Lesson Plan
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Astronomy Merit Badge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore astronomy through the Starry Night Constellation Adventure software. They print star charts and identify constellations. They sketch the Big Dipper and describe the Milky Way. They list the five most visible planets and...
Worksheet
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Life Cycle of a Butterfly

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this worksheet on the life cycle of the butterfly, students look at 4 pictures representing the life cycle stages, and choose words from a word box that match each picture. Students then number the pictures in the correct order of...
Lesson Plan
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The Mayan Calendar

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students analyze the Mayan calendar and define its meaning. For this algebra lesson, students explain what the Mayan calendar means and how it works. They define the symbols and recreate a simplified version of the Mayan calendar.
Lesson Plan
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Solar System: Let's Take a Trip

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders consider outer space. In this introductory solar system lesson, 3rd graders complete a KWL chart and listen to the story The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. They will contribute...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
Lesson Plan
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Phases of the Moon: Cooperative Learning

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson plan, 3rd graders listen to a read aloud of The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley and discuss the phases of the moon. They complete a moon phase calendar...
Lesson Plan
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Weather-Air Temperature

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students complete activities to learn about changing air temperature. In this air temperature lesson, students study various ways to measure air temperature and learn factors that influence temperature. Students study the weather in a...
Lesson Plan
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Ride the Tide

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the cause-and-effect relationship between tides and the rocky coast ecosystem. They complete a worksheet that illustrates the intertidal zone.
Lesson Plan
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Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 1st
Young scholars observe, measure and sort leaves.  For this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves. 
Lesson Plan
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Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental instructional activity, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Students use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the...
Lesson Plan
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My Place In Space

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The purpose of this unit is for young scholars to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.
Lesson Plan
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Planets or Not, Here We Come!

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students, working in groups, research planets in terms of the size, temperature, number of moons, and potential for life. They use packets and worksheets as guides for their research. Students may role-play as aliens visiting their...
Worksheet
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Summer Vocabulary

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this summer themed ESL worksheet, students will examine 20 summer themed vocabulary words and then match them with their definition.
Lesson Plan
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Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study physical and chemical weathering. They explain how the processes of weathering and erosion change and move materials that become soil. They create a K-W-L chart to show what they know and list what else they would...
Lesson Plan
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Climate

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore climate and weather conditions. Using the Internet, and other activities, students examine climate maps and the factors that affect climate. They examine how climate affects clothes, shelter, food, transportation,...
Lesson Plan
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Database

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders collect daily weather information and introduce them to databases.
Lesson Plan
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Objects in the Sky

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore what the sky looks like at different times. They identify objects in the sky and recognize changes over time. Students observe the sky and look for objects that are common in both the daytime and the nighttime sky.
Lesson Plan
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Weather Patterns

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students collect weather data over a thirty day period to gain an increased understanding of the weather patterns in their area. Once the data is collected, students post their finding online using a web tool. Finally, students attempt...
Lesson Plan
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Water 1: Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore forms that water can take and examine the water cycle. In this hands-on science instructional activity, students participate in activities that require them to change water to a solid and back to a liquid again.
Lesson Plan
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Victorian Celebrations

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the Victorian era by participating in Victorian style activities.  In this World History instructional activity, 5th graders read about the traditions and customs of men and woman from the Victorian era and...
Interactive
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Life Cycles

For Students 5th - 8th
In this life cycles instructional activity, students compare the life cycles of 2 different species and answer short answer questions about them. Students can choose the species to compare and then answer 6 questions.
Lesson Plan
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Graphing San Diego Tides

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe the tides in San Diego for one month. Using this information, they graph the tides on a chart along with the phases of the moon. They answer questions related to the graph to end the lesson.
Lesson Plan
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Constructing a Planetarium

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students work together to create their own planetarium. They observe the night sky and make a design. They also examine constellations and paint them onto the model of the planetarium.
Lesson Plan
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How Warm is the Water?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners research how surface sea temperature changes throughout the year. They draw a time series of sea surface temperatures for each month of the year and a depth profile for a summer and winter month using an OceanExplorer Profiler...