Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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Solar System: Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars research Mars, read why it is called the Red Planet and find out whether there is or was life on Mars.
Lesson Plan
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Astronomy and Me: Moons Over New Haven

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the features of different moons orbiting the planets. For this astronomy lesson, 3rd graders explore the different phases of the moon using an interactive online website. They compare and contrast the features of the...
Worksheet
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Stars in Your Eyes

For Students 6th - 9th
In this solar system learning exercise, students answer 20 short answer questions about the stars, the planets, the sun and moon, meteorites and constellations.
Lesson Plan
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Mercury

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the planet Mercury and develop an understanding of the planet's composition, geology, and other important characteristics. They explore a Web resource on the planet Mercury which is the central focus of this lesson.
Unit Plan
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Spinning into Space

For Teachers 1st
Students, through hands-on activities, teacher demonstrations, pictures, and informational books, complete a unit on the Earth and its place in the Universe. They make mobiles of the Milky Way and watch demonstrations of lunar and solar...
Lesson Plan
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Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson plan.
Worksheet
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Groups, Clusters and Individuals

For Students 7th - 9th
In this galaxies, clusters and planets worksheet, students solve 5 problems including determining sunspot groups on the sun in a particular day, finding the number of individual galaxies present, determining the number of stars in...
Lesson Plan
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Earth Rotation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the rotation of the Earth as it occurs in the 24 hour cycle. They use models of planets and the globe to make observations of movements made. Students brainstorm prior knowledge and then participate in a demonstration of...
Lesson Plan
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Gravity Gets You Down

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners 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...
Worksheet
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The Stellar Magnitude Scale

For Students 7th - 9th
In this stellar magnitude scale worksheet, students use a scale showing the magnitude of objects in the sky to answer 5 questions about the brightness of the moon, the planets and stars.
Worksheet
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Fractions in Space

For Students 7th - 9th
In this fractions in space worksheet, students solve 4 problems where they find ratios of orbit periods of satellites, they find the ratio of Neptune's and Pluto's periods, they determine the location of the planets after 5 opposition...
Lesson Plan
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Moons Of The Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the solar system and its moons. They conduct research in groups to find information. Also the teacher uses models of the planets in order to teach different facts about the solar system through the use of...
Lesson Plan
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Voyage: A Journey through our Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars build the Voyage scale model of the Solar System on a playground and "travel" to each planet. They recognize that the Sun and planets are tiny worlds in a vast space, giving them a new perspective on the Solar System, and...
Lesson Plan
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Meteorites

For Teachers 1st - 11th
Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. In this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...
Lesson Plan
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Space Science: Journey Through the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners explore the Solar System and examine the characteristics of al the planets. Through research and discussion, they create catalogs of the Solar System's components. Next, students use their findings to create Powerpoint...
Lesson Plan
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Astronomy Merit Badge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore astronomy through the Starry Night Constellation Adventure software. They print star charts and identify constellations. They sketch the Big Dipper and describe the Milky Way. They list the five most visible planets and...
Worksheet
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Coronal Mass Ejections

For Students 9th - 12th
For this coronal mass ejections worksheet, students observe a time line of events that took place during a solar storm. Students use the time line to answer 3 questions about the solar storm and the time it took to reach Earth. Students...
Worksheet
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The Oscillation Period of Gaseous Spheres

For Students 9th - 12th
For this oscillation period worksheet, students read about how the force of gravity effects the oscillation of bodies. Students use two given formulas to identify the oscillation period of the sun, the Earth and a neutron star.
Worksheet
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Application of Scientific Notation

For Students 8th - 10th
In this scientific notation worksheet, learners solve eight problems about the sun, the planets and the universe using very large numbers expressed in scientific notation.
Lesson Plan
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Phases of the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore why when you examine the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. The moon never goes away or changes shape-we just see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth.
Lesson Plan
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Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
Worksheet
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Drawing Ellipses Lab

For Students 9th - 11th
In this ellipse worksheet, students learn the difference between an orbit and an ellipse. They draw ellipses and calculate the distance between foci, they calculate the length of the major axis and they determine the eccentricity. They...
Worksheet
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Application of Ellipses

For Students 11th
In this algebra activity, 11th graders apply ellipses to real life scenarios such as football, satellite and planet orbits. They discuss a variety of way sto apply ellipses.