California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars
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...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
American Museum of Natural History
Space Travel Guide
Scholars showcase their narrative writing skills with a science fiction writing assignment. Six pages present writers with a question to answer accompanied by a detailed picture to draw. All together, pages create a space-travel guide.
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
Center for Math and Science Education
Solar System Launch
Trying to understand the vastness of outer space can be quite a challenge for young scientists. Help put things in perspective with this cross-curricular activity as students work in pairs creating scaled models of...
Center for Math and Science Education
Pocket Solar System
How in the world can something as big as the solar system possibly fit in your pocket? Complete this simple modeling activity and find out, as young scientists gain an appreciation for the incredible scale of outer space.
Star Date
Solar System Scale Model Demonstration
Explore outer space and decorate your classroom with an astronomy project. Learners create a visual model with the creation of a scaled solar system using different sized balls.
New Mexico State University
Lab 6: Kepler's Laws
A 15-page package thoroughly teaches your physics or astronomy learners about Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. Each one is stated and explained. Class members answer questions, solve problems, and participate in the classic...
SciShow Kids
Make a Moon Puzzle! #sciencegoals
Craft a moon puzzle with the help of an energetic and captivating video. Listen and watch while the host demonstrates the step-by-step process and includes a plethora of useful information about the moon.
SciShow Kids
Create Constellation Flash Cards #sciencegoals
Get the inside scoop on constellations from Jessi and Sam the Bat in a captivating video that also supports study skills using flashcards.
NASA
Eclipse Activity Guide
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...
Discovery Education
Satellite Telemetry
Satellites require rockets to launch, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand them. Future engineers learn about how satellites send data to Earth and how to interpret satellite images. They see how radio waves play a role...
NASA
Taking Apart the Light
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Einstein Stationary
No need to be an Einstein for this project! Clever crafters add their name, address, and country to three Einstein-themed templates and create their own, personalized stationary. A great way to stay connected while social distancing.
Curated OER
Make A Comet
Students make a comet out of corn syrup, ammonia, dirt, ice cream sticks, and more. In this comet lesson plan, students view how these ingredients turn from a solid to a gas.
University of California
At Home Astronomy: Hands on Science Experiments for the Entire Family
A collection of ten hands-on science experiments for the entire family that will help you understand concepts in astronomy. Make an astrolabe, find the size of the sun and moon, build a lunar settlement, find out about meteoroids, shadow...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Craters and Meteorites
Have you ever heard that the moon is made of cheese? Even though the craters on the surface of the moon resemble holes in Swiss cheese, we know that this common myth is not true. Find out how craters are formed and why they are different...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Observatory Satellite Measures Motion of Coronal Mass Ejection
The sun sometimes releases huge bursts of electrified gases into space. These bursts are called coronal mass ejections (or CMEs). When CMEs are directed towards Earth they can generate auroras, the spectacular atmospheric displays also...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejections With Solar Sunspot Cycle
Scientists have known for hundreds of years that sunspot activity waxes and wanes over a cycle that lasts approximately 11 years. In the 1970's, scientists discovered that the sun periodically blasts electrified gases into space, in huge...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Catching Stardust
How do astronomers collect stardust? They design and build satellites that are launched into space to collect particles on specially designed panels. Satellites can be sent to orbit around an object of interest: a planet, moon, or comet....
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Find Center of Milky Way Galaxy Using Globular Star Clusters
The Milky Way is the edgewise view of our home galaxy, a disk made up of billions of stars. The Sun resides on one of the spiral arms of the disk, 30,000 light-years from the thick hub of the galaxy. The actual center, with a black hole...
NASA
Nasa: Make a Star Finder
Learning game and activity that teaches about the constellations by making a star finder to help locate them.
Read Works
Read Works: Alien Planets
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction piece discusses the discovery of previously unknown planets in the solar system. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies...