Curated OER
Last Year on Pluto
Young scholars examine the astronomical concept of a year. They relate the passage of time on planets to historical events in the USA.
Curated OER
"To Terraform or Not to Terraform?"
Students analyze an article written by an engineer at NASA proposing colonizing Mars with human explorers on the fastest track possible. They are invited to react to the article through several activities.
Curated OER
Mars Calendar Project
Young scholars design a calendar that displays time on Mars. They explore the differences between time on Earth and time on Mars while making the calendar.
Curated OER
Roaming Biomes
Students use the Internet to research the capabilities of earth-observation satellites. Using the information, they write a report on how remote-sensing technology is used to measure the impact of climate change. They identify the...
Curated OER
"Water, Water Everywhere and None to Drink"
Ninth graders research the importance of maintaining an unpolluted water source in their community. They work together in groups and brainstorm ideas on what they can do to help. They can also write their local politicians.
Curated OER
Kepler's Second Law
High schoolers gain an understanding of Kepler's 2nd law--that planets (and satellites) move fastest at their closest approach to the center of attraction, and slow down when far away. They explore the concepts of "potential energy" and...
Curated OER
Kepler's Second Law
High schoolers explore orbital velocities and how they vary along each orbit, according to Kepler's Second Law.
Curated OER
Solar Matters II
Students research solar energy. In this solar energy activity, students construct a KWL chart and research solar energy through various websites and related readings. Students complete a science journal page as an assessment.
Curated OER
Specializing in Space
In this literature book review activity, students read a nonfiction book about space or space exploration before choosing a topic to explore further. They choose from 7 activities such as designing a model, writing a letter, write about...
Curated OER
Reading Satellite Images
Students analyze satellite images. In this astronomy lesson, students examine 3 satellite images in order to understand how satellite images are taken and what they can teach scientists.
Other
Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness: What Are the Shapes of the Planets' Orbits?
In this lesson plan investigation students learn about the shapes of the planetary orbits by experimenting with ellipses of different proportions.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: What Sizes Are the Planets and How Do They Move Around the Sun?
An outdoor activity where learners simulate how planets orbit around the sun using different sizes of balloons.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Great Gravity Escape
Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how gravity and the velocity of a spacecraft balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold onto an object, the object...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Geo Logic: Terrestrial and Jovian Planets
Through GEOLogic puzzles, students are given clues about properties about the terrestrial and Jovian planets respectively, and challenged to match the planet with the correct equatorial radius, mean orbital velocity, and period of rotation.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar System Scale Model
Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Get Me Off This Planet
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about how a spacecraft gets from the surface of the Earth to Mars. The lesson first investigates rockets and how they are able to get us into space. Finally, the nature of an orbit is...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Paper Mache Solar System
This site from the Illinois Institute of Technology provides a set of directions for the creation of a solar system model out of paper mache. Includes orbital distances and planet diameters for the nine planets. Great idea for a student...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Our Restless Planet
This unit will use demonstrations and student examples to help learners gain an understanding of rotation, revolution, and orbit. Through hands-on activities students will explore the concepts of day and night. Technology will be...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Not So Lost in Space
Students learn how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. In accompanying activities, they explore how ground-based tracking and onboard measurements are performed....