Curated OER
Planet X
Students select a wide variety of presentation methods to compare Planet X and Earth. Students share these with their classmates. Students select other methods to present their ideas about a livable planet for human life forms. ...
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Students discuss the needs for robots in space discovery, and take turns simulating a robot and controller to demonstrate the difficulties of programming a robot to successfully complete simple tasks.
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Students investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The students demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.
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Edible Mars Rover
Students investigate the equipment of Planetary Land Rovers. They construct one using various food products for construction materials. The lesson includes historical background for the teacher to introduce the information. The grading...
Curated OER
Areas Under Curves: An Astronomical Perspective
In this area under the curve learning exercise, students use a graph of the number of exoplanets discovered and the year they were discovered to solve 5 problems. Students find the total area under the curve, they find the total number...
Curated OER
Fractions in Space
In this fractions in space worksheet, students solve 4 problems where they find ratios of orbit periods of satellites, they find the ratio of Neptune's and Pluto's periods, they determine the location of the planets after 5 opposition...
Curated OER
Groups, Clusters and Individuals
In this galaxies, clusters and planets worksheet, students solve 5 problems including determining sunspot groups on the sun in a particular day, finding the number of individual galaxies present, determining the number of stars in...
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Making Moths
Students study the Gregorian Calendar and its historical significance.In this calendar lesson students create a calendar design for an imaginary planet.
Curated OER
The Stellar Magnitude Scale
In this stellar magnitude scale worksheet, learners use a scale showing the magnitude of objects in the sky to answer 5 questions about the brightness of the moon, the planets and stars.
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Jupiter and Io
In this Jupiter and Io worksheet, students use a diagram of the planet and its moon to find the dimension of the image, the width of the largest feature in the atmosphere of Jupiter, the width of the smallest feature in the atmosphere of...
Curated OER
The Moon's Density-What's Inside?
In this moon's density worksheet, students solve 4 problems about the Moon and a model planet. They find the Moon's density and they find its volume. They make a model of a planet's interior and use its mass and radius to find the...
Curated OER
Star Circles
In this star circles worksheet, students solve six problems given a diagram of a time-exposure photograph of the stars. Students determine the scale of the image, the location of the North Celestial Pole, they identify Polaris and they...
Curated OER
Application of Scientific Notation
In this scientific notation worksheet, students solve eight problems about the sun, the planets and the universe using very large numbers expressed in scientific notation.
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...
Curated OER
Life on Mars
Students research the feasibility of life on Mars and debate what it would need in order to sustain life. They work in teams to predict, research, infer, and explain their theory using models they build.
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Water in Earth's Hydrosphere
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
PBS
Rain Shadows
Satellite images from NASA help scholars focus on the similarities on the planet rather than the differences. The photos from the installment of a larger PBS series exploring weather and climate compare geological formations in the...
NASA
Make a Planetary Exploration Balloon
Balloons aren't just for parties! An inquiry-based lesson explores the idea of using balloons for space exploration. Learners become engineers as they attempt to control the ascent and descent of a helium balloon using different masses.
Curated OER
Working With Scientific Notation
In this scientific notation worksheet, students read about the discovery of new planets. They use scientific notation to identify the number of miles from one planet to the next. Students determine how long it would take to travel, when...
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Redesign the Rover: Mars Research Year-Round
Students discuss the solar system, the planets, periods of orbit and revolution. In this space lesson students discuss the importance of the study of Mars and brainstorm ideas on how NASA might solve its Rover design problem.
NASA
Solar System Scale & Size
Use a variety of whole fruits to represent the different planets in the solar system to introduce scale sizes to your math or space science class. They follow suit by creating a non-scaled model of the solar system using specific-colored...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Life on Mars
Through reading and discussion, aspiring astronomers consider the question of whether or not there was ever life on the planet Mars. Throughout the process, they review how scientific investigations are carried out, examine the...
Curated OER
A Mission-To-Mars Quiz
In this space exploration worksheet, students complete a 6 question multiple choice on-line interactive exercise about the exploration of Mars.
Curated OER
Glowing Glimpses of Our Universe
Students will complete hands-on space activities. In this space science instructional activity, students will create a glow-in-the-dark model of the solar system, visit a planetarium, make star pictures, and paint constellations....