Lesson Plan
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Radio Astronomy and Radio Telescope

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students construct a simple radio telescope. In this astronomy lesson, students explain how this telescope works and what information it collects.
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Science Fiction Stories

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students review the story writing process and the elements such as prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, publishing, and assessment. Next students write a science fiction story that contains a title, the requested number of...
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The Science of Swinging

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students learn how a pendulum works in the concept of an amusement park ride. In this pendulum instructional activity, students are introduced to Newton's first law of motion and how it works in an amusement park ride. Continuous motion...
Lesson Plan
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Texture - Bumpy, Wrinkled, Smooth?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students study textures and identify textures using satellite images. In this texture lesson, students study various objects and define their textures. Students feel crayon rubbings and sort them into groups. Students use a book with...
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Map the Green Space

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students investigate the environment in their community by creating a presentation.  In this environment lesson, students utilize cameras to document the green spaces in their community and the benefits they create for everybody....
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Our Space Station Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover ways to preserve the Earth's resources. For this natural resources lesson, students investigate how many gallons of water the average American uses per day and then total their estimated usage. Students discuss the...
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My Science Box: DNA Fingerprinting

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students identify DNA in a crime scenario. In this DNA activity, students perform paper chromatography and compare it against the pens of various suspects.
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Energetic Atoms - Active & Spaced Out

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discover the power of the sun through an outdoor experiment.  In this solar power lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation on atoms before they complete an atom worksheet.  Students utilize a solar bag to...
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Investigating Falling Particles

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Learners investigate the characteristics of a clay ball.  In this particles lesson students examine what happens to a ball of clay when it is dropped from different heights. 
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Homeschooling Lesson: Sea Turtles

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students write down the names of common turtles and observe pictures of various types. In this sea turtles lesson, students review names and features of these animals, label and draw a picture. Students research habitat, migration,...
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Conservation in Small Spaces: Conservation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students define conservation, identify actions that conserve habitat and those that reduce habitat, and generate ideas about how one can practice conservation in everyday life.
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Radiation Budget Lesson: Exploring Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students experiment with sunlight and temperature. They study the definition of albedo, or the percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed.
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Aerosol Lesson: Science - Graphing SAGE II Data

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars examine and plot atmospheric data on bar graphs.
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I Wonder What Would Happen if Lots of Manduca Lived in a Small Place...

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the reasons why humans fight and look for similiarties in animals. They make predictions on what they think will happen when they observe insect crowding. They make conclusions about their predictions to end the lesson.
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To Float or Not to Float - A Lesson on Density

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students observe and experiment with the concept of density. This is done using a simple experiment that helps them to apply scientific principles of observation and proving a hypothesis.
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Solar Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the solar cycle through a series of experiments. For this space science lesson, students construct and evaluate solar cycle graphs. They explain how this phenomenon affects the Earth.
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Astronaut's Favorite Foods

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners examine space food. In this space science lesson, students visit suggested websites to identify the eight categories of space food. Learners use a space food nutrition guide to classify space food.
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Categorizing Celestial Objects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers work together to develop a classification system for planets. They take a class vote and read an article about an astronomer's classification system. They write an essay on how scientists make decisions for the general...
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Rocket Launch

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider constraints which contribute to the design of a model rocket. They begin to analyze a model rocket's design and flight. They must be very specific in their thoughts and discussions.
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Night Sky Observation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore space science by completing an observational worksheet. In this astronomy instructional activity, students view several worksheets in which students identify minor changes between separate images in preparation for real...
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Making Light of Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the electromagnetic spectrum, focusing on visible light. They are introduced to the idea that all light travels as waves, and that wavelength defines the various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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The Outer Planets

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study the planets Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In this solar system lesson plan, students read facts about the planets and their location in the solar system. Images, diagrams, and background information on the planets is...
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Compost and Composting Experiments

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate the composting process through a variety of experiments. For this ecology lesson, students discuss the benefits of composting. They examine how compost affect plant growth.
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Reach for the Stars

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the significance of space exploration. In this space science instructional activity, students  visit selected websites to discover information about astronomy, lunar missions, and space travel....