Looking for a terrific lesson on the phases of the moon that has lots of good worksheets? With two excellent websites are embedded in the plan, the activity is sure to spark some interest in your astronomy unit. Some common...

Does the space shuttle have an odometer? Maybe, but all that is needed to determine the distance to the moon is a little geometry! The lesson asks scholars to sketch the relationship of the Earth and moon using shadows of an eclipse....

Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based lesson. The focus of...

Students demonstrate that the movement of the sun causes shadows which were used as the first indicators of telling time.

Are you ready for the biggest astronomical event of the year? More importantly ... are you ready to share it with your scholars? Use a presentation filled with facts and diagrams to make sure everyone in class understands the importance...

People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM lesson. Learners first investigate how the rotation of Earth...

Third graders explore the rotation of Earth and the moon. For this solar system lesson, 3rd graders participate in an Earth and moon simulation in which part of the class "becomes" the sun, while other children represent the moon by...

Students explore why when you examine the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. The moon never goes away or changes shape-we just see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth.

Body paragraphs are the building blocks of every essay. Pupils view and discuss a model essay using a rubric to evaluate one of its supporting paragraphs. Next, scholars use what they've learned to continue drafting their own literary...

Students will draw the moon's shape for each evening on a calendar and then determine the pattern in the shapes over several weeks. Students' understandings should be confined to observations, descriptions, and finding patterns.

Light is such an amazing thing! Elementary schoolers explore the wonderful world of light and shadow. The lesson is meant to be carried out on a whiteboard. Objects are placed in front of a light source, and learners must predict what...

Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.

Third graders participate in a demonstration of the moon's phases. In this moon phase instructional activity, 3rd graders watch as the teacher demonstrates moon phases with a bright light and a Styrofoam ball. They answer questions...

Young scholars determine the phases of the moon. They observe experiments to formulate explanations for moon phases. Students identify waxing crescent, waning gibbous, and the causes of the phases.

Students create a model of the phases of the Moon by giving students pictures of the phases of the Moon, a picture of the Earth, and a picture of the Sun. They then take a picture, and stand in correct place to make the phases of the...

Students become familiar with different times around the world through the reading of 9 O'clock Lullaby.  In this Earth, sun, moon activity, students recognize the movement of the Earth and the relationship to the sun and the...

Students will construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows. Many questions and suggestions for variants on the activities are presented to allow you to tailor this lesson plan to your particular needs. It is best to...

Students demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts taught.

Fifth graders observe a demonstration that shows how the alignment of the sun, moon, earth relate to the phases of the moon that occur each month. They describe the moon's phases after experimenting in a small group setting and recording...

Third graders discuss how Aristotle concluded that the Earth was round. As a class, they review theories about the Earth's shape and describe how life on Earth would be different if it were flat. Individually, they make a moon book in...

Third graders experiment to gain understanding of the shape and rotation of the Earth. In this Sun and Moon science lesson, 3rd graders understand that the Earth rotates on its axis and how that explains the appearance of the moon and sun.

Students engage in a study looking for the differences found during the cycle of one lunar month. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Then the information is used to construct a lunar calendar to observe daily changes and...

Third graders create a model of the moon and use a flashlight to illustrate the various stages of the moon.

Students discover how Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer around 230 BC, used a simple observation of the eclipse of the Moon, plus clever reasoning, to deduce the distance of the Moon. They practice the same calculation technique.