Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Distance And Parallax

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students will determine distances to nearby stars using parallax. In this Astronomy lesson plan, students will use a web program, trigonometry, and sketches to determine the distance of stars.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Celestial Sphere

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the celestial sphere, describing its apparent rotation and the special role of the pole star.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars examine the relationship between temperature and brightness.  In this astronomy lesson students will correlate the evolution of stars to the HR diagram plotted. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonizing the Stars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners compare and contrast the size, composition and surface features of the nine planets of our solar system with the possible sizes and compositions of extra -solar planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constellations

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore constellations. They read trade books about constellations and write notes including their locations, origins, and names. They research and report on one constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and share their report...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Edible Model of the Sun

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students identify the different features of the Sun. In this space science lesson, students create a model of its surface using cookies and candies. They compare and contrast their model to the real Sun.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomical Scales

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners describe the different units of measurement. In this space science lesson, students calculate astronomical distances using a scale. They explain the significance of using scientific notation in expressing very small or very...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Holes

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore what black holes are and how gravity is associated with them.  In this space lesson students are given enough information to imagine a journey to a black hole. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Famous Person: Benjamin Banneker

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners explain the main events in Benjamin Banneker's life and his contributions to society. They gain an appreciation for Benjamin Banneker's inventive ability to reproduce a clock as well as his determination in teaching himself...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stellar Magnitudes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students analyze the stellar magnitude scale. In this stellar magnitude lesson, students examine the stellar magnitude scale. Students predict the Sun's magnitude from various planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hunting for galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars examine Hubble Deep Field images. In this galaxy classification instructional activity, students research galaxy classification. Young scholars view and classify Hubble Deep field images of galaxies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mars Curriculum

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners study Mars and other plants in the night sky. In a planetarium setting using Digitarium planetarium system, students identify the Big Dipper and Polaris. They explore the major differences between the planets and the stars. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Telescope!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study modern astronomy and technology.  In this telescope lesson students design and build a refracting telescope then redesign for better performance.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Red Shift, Blue Shift

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars demonstrate how stellar spectra measures a star's motion relative to Earth along the line of sight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of the Universe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe how the universe was formed. In this astronomy lesson, students listen and respond to questions in a PowerPoint lesson that includes various theories about how the universe was created.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Black Holes Word Search

For Students 5th - 7th
In this black holes word search, students locate terms relating to a black hole. A list of ten words is provided. An answer sheet is available.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stargazing Astronomy: A Ceiling Full of Stars

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students make an observe a planetarium using a can with nail holes, black paper and a flashlight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science - Lesson 42 - Astronomy

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders demonstrate the position of the Earth, Moon, and Sun in a solar and lunar eclipse. They list uses for manmade satellites and write a description of how a satellite would be use.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy: Picture Time

For Teachers K - 12th
Learners investigate how to tell time by observing the placement of objects in the sky. Researching on the Internet, they locate the time for sunrise and sunset, the time the full moon rises, and the difference between clock and solar...
Activity
NASA

Eclipse Activity Guide

For Teachers K - 12th
Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...
Unit Plan
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NASA

The Atmospheric Filter

For Teachers 5th - 8th
What is the difference between a comet and a meteoroid? An educational lesson includes five demonstrations of how the atmosphere can inhibit our ability to measure many things in the galaxy. 
Activity
NASA

Taking Apart the Light

For Students 9th - 12th
Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

For Students 7th - 12th
In this planets worksheet, students read information about Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and then complete 18 multiple choice, 4 true or false, and 2 fill in the blank questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do We Know...?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and explain how various inventions and astronomers have improved our appreciation of the universe. Students identify at least two constellations in the sky and discuss how they were used in ancient times to tell time...