Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...
Curated OER
An Internet Lesson on the Planets
Sixth graders research one of the planets in the solar system based on questions that they develop using information from the Internet. They create a travel brochure using the research information.
Illustrative Mathematics
Eratosthenes and the Circumference of the Earth
The class gets to practice being a mathematician in ancient Greece, performing geometric application problems in the way of Eratosthenes. After following the steps of the great mathematicians, they then compare the (surprisingly...
Journey Through the Universe
Voyage of Discovery
Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...
NASA
Dark Matter NASA Conference
Young scholars calculate the escape velocity of planets in our solar system and use that knowledge to calculate the escape velocity for NGC 2300 group. They then suggest reasons for the escape velocity to be higher than possible given...
Curated OER
Earth
First graders define what a planet is and study the planet earth. They examine the effects of the sun on the earth and make a model.
Curated OER
Earth's Hydrologic Cycle
Young scholars examine the water cycle. In this hydrologic cycle lesson, students follow the provided procedures to demonstrate the how water moves around the planet through the dynamics of the water cycle.
Curated OER
Measure the Earth's Circumference
Students explore geometry by conducting a science experiment. In this circumference measurement lesson, students review the Greek geographer Eratosthenes who first discovered the circumference of our planet. Students utilize...
Curated OER
Destination Red Planet
Students explore reasons why people are interested in exploring other planets. After reading an article, they identify developments in the mission to Mars. Using the internet, they research the history of exploring Mars and create a...
Curated OER
Not So Lost in Space
Students investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times and...
Curated OER
Modeling the Solar System
Young scholars build a scaled model of the solar system. In this space science instructional activity, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and...
Curated OER
Space and Science Fiction
Use the Franklin Institute's exhibition "An Inquirer's Guide to the Universe" to have students research ideas for a science fiction story. After completing their research, writers will compose science fiction stories that incorporate...
Curated OER
Gelatin Volcanoes
Students investigate magma flow using gelatin volcano models. In this earth science lesson, students sketch the magma bodies as observed from the top of their model. They explain why magma moves that way.
Science 4 Inquiry
A Whole New World: The Search for Water
Scholars find Earth won't support humans much longer and need to identify a planet with water to inhabit. They test four unknown samples and determine which is the closest to water. Then they explain and defend their results.
Curated OER
Making Regolith
You may not be able to take a field trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean your class can't study moon rocks. Using graham crackers as the moon's bedrock and powdered donuts as micrometeorites, young scientists simulate...
Curated OER
Solar System Hall Model
Not novel, but fun, this lesson gets your space science learners to model the size of the planets and the solar system along your school's hallway. Scaled measurements as well as actual distances are provided for both planet diameters...
Curated OER
Planet Interiors
Students compare and contrast the Earth's interior with 2 other planets by looking at images on the computer. For this planet interiors lesson plan, students write a paper about their findings.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: I Am Planet Earth
Pupils discover the meaning of tier two vocabulary words. In this vocabulary instructional activity, students read I Am Planet Earth, listening for 3 pre-select tier two vocabulary words. Words are defined by the teacher and pupils...
Curated OER
Solar System: Earth
Students research Earth including what makes it suitable for life, its rotation, geological composition and gravity.
Curated OER
Introduction to Earth's Dynamically Changing Climate
Students identify the most common causes of global warming. For this earth science lesson, students use an interactive website to explore changes over time in sea ice, sea level, carbon emissions, and average global temperature. They...
Curated OER
The Path to Mars
Students compare the similarities between both Earth and Mars. In this space lesson students use the Internet for research and to obtain geographical pictures of both planets. Students then analyze the pictures of both planets and...
Curated OER
Planet Protectors
Students explore ways to protect the earth. In this environmental issues and technology lesson, students investigate the water quality in their community and compare their findings to the water quality in other geographic...
Curated OER
Scale Models to Planet Size
Students consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale lesson, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
Curated OER
Heating the Earth
Students explore how the angle of sunlight affects the Earth's temperature and seasons and then apply this understanding to their local situation.