. The video explains how they track the...

Students fill out worksheets on understanding comets, asteroids, and meteors. In this space lesson plan, students view a demonstration using modeling clay to simulate each of these concepts.