How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...

This Earth Day, celebrate our beautiful planet with an activity book that challenges scholars to show off their map skills, complete a crossword puzzle, write acrostic poems, alphabetize, and reflect on their personal Earth-friendly habits.

Investigate the growth rates of alien animals. Pupils study fictional animals from another planet to determine how much they grow per year. The investigators plot the growth of their animals over a period of time and then compare...

Save the planet one vocabulary activity at a time! Offer scholars a chance to locate 20 words with an Earth Day-themed word search. 

Scholars follow three steps—color, cut, and fasten—to create a mascot for Earth Day. The holiday's mascot is a jolly planet Earth equipped with a big smile, excited eyes, and dancing arms and legs. 

Sharks are so cool, they have their own week! Take young zoologists on a journey into one of the most amazing creatures on the planet. A lesson plan the from K20 Center engages them in a full dissection. After the lab, participants...

How often have you passed by a recycling container in your school? Scholars research the issue of recycling in the ever-changing global world. Using documentation and video evidence, they form their own opinions on recycling and how it...

Satellite images from NASA help scholars focus on the similarities on the planet rather than the differences. The photos from the installment of a larger PBS series exploring weather and climate compare geological formations in the...

Many people don't realize that all people on the planet are entitled to certain inalienable rights. Scholars discuss the subject with the first of four lessons in the Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights series....

Is progress progressing too fast? So believes the Lorax, the eponymous character from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. Young environmental science young scholars read the book and debate the arguments of the Lorax and the Once-ler regarding...

Scientists don't have a ruler long enough to measure to the stars, so they rely on math. Scholars learn to calculate the distance from Earth to a star using the parallax method. They use angle measures from different perspectives to...

Responsible consumption is never a waste of time. Using the engaging resource, scholars learn about the impact of waste on the planet, sorting trash into necessary and luxury piles. They then analyze their consumption habits, writing an...

Reading, writing, and rings! A lesson from NASA combines space science with authentic reading and writing tasks. Included in this lesson are pre-reading activities, four mini informational booklets on Saturn, a structured...

In this scientific notation instructional activity, students read about the discovery of new planets. They use scientific notation to identify the number of miles from one planet to the next. Students determine how long it would take to...

Brief, but beneficial, this resource draws space scientists into the orbit of a moon around its planet. Assignees answer five multiple choice style questions using a diagram of the planet, the moon's orbit, its focal points, and the...

Most young mathematicians are aware that the planets don’t orbit the sun in a circle but rather as an ellipse, but have never studied this interesting feature. This resource looks at the planetary orbits in more detail and helps learners...

Middle schoolers work with scientific notation and rounding as they determine volume. In this volume lesson, pupils attempt to calculate the volume of the planet Jupiter. They use rounding to two significant digits and scientific...

Are you starting a unit on the solar system? You can use this PowerPoint for a great introductory lesson. These 13 slides include basic facts about the planets in our solar system. Tip: Peruse the Internet and add some real photos...

Young climatologists explore the factors that contribute to a region's climate in this two-part earth science activity. To begin, learners are provided with a map of an imaginary planet and are asked to label global wind and...

The carbon cycle isn't a bike which produces carbon and this lesson explains why. Through reading and discussion, groups of pupils create visual explanations of the four parts of the carbon dioxide oxygen cycle. Activities...

In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...

Young scholars compare a globe and a two-dimensional world map and explore how they both represent the planet Earth. They locate the Hawaiian Islands on the globe or the world map and describe how the geographical position is unique.

There is more to the solar system than the typical study of the sun and planets. Launch a study of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets by watching the video The Story of the Solar System, available for purchase through this...

Students discuss the solar system, the planets, periods of orbit and revolution.  For this space lesson students discuss the importance of the study of Mars and brainstorm ideas on how NASA might solve its Rover design problem.