CK-12 Foundation
CK-12 Earth Science Concepts for Middle School
Explore a variety of science concepts in an interactive textbook created for middle school scholars. A lengthy table of contents takes readers to pages comprised of a subject overview, outline, and summary. Follow links further to find...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Distribution of Elements in Earth’s Crust
How do scientists know the difference between a meteorite from space and a regular rock from the earth? Scholars read a passage and answer comprehension questions about the creation of the solar system. They extrapolate the main ideas to...
CK-12 Foundation
Revolutions of Earth: Planet Cube
Does assessing Earth Science vocabulary making your head spin? Test scholars' knowledge of revolving and rotating using an interactive tool. The movement of a new planet and its moon is in their hands, allowing them to explore...
Curated OER
Venus
Looking for a good activity to help teach about the planet Venus? This activity is for you! An excellent photograph of Venus accompanies three paragraphs of text. Learners answer five multiple choice questions based on what they've read....
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Saturn
Looking for a good worksheet to help teach about the planet Saturn? This worksheet is for you! An excellent photograph of Saturn accompanies three paragraphs of text. Pupils answer five multiple choice questions based on what they've...
Curated OER
The Sun, Moon, and Our Solar System: Teacher/Student Notes
Introduce basic Earth and space science to your budding astronauts. This handout works in two ways, the first part provides information about the sun, moon, eclipses, and Earth to be read to or by the class. The second part is composed...
Curated OER
Galaxy Adventure
Working in groups, learners create a mnemonic device, give an oral presentation, and create a pictorial representation of the correct sequence of the planets and asteroid belt from the sun. An assessment rubric is included in the activity.
Curated OER
E.T., Are You Out There?
Research the necessary components of a planet that supports life after reading the article "All of a Sudden, The Neighborhood Looks a Lot Friendlier" from The New York Times. After finding their information, middle and high schoolers...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars
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...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights
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...
Curated OER
The Planet Mars
Fifth graders gain knowledge about Mars and Earth. In this compare and contrast instructional activity, 5th graders use visual representations of the solar system to observe the characteristics of the planets. Students read fiction and...
Education Outside
Our Water Planet
Fresh water is a precious resource. Most kids don't realize how little of the water on Earth is actually drinkable. This lesson will help to illuminate them on this important topic. They discus the ratio of water to land, where most...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Orbit Simulator
Researchers think they have evidence of a new planet deep in our solar system that is the size of Neptune and orbits the sun far beyond Pluto. The orbit simulator shows the orbits of our well-known planets, as well as Pluto and the comet...
Star Date
Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory Solar System Scale Activity
Add a visual aid to your solar system lessons. Enthusiastic astronomers create a model depicting the nine planets and their distance from the sun.
Curated OER
Email From Another Planet
In this article about emails and plants worksheet, learners read short descriptions about 8 planets in the solar system and then imagine they are visiting one of the planets and send an email to a family member describing their...
Curated OER
Planet Earth in Cross Section
Students will examine the layers of the Earth. In this geology lesson, students create a scale model of the Earth's interior using cash register tape. They will determine the percentage of error in the scale compared to the actual size...
Curated OER
Modeling Hot and Cold Planets
Young scholars, in teams, design and construct models of two planets, one hot and the other cold, using a variety of materials. They attempt to create the models out of substances that will actually show the greatest temperature...
Curated OER
TARGET EARTH
Students explore the possibility of an asteroid hitting planet earth. In this planetary instructional activity students complete a lab activity to see the effects of an asteroid hitting earth and compare different craters.
Curated OER
"101 Amazing Earth Facts" Game
Students read for comprehension, work cooperatively to learn "101 Amazing Earth Facts," and compete as teams in a Jeopardy-like game.
Curated OER
Origins: Earth Is Born
Students 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
Exploring the Planets
Students study robotic spacecrafts that have provided detailed information about the inner and outer planets. For this exploring the planets lesson plan, students use posters and diagrams to study the various robotic spacecraft sent to...
Curated OER
Planets in Our Solar System
Second graders research climate and landforms on nine planets in our solar system, choose one planet to visit, gather information about their chosen planet's climate and landforms, and "invent" space suit that would enable them to...