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The Undiscovered Planet
Students find a planetary object using star fields. In this investigative lesson students determine the distance to an object using trigonometric parallax.
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Planet/Constellation Mobile
Pupils, through small group discussion, identify and share a rationale for shapes and patterns in the construction of a mobile that represents the solar system that makes them think of the creation of our solar system.
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Flying Through the Solar System
Students create a model of the solar system out of candy. They write a book about their travels through the Solar System, beginning at age ten and reaching Pluto at age seventy.
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The Toilet Paper Solar System
Young scholars classify the planets in the solar system, study planetary objects, and measure the relative distance between planets. In this solar system lesson, students use toilet paper to complete a scale model of the distance between...
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Our Solar System
Third graders describe the composition of our solar system. They recognize the names of the planets in our solar system and compare and contrast the nine planets that orbit the sun.
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Objects in the Solar System
Eighth graders define a planet by the orbit around the sun, have a large enough gravitational force to hold a sphere shape and needs to clear the neighboorhood of it own orbital zone. They describe comets, meteoroids, meteor, meteorites...
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Exploring Our Solar System #1
Students examine the different theories on how our solar system was formed. They discover the order of the nine planets. They also identify the surface features of each planet.
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Our Home in the Milky Way
Students gain appreciation of the vastness of our galaxy by viewing an applet about the Milky Way. Students hypothesize about how long it would take to get from Earth to Pluto.
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Types of Galaxies
Eighth graders take a quiz to review the different objects in space. As a class, they define terms related to galaxies. In groups, they make a model of the Milky Way galaxy using materials provided to them by their teacher. To end the...
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Charting The Progress of New Horizons
Learners explore the long distances and timescales involved in space travel. They track the progress of the New Horizons spacecraft and access the New Horizons website to discover the distance of the spacecraft from the Sun, and then...
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Interplanetary Distance and Travel Time
Students are introduced to the challenges involved in understanding the space travel distances and the time involved to do so through the use of an interactive fable. The modeling and comparisons deal with specific distances at different...
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Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Students investigate and explore the three states of matter. They read and discuss the NASA article "The Engine That Does More," identify examples of each state of matter, and as a class complete a section of two worksheets. They...
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Employee Behaviors
Students demonstrate knowledge of employee behaviors that promote career success. They demonstrate knowledge of career opportunities by identifying attitudes and behaviors that strengthen the individual work ethic and promote career...
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Comet Encounters
Students create glitter-covered comet models. Then they make large outdoor chalk drawings of the solar system and place their comets at the location of the Kuiper belt. They carry their comets around an orbit of the sun, shaking various...
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The Solar System
Students describe the different bodies that make up our solar system, explain the place of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy and the universe, explain day and night and the Earth's movement, and describe the relationship...
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Memory Techniques
Learners enhance memorization skills by using the following techniques: acrostics, acronyms, number pictures, spelling memory tips, name pictures, grouping, and journey pegs.
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Central Tendency
Fifth graders compare and contrast different sets of data on the basis of measures of central tendency.
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Moon, Mars, and Beyond-Mission Briefing
Young scholars complete this introductory lesson in which they find out about the scenario for a simulated online space mission. They review vocabulary and complete a review sheet to reinforce the details of the mission and its goals.
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Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit
Students study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed. In this Earth's orbit lesson students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
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Measuring the Speed of Light
Students explore physics by completing measurement problems in class. In this speed of light lesson plan, students discuss the importance of knowing the speed of light and how it affects many aspects of human life on Earth. Students...
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Telling Time Through the Zodiac
Young scholars compare the Chinese and Western zodiacs, their symbols, their meanings, and their calendars through a in-class discussion and a small group project. This lesson includes vocabulary and extensions.
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Stink-O-Rama
Young scholars participate in activities that require them to follow clues. In this clues lesson, students do different activities that involve looking and thinking about clues to get them to their answer.
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The Parkingtons Are Coming
Students particpate in a simulation as hosts for a visiting family of aliens. They work in small groups deciding what 10 pages of information from an Almanac the aliens need before they arrive.