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The Phases of the Moon
Students sketch the different phases of the moon after exploring them on an internet program. In this moon phases lesson plan, students discuss how the Sun, Earth, and Moon are related.
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Tides
Students discover how the position of the Sun, Moon and Earth affect tides. In this science lesson, students view a presentation about the tides. Students discuss the different types of tides.
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
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Unveiling the Secrets of Saturn
Students read and study an article then answer questions on Saturn. In this investigative instructional activity students identify ways space exploration has helped humanity and then they search the Internet for space pictures and...
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Exploring the Planets
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. In this astronomy based instructional activity, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the...
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Four Seasons
First graders examine and describe the characteristics of the four seasons. Using a computer, they write one sentence about each of the four seasons and draws an illustration to accompany it. They present each drawing and sentence to the...
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Seeing Interference Fringes with a Telescope
High schoolers construct an interferometer using a simple telescope. In this physics lesson, students explain how light waves create the fringe patterns. They observe patterns made by different objects in the sky and compare them.
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Powers of 10
Students explore universe, and examine how big it really is and how scientists measure the distances or sizes of things by estimating sizes of different objects and reading and writing numbers in scientific notations.
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How Far Away Is Saturn?
Students work together to create a scale model of the solar system. They write a descriptive paper and a paper comparing and contrasting the Earth to Saturn. They discuss their writings with the class.
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The Farther Away You Are, The Faster Away You Move
Young scholars explore linear relationships. The lesson uses science to develop an understanding of the expanding Universe. There are 3 Labs, only 2 of which are required. Lab C is an enrichment for higher level classes.
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Our Solar System
Students investigate the coincidental parade of planets and witness dramatic views of the solar system by researching websites and participating in online activities. They write about their findings.
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The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
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(S-4) The Many Colors of Sunlight
Students observe and explore the characteristics of light.
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Mass
Students participate in a qualitative discussion of the distinction between weight and mass, followed by a description of astronaut mass measurements in a zero-g environment.
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Students demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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The Guest Investigator Puzzle
Students conduct a brief astrophysics lab matching the EUVE spectra of various kinds of "mystery" stars with the spectra of known stars taken at Extreme Ultraviolet and optical wavelengths to determine their type.
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Are There Other Neighborhoods Like Our Own?
Students investigate the possibility of life existing on other planets. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The instructional activity includes an overview that is used for classroom discussion practices. They tell the...
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A Model of the Sun's interior
Students create a three-dimensional model of the sun. In this solar system lesson, students design a scale model of the sun using plasticine.
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Planetary Research (Grades 9-12)
High schoolers are introduced to planetary research and familiarize them with the planets and their features. They see that each planet has unique features. Planets have some common features and that images can be used to study the...
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The Phases of the Moon
Students view an applet to study the phases of the Moon in relation to the orientation of the sun, moon, and Earth.
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Studying Shadows
Students measure shadows and explore the altitude of the sun. In this sun instructional activity students will graph the length of shadows and solar altitude against time.
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Constellation Projections
Students draw constellations. In this astronomy lesson, students create constellations from star groupings projected on a chalk board. Students connect the "stars" to create a pattern on the board. Student can create new groupings of...
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Project SETI.
Tenth graders study how to search for life in outer space and make use of the 40-foot radio telescope at Greenbank, West Virginia. Request that the telescope be pointed at a particular location and time and receive data back from it...
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Make it Yourself Constellation Finder
Students identify constellations with and without a constellation finder. In this creating constellations lesson students construct a constellation finder to help them to identify the constellations.