Curated OER
Jeopardy 8th Grade (Science)
There are so many topics touched upon in this Jeopardy-style science game, that it is difficult to classify! The categories include electricity, matter, ecology, earth and space, and scientific investigation. This would best be used at...
Curated OER
Venus Wordsearch
There are a ton of great vocabulary words to be found in a word search about the planet Venus. Learners will locate and circle 34 wonderful words related to planetary science and the solar system. Printing instructions are included.
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Satellites and the Radiation Budget
Students engage in a prelab discussion about the earth's radiation budget and global warming. They use "trading cards" to find specific websites to research radiation budget questions.
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Astronomy
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
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Spaced Out
Students explore the transit of Venus and the information that this minieclipse provides about the distance between the Earth and the sun. They create their own astronomical units.
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Rolling Through Space
Seventh graders use a foll of toilet paper to visualize the vast distance that separates the sun and the planets of our solar system.
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Our Solar System
Sixth graders use the internet to examine the different bodies in space. In groups, they select one project they want to complete and are given a timeline for when the sections are due. To end the activity, they present their...
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Investigating Planetary Soils
Learners study soil characteristics and identify properties of soils from different parts of the solar system. In this soil lesson students divide into groups, read soil descriptions, test and record soil samples.
Science Matters
Thermal Energy Flow in Materials
The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth instructional activity in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal...
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Mars
After reading a short excerpt about the planet named after the Roman god of war, Mars, your class will answer four comprehension questions. The activity challenges them to fold over the paper and answer the questions without referring...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
Curated OER
Puzzling Planets
Students list the order of the planets, describe the general characteristics of each planet and explain why we could not live on other planets without special equipment.
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E.T. Write Home
Students read the book, The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, and discuss the planets visited by the characters in the book. They write journal entries from the viewpoint of E.T., writing letters home describing his travels in...
K12 Reader
The Inner Planets
Here's a reading exercise that uses an article about the inner planets to assess comprehension. After reading the article, kids respond to a series of questions using information from the text.
NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...
Midnight Martian
Mars Globe HD
Explore the surface of Mars without leaving the comforts of your home or classroom! Learn about volcanoes, missions to the red planet, view the topography, and more.
Teach Engineering
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Earth, Sun and You
Middle schoolers model Earth's revolution round the sun by walking a mini-globe around a lamp. You will assess whether or not they tilt and rotate the planet properly and that the revolution is counterclockwise. Discussion beforehand...
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Visual Arts- Planetary Travel Brochure
Students research the planets and create a "travel brochure." In this space science lesson plan, students read the book Magic School Bus: Lost in Space and identify various properties of each planet. Students create a brochure for a...
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The Magic School Bus Lost in Space
Learners learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore outer space as they visit the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in order to learn about our solar system.
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Solar System
Students study space. In this solar system activity, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in groups on their...
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Outpost Communications Exercise
Young scholars engage in a unique study of the solar system with the integration of technology in the form of e-mail. They communicate to each other on e-mail and give clues to an imaginary location without revealing the source the...
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Solar System (Lesson 2)
Eighth graders identify the objects that make up the solar system. They define new vocabulary and practice using them. They discover that the sun is a star.
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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.