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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
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Lesson Plan
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California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gingerbread Spacecraft

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore the different parts of the Cassini spacecraft. In this space science instructional activity, students create a model of the spacecraft using food products. They compare and contrast their model with the real one and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Far-out Astronomy in a Suitcase

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders engage in a web-based research activity. They use a teacher provided worksheet to guide their research through the website. This lesson plan provide a excellent opportunity to showcase Canadians astronomy and space science...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

African Americans in Astronomy and Astrophysics

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A two-part lesson focuses on the contributions to the fields of astronomy and astrophysics of two African Americans: Benjamin Banneker and Dr. George Carruthers. In part one, scholars learn about Benjamin Banneker by examining his...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Science: Phases of the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 7th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time Line of Astronomy Events and Discoveries

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work in groups to present a segment of a timeline of events and discoveries in astronomy. For this astronomy lesson plan, students teach their classmates about their section of the timeline.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Canada's Role in Astronomy and Space Science

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders, in groups, research a Canadian astronaut, developing a profile of their astronaut for presentation in a learning center. They visit the other groups' centers to explore more astronauts.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Night Sky and Movement Astronomy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Basically, this is an interactive exploration of educational astronomy software and an app. Young astronomers discover how the apparent motion of the sky relates to Earth's movements and the position of the observer. It is out of this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Measure of the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mathematics at the Frontier of Astronomy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the different types of measurements used in astronomy. In this space science lesson, students explain the relationship between planets' orbits and distance from the sun using Kepler's Laws. They discuss how math aides in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Place in Space

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the different planets that make up the solar system. In this space science lesson, 3rd graders construct a scale model of the major planets. They explore their different unique features and dress up as planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy and Me: Moons Over New Haven

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. In this astronomy activity, 3rd graders explore the different phases of the moon using an interactive online website. They compare and contrast the features of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Space Fact

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students visit web sites to gather information about space and space exploration.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sending Messages to Space

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret a message sent to space using a radio telescope and draw inferences from the interpreted message. Working with a partner, they interpret data that scientists believe is a message from aliens. They work on organizing...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Galileo: Revealing the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then compare...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get a Leg Up

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food for Spaceflight

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting, testing, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students build a scaled model of the solar system. For this space science lesson, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and relative gravity.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Exploring the Sky: Reading Maria's Comet

For Teachers K - 4th
Discover the science behind astronomy. After reading the book Maria's Comet, which is about a young woman who breaks new ground by becoming a female astronomer, young learners practice reading comprehension with worksheet questions about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Lost in Space

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore outer space as they visit the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in order to learn about our solar system.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Impact's Comet on a Stick!

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students create a model of a comet. In this space science lesson, students compare their model to the characteristics of a real comet. They evaluate and make necessary modifications to their original design.

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