High schoolers read about the Spitzer Space Telescope and the technology used to learn about planet composition. They calculate the radius of a planet, the size of a planet, the average density of a planet and the likely core composition...

In this discovering new planets worksheet, students read about how the Kepler spacecraft detects new planets by observing the dimming of light emitted by stars as the planets pass in front of them. Students solve 2 problems using a...

In this planet models worksheet, students use the radius of a given planet and its mass to answer questions using a model of a planet with a given radius. They determine the volume of the planet's inner core, the volume of its outer...

In this asteroids and planets worksheet, students read about the formation of planets from asteroids. Students solve 6 mathematical problems including finding the rate of growth of a planet, determining the mass of a planet at a given...

Here is a planet worksheet in which learners read about organic molecules detected through spectral lines of the planet Osiris. They calculate the mass, the volume and the densities of common ingredients for planets including Osiris and...

In this planets and fractions activity, students solve nine problems about the sizes and scales of planets compared to each other using fractions.

In this dwarf planet worksheet, learners use images from the Hubble Space Telescope and they determine the scale of the image, they identify the largest features in the images, they calculate the volume of Pluto and they create a model...

In this hunt for planets worksheet, students read about the Kepler satellite used to detect exoplanets. Students solve 6 problems including drawing a sun disk and determining the scale in kilometers/millimeter, finding the area of the...

In this planet Eris learning exercise, students read about the discovery of this dwarf planet and its characteristics. Students answer 3 questions about the planets, the classification of planets and the definition of planets. Students...

In this detecting dwarf planets activity, high schoolers read about the Webb Space Telescope that will be launched in 2014 to detect dwarf planets using an infrared telescope. Students solve 3 problems and create a graph for each using...

Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.

Students equate the size of the planets by determining their relative size. In this planet's size lesson, students use a variety of measurements to evaluate the sizes of the planets. Students share their comparisons and chart the...

In this orbital period activity, learners solve 2 problems about satellites and their orbits. They determine how many days it takes for two satellites to be in "opposition", they find the least common factor between their orbit periods...

In this formation of planets instructional activity, students solve 6 problems including finding the equation for the mass of rocks as a function of time, finding the equation for the rate of growth of the mass of rocks and integrating...

Students use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other than...

Young scholars determine the relative size and distance of the planets in the solar system. They use ratios in their mathematical calculations to make models of the planets after discussing the relative sizes of the planets. They keep a...

Come take a ride on the space bus! Scholars go on an imaginary trip to pick up their peers from the inner and outer planets while reinforcing math skills. First, learners round decimals to identify each planets' distance from Earth....

Changing one aspect of a mission impacts all the others. Learners consider a list of criteria as they develop their own science questions related to Mars and design a solution while considering all the important systems: computer,...

In this planetary conjunctions worksheet, students read about planetary alignments and they solve 2 problems. They determine the location of 3 planets given their orbit time after 1, 2 , 3 and 4 years and they determine when three given...

Learners watch a series of programs from NASA titled "Earth From Space". After viewing the program, they identify ways NASA is researching the reasons why the Earth is changing. They discuss the various levels of the atmosphere and...

In this asteroids of the solar system worksheet, students observe a diagram showing all the minor planets found in the orbit of Mars. Students answer 4 questions about the minor planets inside the orbit of other planets, they find the...

In this calculating the horizon worksheet, students solve 6 problems using algebra, derivatives and calculus to find the formula for the line-of-sight horizon, the distance along a planet, the horizon distance and the rates of change for...

In this ice on Mercury worksheet, students read about the data collected from the NASA Messenger and the Arecibo Radio Telescope indicating the possibility of ice on Mercury. Students solve 6 problems including finding the scale of the...

In this finding mass in the cosmos instructional activity, students use the equations for the force of gravity, the centrifugal force pushing a planet outwards and the speed of a planet to solve 2 problems. They find the mass of primary...