Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Motion, Force, and Gravity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers write a research paper about human space travel. For this space travel lesson, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human space travel...
Lesson Plan
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Phases of the Moon Flipbook

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders create a flipbook. In this phases of the moon instructional activity, 3rd graders examine how the moon changes and phases occur.  Students create their own flipbook of the phases of the moon using file cards to create...
Lesson Plan
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The Celestial Sphere and Circumpolar Motion

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Learners investigate the celestial sphere and circumpolar motion. In this science lesson, students view an applet, The Celestial Sphere and Circumpolar Motion. Learners discuss the Earth's rotation and stellar movement.
Lesson Plan
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Write a Space Poem

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners write a variety of space travel poems that will be used to compile a class book and draw their own rocket and half fill it with words associated with space travel and add design and color.
Lesson Plan
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The Starry Night Time and Day Time

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
Lesson Plan
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Moon Glow

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students identify the Earth-Moon relationship and the phases of the Moon. They participate in an activity that illustrates why the Moon has so many different looks within a lunar cycle. They discuss solar and lunar eclipses.
Lesson Plan
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Magnetometer Extension Activities

For Teachers K - 12th
Students observe magnetic fields and locate the position of "ore deposits" patterns using models and maps.  For this magnetometer lesson students complete a hands on activity and a reading/writing exercise. 
Lesson Plan
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Circular Motion

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research physical science by completing worksheets. In this gravity lesson, students read assigned text regarding the rotation of Earth and the gravitational force caused by the speed of which it rotates. Students complete a...
Lesson Plan
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Now We Teach Six Rs

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners explore recycling.  In this ecology lesson, students sort classroom garbage into items that can be reused, reduced, or recycled.  Learners brainstorm ideas for reusing items and discuss ways to celebrate Earth Day at...
Lesson Plan
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
Lesson Plan
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Bite Sized Core Sampling

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students define the origin of rock samples and how surface core samples can tell us about the history and make-up of Mars. Candies are used as a Martian surface sample. Students study the samples and make a hypothesis about the cause of...
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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Phase to Phase with the Moon

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the Moon phases. The lesson includes hands-on activities as well as web-based activities. They use models of the Moon and a lamp to study each of the phases of the Moon, and test their knowlege of the Moon on a web...
Lesson Plan
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Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars demonstrate an awareness of air as a substance that surrounds us and takes up space, and whose movement we feel as wind. They predict and describe how local weather conditions affect living things, including themselves.
Lesson Plan
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Gravity Launch

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Young scholars examine how gravity affects launching rockets into space. In this physical science lesson, students review the concept of gravity and use an interactive online site, "Gravity Launch," to simulate a rocket launch.
Lesson Plan
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How Do We Explore Strange Environments?

For Teachers K - 4th
Students identify and label the different parts of a robot, rover, or a spacecraft. They discuss and record all of the features their robot will need to accomplish its mission and be able to explain why they chose these features to...
Lesson Plan
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Voyage of Discovery

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they...
Lesson Plan
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Solar Eclipse

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this solar eclipse worksheet, students solve seven problems about solar eclipses after making a model following five steps. They determine the different orbits for satellites, they determine the lengths of Earth's shadow and they...
Lesson Plan
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Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
Lesson Plan
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2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water lesson, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to good...
Lesson Plan
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Creating Craters

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore parts of an impact crater and compare and contrast craters found in Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Crater formation is modelled and the relationship of mass, velocity, and size of the projectile to the crater formation...
Lesson Plan
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A Whole Lotta Shakin'

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Young scholars read first hand accounts of earthquake survivors in order to begin the describe the different types of earthquake waves and the order in which they arrive. They engage in using earthquake waves as a means to indirectly...
Lesson Plan
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Voyage to Kure Viewing Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars complete a worksheet while viewing a video about the oceans. They locate the oceans on a map and identify positive and negative ways in which humans have impacted them. They discuss any questions at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
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Habitable Zones

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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...