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The Inner Planets
In this planets learning exercise, high schoolers review the characteristics of the inner planets: Mars, Venus, Earth, and Mercury. This learning exercise has 15 multiple choice questions.
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Bouncing Sunlight
Third graders use flashlights and balls to demonstrate how the light bounces off of the sun and reflects onto the moon. They record their observations in a journal.
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Measuring the Speed of Light
High schoolers explore physics by completing measurement problems in class. For this speed of light lesson, students discuss the importance of knowing the speed of light and how it affects many aspects of human life on Earth. High...
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Planet Structure & Interior
Students compare Jupiter and Earth. In this Earth and space studies lesson, students compare the composition of Earth and Jupiter and analyze how the composition affects the rate at which the planets spin.
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Water and Ice: Part 1
Students observe the state changes in water. In this matter lesson plan, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid then back again. They journal...
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Eratosthenes
Students examine what Eratosthenes is and the history behind him. In this earth lesson students complete a hands on activity to repeat Eratosthenes' experiment.
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Asteroids
Students examine the different types of asteroids and how they enter the atmosphere. In this space activity students use mashed potatoes to create an asteroid they can eat.
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Not So Lost in Space
Students investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times and...
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Classifying Stars and Constellations
Students examine stars and constellations. In this space science lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about the classification of stars. Students also practice identifying constellations.
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Classification of Pasta, Rice and the Nine Planets
Eighth graders create a classification system of the planets and give a written rational for their choice of categories. In this investigative lesson plan students participate in an activity that helps them to explore classification.
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The Outer Planets
For this planets worksheet, students research the diameters and sizes of the planets. Then student will create scale model sizes of the planets out of cookie dough. Students complete 5 short answer questions.
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Taking a Voyage away from Home
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...
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Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars
Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...
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A Star Sheds a Comet Tail!
In this comet tails and stars activity, students read about the star Mira and the vast clouds of gases it emits. They use a photograph from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite to solve 5 problems about the scale of the image, the...
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How Trees Contribute to the Water Cycle
In this water cycle instructional activity, 3rd graders conduct an experiment where they observe and calculate how water transpires in different types of trees. Students engage in a class discussion and use Venn Diagrams to compare...
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A Lunar Transit of the Sun from Space
In this moon instructional activity, students determine the angular size of the moon and draw a scaled model of the Earth, moon, and sun and given distances and positions. This instructional activity has 4 problems to solve.
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Sunspots and Climate
Students make a graph that shows how the number of sunspots has changed over the past 30 years and discover how there is a pattern in sunspot number. They find a disruption in this pattern due to the Little Ice Age.
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Mars
After reading a short excerpt about the planet named after the Roman god of war, Mars, your class will answer four comprehension questions. The activity challenges them to fold over the paper and answer the questions without referring...
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Try This On For Size!
Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...
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What on Earth is Greater Than?
Students compare things that are greater than, less than, or equal to, compare the Earth to other planets, and list planets from greatest size to smallest size.
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Cosmic Survey
For this cosmic survey worksheet, students rank the given cosmic items by size, distance from Earth, and age and complete 3 graphic organizers. Then students complete 5 short answer questions.
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The Lunar and Terrestrial Tug of War
Fourth graders, in groups, locate, comprehend, interpret, and evaluate information about celestial bodies that influence ocean tides on Earth. They apply this information through graphic representations.
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Angular Size and Velocity
In this distance worksheet, students calculate the angular size or angular diameter of objects at a given distance. This worksheet has 6 problems to solve.
American Museum of Natural History
Solar System Scavenger Hunt
Scholars go on a hunt to locate objects that best fit the measurements to create an eye-catching scale model of the solar system.