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Moon Watch

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read books about the moon and discuss its perceived changes as it moves across the sky. They observe the moon over the course of a month and chart their observations. They discuss their observations and conduct further...
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Tracking the Movement of Sunspots

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how the development of new technology has increased our knowledge of how the sun works. Students study sunspots through the use of solar imaging from satellite instruments.
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Sunspots: Correlating Sunspots to Active Regions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate sunspots. They use solar imaging from satellite instruments which are currently circling the sun. Students compare images from the satellites and determine the existence of a correlation between the two types of...
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Is There Liquid Water on Mars?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students assess whether there is liquid water on Mars by analyzing images and data.  In this planetary lesson students analyze temperature and pressure graphs and hypothesize about how water could have flowed on Mars.
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Gravity Gets You Down

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the force of gravity and how it effects different objects that are put into acceleration when applied the experiment of free falling. They drop different objects that have a variety of masses and some that cause air...
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Biomes: Action for a Healthy Planet

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students become environmentalists. They develop solutions to modern environmental problems.
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Was Kepler Correct?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to Kepler's 2nd law of Planetary Motion. The lesson reinforces the understanding of focal points. They calculate the sector area of an ellipse.Students expand understanding by modeling Kepler's 2nd Law of...
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Retrograde Motion of Mars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the motion of Mars. In this space science lesson, students use transparencies to trace the path of Mars through constellations. Students discuss the characteristics of the planet.
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Try This On For Size!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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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Meteors

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify the different types of meteorite using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson plan, students simulate how meteors crash on a surface. They relate meteor size to crater size.
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Global Climate Change

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the effect of melting glaciers to sea level. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders simulate the process in the lab by conducting an experiment using ice cubes and clay. They explain the consequences of...
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An Invisible Pull

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explain why objects thrown upward falls back to Earth. For this earth science lesson, 5th graders identify the forces acting on objects. They discuss why planets do not float in space.
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Wanted: Water!

For Teachers K - 4th
Pupils determine what percentage of the Earth is water and how much water is needed by humans.
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Energy Inspiration Document and Website Production

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders conduct a web quest to find information on types of energy found in US. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders investigate the environmental consequences of using these resources. They develop a creative presentation...
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Hanging Around

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore weight by building a spring scale and observing how it responds to objects with different masses. Each team of students can make their own spring scale by following steps which are specifically outlined in the plan. As...
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Population Needs vs. Population Deeds

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the recent population explosion of the world. After watching a demonstration on closed systems, they identify the role humans have on the depletion of natural resources and lowering the standard of living. To end the...
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Being Nosy About Our Neighbors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the scientific method to explore the effect of size on impact cratering. They compare images of landforms on Earth to those of other planets to compare surface processes. Students infer the geologic history of another...
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How Do Atmospheres Affet Planetary Temperatures?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students perform a literature search and use reputable research resources in order to find the surface temperature of different planets in our solar system. They speculate about the observed and unobserved factors. Then brainstorming is...
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Sky Stories Curriculum

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the stories told by ancient cultures about the constellations. They listen to stories told by the Greeks and Romans. The classroom should have posters of constellations for the lesson and the teacher performs...
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What Is Clay?

For Teachers Pre-K - 12th
This resource could come in handy the next time you feel like teaching about clay. Basic sculpting techniques, vocabulary, and history of clay are outlined in this informative resource. Use prior to teaching an art project involving...
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Season Tiles: Ceramics Lesson

For Teachers K - 3rd
Each color holds its own feeling and these feelings are used to describe the four seasons. Youngsters create a color palate based on the four seasons, assigning various colors to each season. They each create four clay tiles, painting...
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Animals and Humans

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students identify the functions of various body parts. They participate in the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song, draw a picture of themselves and other mammals, and create a traced outline of their body that they add features to....
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Exploring Biomes Lesson 4: Mapping Arizona

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Once junior ecologists are familiar with Earth's major biomes, they hone in on Arizona's biomes. Using a website about Arizona's natural resources, learners will identify biotic communities. Beautiful maps and worksheets are provided for...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Jonathan and His Mommy (Smalls)

For Teachers K - 3rd
Go on a walking adventure through Irene Smalls' touching book Jonathan and His Mommy, an excellent resource to practice vocabulary in context. Go over the walking-themed terms (humongous, pace, leap, and zigzag)...