Curated OER
Solar System
Eighth graders identify the basic concepts of celestial bodies. They discover the difference between perihelion and aphelion and demonstrate how the universe is expanding. They also discover how gravity and centrifugal force are...
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Strange New Planet
Students simulate different spacecraft missions using materials provided. In this space science lesson, students observe and record a planetary model's features from a distance. They relate this activity to scientists' space exploration...
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Modeling Martian Motion
Pupils explore the difference between stars and planets and take on the role of these objects to simulate the relative motions of Mars and the Earth around the Sun.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Planetary Cereal Project
Sixth graders decorate an empty cereal box with information and games showing their comprehension of factual information about an assigned planet. This is a nice, creative lesson about the solar system.
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Constellations
Students explore the major constellations. After reviewing the Earth's basic motions and their significance, students discuss the moon's orbit and revolutions. Using a Digitarium Alpha portable planetarium projector, they observe at...
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NASA's Mars gamble pays off
Students read an article about NASA and Mars and complete short answer questions about the article. In this Mars lesson plan, students also create a scale model of the solar system.
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The Difference Between Comets, Meteors And Asteroids
Students use Venn diagrams to highlight the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Students demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Space Exploration
Sixth graders investigate the historical even surrounding the Apollo Mission to the Moon. They conduct research specifically to find information about the astronauts on the mission. The students conduct class discussion about the...
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Planetary Poster
Students engage in a study about the planets and create a poster as one of the projects during the study. They create individual charts for mapping the solar system so the locations can be found in mock space missions to other planets.
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Kepler's Third Law
Students use Kepler's third law to derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius, and identify the Earth escape velocity.
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Matter, Matter
Young scholars define vocabulary related to the parts of the atom. For this matter lesson, students navigate the web to find the structure and the forces that affect atoms. Young scholars complete an experiment with...
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Asteroids!
Learners explore how to visually identify asteroids in SDSS images. They are able to explain that stars are so far away that they do not appear to move, even over the course of a human lifespan. Students identify the location of most...
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It's A Meteor
Learners complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun. In this webquest lesson, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Learners create a multimedia presentation as an...
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Planetary Problem Solving
Students create their own planet. They determine its diameter, density, composition, mass and orbit. Students create a list of elements necessary to sustain human life. They present their model to the class.
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Space Exploration to Find Habitable Planets
Students explore space science by reviewing scientific vocabulary terms. In this planet identification lesson, students identify the nine planets in our solar system and discuss which ones could potentially harbor life at some point....
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How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?
Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...
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Out of This World
Middle schoolers take a mission to Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students listen a lecture about space travel to Mars and the planet itself. Middle schoolers then create timelines of exploration and write poetry...
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Planetary Orbits
Students explore space science by completing a solar system identification worksheet. In this planets lesson, students discuss the different planets in our star system and identify their traits. Students complete an orbital system...
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Day and Night
Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.
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Does the Distance Between the Earth and Sun Cause the seasons?
Young scholars reflect upon the concepts of seasons. The concepts are taught using a variety of different teaching approaches. A activities lead to a reflection that will help students to make a cognitive transfer of information form...
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Space: The Final Frontier
Sixth graders construct a graph to demonstration information that they've learned about the solary system. They also write or illustrate a sonar or lunar eclipse.
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Worksheet 19: Ship Positions
In this math worksheet, students read informational paragraphs and then answer 18 questions using data from their readings. Questions are about vectors, positions, distance and orbits.
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Suited for Space
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...