Curated OER
Origins: Earth Is Born
Learners 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...
Curated OER
Earth's Seasons
Sixth graders review the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. In groups, they use a globe and flashlights to show the shadows on the Earth during the different seasons. To end the lesson, they write in their journals about their...
Curated OER
Solar Car Series: during What Part of the Day Can the Most Sun Power Be Collected?
In preparation for solar car races, middle schoolers attempt to discover what time of day the most solar energy can be collected. Begin by demonstrating the use of a voltmeter for measuring solar cell output. Take them outdoors to take...
Space Awareness
Making A Sundial
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
University of Colorado
Looking Inside Planets
Researchers use scientific data to understand what is inside each of the planets. The first in a series of six, this lesson builds off of that concept by having pupils use a data table to create their own scale models of the interiors of...
Mr. E. Science
Stars, Galaxies and the Universe
It takes 225 million years for our sun to travel around the galaxy. The presentation covers astronomical units, light years, telescopes, types of stars, the life cycle of a star, and types of galaxies. This is the last lesson in a...
Journey Through the Universe
The Voyage Scale Model Solar System
Young scientists learn how to select a scale factor for a large scale model. Then they figure the scale for each of the planets and the distance between them. Finally, they construct a giant scale model of the solar system and answer...
American Museum of Natural History
Planetary Mysteries
A website all about planetary mysteries—it's a one-stop-shop for all things, stars, planets, and space travel. Scholars read an astronomy overview to discover the page's big ideas, then choose from the plethora of resources, including...
Glynn County School System
Light, History, Gravity, Distance, Relativity, and Space-Time
Let the star's color be the guide! The color of a star indicates its temperature and its mass and distance affect the gravitational force. The lesson presentations address these concepts as well as how the theory of special relativity...
NASA
Solar System Scale & Size
Use a variety of whole fruits to represent the different planets in the solar system to introduce scale sizes to your math or space science class. They follow suit by creating a non-scaled model of the solar system using specific-colored...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Solar System
Students explore the Solar System. In this cross-curriculum space instructional activity, students identify the planets, name them in order according to distance from the sun, and describe major characteristics of each planet. Students...
Curated OER
Zipping Through Our Solar System and Beyond
Launch your class on an exploration of the solar system. Learners construct solar system models to scale and get a better understanding of our place in the vast void of space. This is a great way for them to cement their understanding of...
Waterloo Mathematics
Number Sense and Numeration: Ratio and Rate
Seventh-graders solve 20 various types of problems related to ratio and rate. They write ratios in simplest form for each given statement, to compare the area of two figures, and write two ratios equivalent to each ratio. Pupils express...
Community Consolidated Schools District 168
Solar System Model Project
Challenge young astronomers to demonstrate their knowledge of the solar system with this fun open-ended science project. Provided with a short list of requirements, students are given the freedom to use their creativity and whatever...
Curated OER
Comparison Activities
Students explore the size of the sun and it's temperature. Using the Internet, students visit given websites to compare the sun's diameter, outer layers, and mass to visual items students can relate to. They also compare the sun's...
Curated OER
Earth Science: The Sun-Earth Relationship
Students examine the sun's impact on the Earth. They read online articles, explore various websites, and answer questions using information found on the Internet.
Curated OER
Adding the Moon: Using a Classroom Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students observe and discuss motions of the Earth and the Moon as they spin and orbit the Sun.
Curated OER
Earth Science: The Structure of the Earth
Students identify and complete activities about the structure of the Earth. For this Earth structure lesson, students view a Powerpoint about the Earth's layers and complete a diagram. students compare temperatures in the Earth's layers...
Curated OER
Angular Size and Similar Triangles
In this angular size and similar triangles worksheet, students use the properties of similar triangles and the ratios of sides to solve for unknowns in given diagrams.
Curated OER
The Four Seasons - Earth's Axis
Students discover that it is the tilt of the earth's axis that results in the seasons. They clarify common misconceptions about the earth's orbit around the sun.
Curated OER
Seasons and Shadows: Investigate How Shadows Shift Throughout the Year
Students examine their shadows and why they are different in the summer and winter. In this seasons lesson students complete an activity to see how the earth's tilt on its axis changes the length of shadows.
Curated OER
Gravity, Seasons, and Time
In this Earth worksheet, students read about Earth's gravity, the reason the Earth has seasons, and time zones. Then students complete 21 multiple choice, 2 true or false, and 1 short answer question.
Star Date
Solar System Scale Model Demonstration
Explore outer space and decorate your classroom with an astronomy project. Learners create a visual model with the creation of a scaled solar system using different sized balls.
Curated OER
Scale Activities
How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...