Students discover the vocabulary used for distances in space and review measurement units and instruments before creating a scale model of the planets. They determine how to calculate the relative distances between the planets using a...

In this science learning exercise, students write short answers for questions on planets, oceans, elements, and more. Students complete 20 questions.

Miss Frizzle's class provides the inspiration for your young learners! Read "The Magic School Bus Explores Outer Space," and discuss the solar system. First learners will complete a KWL chart about a planet they're assigned to. Then, as...

Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, was discovered in 1978. Lesson is a walk through of how to solve for the phases of Charon. It uses two different points on Pluto and takes into account the tilt of the pole, the rotational axis, and...

Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are the same type of storm, but their names change based on where they happen. Scholars use a computer simulation to learn about hurricanes. Then they hypothesize ideas to prevent hurricanes...

Young astronomers read an informational text on the gas giant, Jupiter. Then they answer four multiple choice questions based on what they read.

Learners explain that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system, and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of their planetary systems.

Students use their knowledge to crash a comet into Jupiter or make a comet fly past the planet without colliding with it.

High schoolers engage in an overview of the story of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, and of Kepler's laws. Each of Kepler's laws be studied separately in more detail in later lessons. They examine Kepler's 3rd law.

Students fill in a diagram of a comet. They listen to a short lecture, view flash animation descriptions of comets and meteors and then use the presented information to complete a worksheet.

In this planets worksheet, students review the characteristics of the inner planets: Mars, Venus, Earth, and Mercury. This worksheet has 15 multiple choice questions.

In this planets worksheet, students read about Mercury, Venus, and Earth and then complete 21 multiple choice, 2 true or false, and 1 short answer question.

Pupils learn their addresses and gain a sense of connection between their neighborhood and the rest of the world and the universe.

Learners create an awareness of the vast percentage of water covering the earth. They relate similarities/differences between topographical maps and other maps of various time periods. Students examine how to use a topographical map.

Young scholars use Venn diagrams to highlight the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.

Eighth graders investigate the regular motions of the sun, Earth and the moon and explain how these are related to days, years, seasons, eclipses, tides and moon cycles. They participate in an exercise where they explore the...

Everyone loves to learn about outer space. This space exploration passage has 10 questions relating to Voyager 1 and 2. There are both comprehension and vocabulary questions. The activity could be used with upper elementary or ESL students.

Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...

Students study satellites and satellite images using Google Earth. In this satellite lesson plan, students discuss satellites and how they work. Students watch a demonstration of how satellites work and learn what they are used for....

Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. For this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...

Young scholars evaluate what life would be like living on the moon or another planet in our solar system.  In this science lesson, students create a colony that they would use to live in on the moon using Legos. 

Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...

Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun.  In this webquest lesson plan, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as...

Students investigate circles and spheres. In this space shapes activity, students compare and contrast two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Students investigate the relationship between plane and space shapes.