The purpose of this unit is for students to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.

Learners examine a medieval manuscript on astronomy and create their own books based on modern discoveries in astronomy. In this astronomy lesson, students compare astronomy knowledge in the middle ages to today and research modern...

Pupils explore how telescopes work, build a model of their own, and consider how real telescopes can be used to ask-and help answer-questions about the universe.

Students work in teams to complete an alternative energy project. In this alternative energy lesson, students are assigned a city and decide on the most appropriate alternative energy source for their city. Students use maps from Google...

Learners examine a reading selection. In this descriptive writing instructional activity, students read an excerpt from "Hello! Anybody Out There?". Learners discuss the idea of aliens living on other planets, describe what they think an...

Students listen to text read from "Hello! Anybody Out There?" and then brainstorm what aliens from outer space look like and do they exist at all. They then will describe the physical features and a special ability or quality of an alien.

Students understand that people believe there may be life in other solar systems. In this communication with other solar systems lesson, students analyze our planet and write things they want to communicate to other solar systems.

Students construct a Powerpoint presentation on endangered animals. In this technology lesson, students use the Internet to gather research notes on an endangered animal. Students use an outline to create a Powerpoint presentation on...

Students study another method for writing a book report using a Haiku poem. In this book report instructional activity, students use the Haiku poem format to write a book report.

Young scholars describe the different units of measurement. In this space science lesson, students calculate astronomical distances using a scale. They explain the significance of using scientific notation in expressing very small...

Third graders research and write about Cyrus Dillan. They explain one of Dillan's sculptures. Students locate six constellations and two planets. They research and write about the daily life of the Pawnee.

Students use Hyperstudio to review important points before taking a test at the end of a study unit on the solar system. This concept could easily be switched to many different topics.

Fourth graders complete activities to study the sources of energy and forms. In this energy instructional activity, 4th graders discuss the origin of energy and define it. Students participate in several experiments to further study...

Students make a pinhole viewer to demonstrate how it inverts light passing through it which produces inverted images.

Learners use various articles about how atoms are made and spread throughout the universe starting with the Big Bang. They will study the articles as groups and will then present their information to the class.

What objects are in the day sky and the night sky? How do they seem to move? Come and explore with us as we discover the sun, moon, planets and stars! This detailed lesson plan includes pictures and videos of the instructional activity...

When we look at the night sky, we see stars and the nearby planets of our own solar system. Many of those stars are actually distant galaxies and glowing clouds of dust and gases called nebulae. The universe is an immense space with...

Did you know that ancient astronomers could measure the distance to other stars? They could also distinguish between stars and planets. How could they do that without modern technology of telescopes? See if you can discover the link...

Start with the questions all students ask: How big is the universe, how far away are the planets and stars, how did they form and when, how do they move and why? Build on their natural curiosity. The Smithsonian, in cooperation with...

This resource contains a lesson plan in which students study the effects of gravity on the planets of the Solar System. They will view movies from the lunar Apollo missions, calculate their own weight on other planets, and propose what...

Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...

During this lesson, students have the opportunity to explore comets. By navigating the Internet, viewing a slideshow, and participating in a videoconference with NASA, students will discover what comets are all about.