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Printables
Curated OER

Star Student of the Week Letter

For Teachers Pre-K - 4th
Honor each individual in your class by setting aside a week for each learner. Send out a copy of this letter and the materials listed in it each week to the parents or guardians of a particular pupil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitable Zones

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners focus on stellar luminosities to estimate size of habitable zones, map out habitable zone around hot light bulbs that serve as models of stars, investigate how size of model "habitable zone" around light bulbs depends on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Puzzling Planets

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine the concept of a solar system. In this research based lesson plan, students compare a star and a planet. They explain the requirements for life in a biosphere.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Measure of the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

How Hot is that Planet?

For Students 9th - 12th
In this planet instructional activity, high schoolers read about finding the temperature of a planet using the distance to its star, its reflectivity and the luminosity of the star. Students use a given equation to determine the surface...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Kepler-The Hunt for Earth-like Planets

For Students 9th - 11th
In this hunt for planets activity, 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 Sun...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Fitting Periodic Functions-Distant Planets

For Students 7th - 9th
For this periodic functions worksheet, students use given data of the speed of a star and find the best fit periodic function that follows the trend in data. They determine the amplitude, offset phase and the formula for the angle. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Circles

For Teachers 9th - 11th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students investigate the life cycle of a star through research. Once research is complete, students prepare posters and present findings to class. Flash animation is included to help students visualize life cycle of star researching.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Could the Solar System have Ten Planets?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to statements about the solar system, then read a news article about a recently discovered object that could be another planet. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation.  In this lesson on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science and technology...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Star Wars: Modernity and the Timelessness of Myth

For Students 11th - Higher Ed
Students explore myths through the study of multiple texts. Students use James Joyce's "Ulysses," the film "Star Wars," various Greek and Biblical myths to inform a guided discussion of myths and the common themes in these texts.      
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pluto a Planet No More

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students help to create a list of planets in the solar system. They review the terms in the news section and complete the sentences given. They then read the article together and discuss.
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Engine of Life

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to drive...
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Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Our Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

What is a Constellation

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
Why do some stars in a constellation appear brighter than others? Using a get-up-and-move astronomy activity, scholars explore perspective and the appearance of constellations in the sky while developing an understanding of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Systems

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners study a star system and see how the planets move around stars.  In this star system activity students complete an activity and see what an eclipse is.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 2 Sun & Stars

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students describe stellar objects using terms such as stars, planets, satellites, orbits and light. In this sun and stars unit, students research stellar objects through seven individual lessons discovering star characteristics, how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Extra-Solar Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers 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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Out About the Stars and Planets

For Teachers K - 4th
Students complete a web-based activity to study the planets and solar system. Students complete a number of activities including a slide show that depict the true facts about planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Words

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify and categorize apostrophes. They create maps of the solar system and write simple sentences using apostrophes that describe each planet's characteristics.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Frames

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study constellations. In this space science instructional activity, 4th graders discover what makes stars, how bright stars are, and why constellations were created. Students make their own constellation using Saran Wrap...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets in Our Solar System

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are introduced to the various planets, stars and moons in our solar system. Using photographs, they place the planets into the correct order from the sun. In groups, they research one planet, create a fact sheet and make...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Starlight, Star Bright

For Teachers 1st
First graders read books and use the Internet to identify several constellations and stars in the night sky. They make star pictures and write a class report about the night sky including a title, complete sentences and a cited reference.

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