Curated OER
Knowing North: Understanding the Relationship Between Time and The Sun
Students determine how to find North using a watch and their shadow. In this finding North lesson, students go outside on a sunny day and work with their shadow and a wrist watch to find out which direction that North is. They examine...
Smarter Balanced
Renewable Energy
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are the focus of a series of activities that prepare learners for a performance task assessment on energy. Groups identify the various sources of energy and classify these sources as either...
Curated OER
How Far Away is SOHO?
Students create a scale model of the Earth and the sun that demonstrates where the SOHO satellite is in relation to the Earth.
Curated OER
Astronomy and Me: Moons Over New Haven
Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. In 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...
Curated OER
Space Science
Eighth graders study the objects in our solar system. In this space lesson students identify and describe planets, then classify them as terrestrial or gaseous.
Curated OER
Local Weather And Location
Students explain how uneven heating of Earth affects wind and water currents. They describe the limits on current technology in predicting weather and how the Water Cycle is related to local weather.
Curated OER
Using a Sundial
Students examine the use of a sundial to tell apparent time. In this sundial lesson plan, students watch a teacher demonstration using a flashlight to create shadows. They discuss what happens to shadows of different objects as the...
Curated OER
Modeling Day and Night
Students complete a science experiment to study the role of night and day on sleep patterns. In this sleep patterns lesson, students brainstorm about night and day and the causes for the rotations on Earth. Students work in groups to...
Curated OER
What's Happening With the Moon?
Students review the process of scientific inquiry. Using this information, they identify the patterns and cycles of the moon as it revolves around the Earth. In groups, they model the phases of the moon from the Earth and Sun's...
Curated OER
The Sun
In this sun worksheet, learners label the interior and outer features of the sun plus compare the sun to other stars. This worksheet has 7 fill in the blank and 6 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Sunlight and Warm Air
Pupils discuss radiant energy from the sun, performing a simple experiment with sun glasses and bright light to demonstrate the concept. Students further participate in simple in-class experiments to demonstrate: air density as it...
Curated OER
Light and Shadows
In this earth science worksheet, students examine 6 pictures that show the sun in relation to a tree. They also see a clock and the time. They look at the position of the sun and draw the shadow of the tree in the proper position.
Curated OER
The Solstices
Compare surface temperatures when the solstice occurs in the different hemispheres. Young scientists draw conclusions from their investigation of data collected using spreadsheets and a globe.
Virginia Department of Education
Planet Line-Ups
Should Pluto be considered a planet or a dwarf planet? Scholars research planets in our solar system to understand their similarities and differences. It also includes memory activities related to the order of the planets.
Virginia Department of Education
Greenhouse Gas Modeling Activity
Why are greenhouse gases called greenhouse gases? Young Earth scientists learn about greenhouse gases though experimentation in the second installment of a 3-part series. They use lamps to model radiant energy as well...
Journey Through the Universe
Going through a Phase
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...
Curated OER
Think GREEN - Utilizing Renewable Solar Energy
Young scholars use data to find the best renewable energy potential. For this solar energy lesson students import data into Excel and explain how solar energy is beneficial.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
A Classroom Solar System
Create a scaled model of our solar system in your classroom! Scholars work collaboratively to build paper mache planets and hang them in their proper position to showcase each planet's location in the solar system.
Journey Through the Universe
A Scale Model Solar System
Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...
NASA
Space Images
As technology advances, so does our understanding of the universe around us. Thanks to the Hubble Telescope, Mars rovers, and other high-resolution cameras, there are amazing photographs of celestial bodies, planets, comets, and more...
Curated OER
SDO Reveals Details on the Surface of the Sun
In this images of the sun worksheet, learners read about the images released by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and they solve 3 problems using the given photograph of the sun. Students find the scale of the image, they compare the...
Curated OER
Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
Curated OER
Sucking Students into an Understanding of Air Pressure and Vacuums
Students develop and test their ideas about air pressure and vacuums by conducting several investigations into the movement of fluids in tubes.
Curated OER
Me and My Shadow
Middle schoolers apply the process of scientific inquiries or technological design to explore the explanations of the daily patterns of the Earth's rotation. They record different shadow lengths showing the apparent movement of the sun...