Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Now Man Has Gone Before

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine the Apollo lunar landings and past theories about the creation and structure of the Earth's Moon as a springboard for investigating missions and milestones in space exploration since the creation of NASA in 1958.
Lesson Plan
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Classroom Planetarium

For Teachers K - 4th
Students work in groups to create the planets of the solar system.  In this planets lesson plan, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets.  Students discuss the...
Lesson Plan
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Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson plan.
Lesson Plan
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Probing Our Solar System

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders engage in a lesson utilizing small group activities and individual work incorporating student research on space satellites, probes and international connections. They, in groups, construct information disks, timelines, and...
Lesson Plan
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Taking a Voyage away from Home

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
Lesson Plan
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MAPPING THE TOPOGRAPHY OF UNKNOWN SURFACES

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students describe in words and graphic displays the elevation or depression profile of sections of Mars' Olympus Mons and/or Valles Marineris. They explain how orbiting spacecraft build up global maps one data slice at a time.
Lesson Plan
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Habitable Zones

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers 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...
Lesson Plan
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Gazing At Cosmic Pinballs

For Teachers K - 1st
Learners explore the world of stars. They see that the color of a star tells how hot or cold it is, that stars come in different sizes. and that stars are moving through space. They draw lines connecting start to star.
Lesson Plan
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One World Ocean

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars compare and contrast the properties of salt water in the oceans/seas and freshwater elsewhere on the planet. They also analyze mixing caused by currents in the ocean, including the effects of warm and cold water as well as...
Lesson Plan
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Illustrate the Constellations

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore space science by participating in a star identification activity. In this astronomy lesson, students identify different star patterns and discuss the movement of stars across the sky as the seasons change. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Our Solar System

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explain the classification of planets according to various criteria. They create charts illustrating comparative data.
Lesson Plan
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Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars

For Teachers 6th
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...
Lesson Plan
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Dangers Of Radiation Exposure

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the effects of radiation exposure and how it can effect objects on earth and space. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the information to create a project that is reflective of good research...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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Stellar Discoveries That Are Out of This World

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students hear of the recent discovery of a group of planets orbiting the star Upsilon Andromedae. Each student create a page about an element of the universe,
Lesson Plan
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See the Stars

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the nighttime sky. In this space science lesson, students read the book Maria's Comet and and investigate the sky using their naked eyes. Students compare the view of their naked eyes to the view of a telescope.
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Curated OER

Layers of the Earth

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the earth's surface.  In this planet structure lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation then draw and label the earths layers. 
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Origins: Earth Is Born

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop a timeline of all the major events involved in the formation of the Earth and the emergence of humans. In groups, they focus on a specific topic by watching a PBS program and taking notes. After the video, they list...
Lesson Plan
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View of a Comet from Earth

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate comets. For this space science lesson, students study overhead transparencies of the orbits of Earth and a comet. Students identify various locations and times where comets would be visible from Earth.
Lesson Plan
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Understanding Air Pressure

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete experiments with air to understand that air takes up space, has mass, and that air pressure can be changed. In this air pressure instructional activity, 5th graders test the air pressure by using balloons,...
Lesson Plan
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Observing and Sketching the Lunar Surface

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students explore space science by conducting an illustration activity. In this lunar lesson plan, students discuss what the moon is and the role it plays for our environment on Earth. Students view images of the moon and utilize chalk to...
Lesson Plan
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
Lesson Plan
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Disposing Garbage

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Young scholars explore environmental cleanliness by completing a worksheet in class. In this waste management instructional activity, students identify the technological advances in society and how they increase waste production our...
Lesson Plan
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Climate Change & Coral Activities

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance.  In this climate change instructional activity, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are...