NOAA
Exploring Potential Human Impacts
Arctic sea ice reflects 80 percent of sunlight, striking it back into space; with sea ice melting, the world's oceans become warmer, which furthers global warming. These activities explore how humans are impacting ecosystems around the...
Research Parent
Universe Cards
A 9-page packet comes with 24 cards that have pictures and informational text about each object in the universe. From nebulae to dwarf planets, objects we see—or don't see—are represented in the cards through pictures and words.
McGraw Hill
Orbital Velocity Interactive
Why does it take Pluto 90,000 days to orbit the sun, but it only takes Mercury 88 days? An interactive lesson helps pupils find a connection between the speed of orbit and distance a planet is from the sun. The simulation allows for...
K5 Learning
Sun, Stars and Moon
Learners read about the objects we see in our night and day skies before answering five short answer comprehension questions.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Small Scale Stenciling: Mask Lab
Investigate the procedure for developing computer chips! Learners use solar print paper to create both positive and negative images. They observe the effects of single and multiple exposures and compare results.
NASA
What Do You Know About Mars?
Learn exciting facts about Earth's neighboring planet—Mars! Young scientists collaborate on a KWL chart about Mars, adding information as the activity progresses. Scholars listen while teachers read an article about Mars and watch...
Curated OER
A Cosmic Cafeteria
Students indentify and differentiate between transit and surface food systems. Students measure energy that is released by various foods. Students compare and contrast cooking with solar energy on earth and what they might have learned...
Curated OER
Season's Greetings
Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
Curated OER
Plotting Sunspot Activity
Learners explore how to graph sunspots using a solar graph. In this sunspots instructional activity students investigate sunspots and complete and evaluation worksheet.
Curated OER
Scale Basketball
Young scholars understand that a spreadsheet can be used to find the best scale to use in a model. They place the distances of the planets of the solar system to the Sun in one column of the spreadsheet. Students try different scales so...
Curated OER
Beyond the Milky Way
Fourth graders explore space science. In this space exploration lesson, 4th graders investigate the tools that engineers use to examine the solar system. Students analyze the history of the stud of the solar system.
Curated OER
Concept Application: One to One Correspondence of Objects
Students consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale lesson, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
Curated OER
Scale Models to Planet Size
Students consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale instructional activity, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
Curated OER
Protecting Treasures
Students explore electricity by creating an alarm. In this circuitry lesson plan, students analyze a diagram of a circuit based alarm which detects sunlight. Students utilize electrical equipment to recreate the circuit and practice...
Curated OER
The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
Curated OER
Types Of Nebulae
Eighth graders explore the different types of nebulae that can be found in the solar system. They view a PowerPoint presentation about the material and identify each nebulae as it is presented. Students also discuss the life cycle of a...
Curated OER
Our universe
In this quiz, students are asked 20 questions about the magnitude of planets and stars both in and out of our Solar System. An answer key is provided.
Curated OER
Those Changing Theories.
Students investigate the developing theories towards a heliocentric models of the solar system. In this science based activity students explore how science theories change over time based on evidence. Students view targeted video clips...
Curated OER
Introduction to Earth Sun Relationships Incorporating P.E.
Third graders investigate space science by performing physical activities. In this solar system instructional activity, 3rd graders perform a relay activitiy with their class in which they race between different "planets". Students...
Curated OER
Ellipses and Kepler's First Law
The class examines graphs in the form r = F(¿¿) in polar coordinates (r, ¿¿), in particular with the circle, ellipse and other conic sections. They determine the nature of an ellipse by studying the role of the semimajor axis and...
American Museum of Natural History
A Closer Look at Mars
A website looks at how we know so much about Mars—telescopes, robots, and spacecraft—and the search for martian life. Following the informational text are three questions that quiz pupils about possible life on Mars.
Curated OER
Solar Cars
Pupils research the causes and effects of air pollution. Using the internet, they examine the specific effects of carbon dioxide on the environment and discover the benefits of using solar power. In groups, they build a model of a...
Curated OER
Let's Make a Solar Car
Students transform a car that they have built out of K'NEX into a solar car. Students add one or two solar cells to the car to power a DC motor then connect the motor to the car and come up with a method to drive the car. This is the...
Curated OER
Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans
Students explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view a...