Exploring the Night Sky: Summer

Looking for a terrific lesson on the phases of the moon that has lots of good worksheets? With two excellent websites are embedded in the plan, the activity is sure to spark some interest in your astronomy unit. Some common...

Why does it look like there is a man on the moon? Why does the moon look different every night? These are the focus questions of a lesson that prompts class members to observe and record the nightly changes of Earth's natural satellite.

Digital compass alignment enables navigation of the skies with true orientation at any time. Just point to the sky or "aim for the stars!" This application acts as a virtual telescope, allowing you to zoom in on any object that is...

What happens when stars run out of fuel? Pupils learn the incredible sequence of events that occur as a star nears its end. The video compares and contrasts the events in low- and high-mass stars, detailing the cycle of fusion, energy...

How many football fields would fit on the moon? Although it appears small in the night sky, the distance from Earth makes its size misleading. A quick video lesson from the Kurzgesagt playlist helps scholars understand the size of the...

Twinkle, twinkle little star(s)? Many of the stars above us are not alone! The narrator in the video explains the delicate balance present in binary and multiple star systems. Pupils learn about stars that orbit one another—and even...

There's something to look forward to in 2021 or 2022! Although the actual event occurred almost 2,000 years ago, the appearance of a new star will become evident from Earth in a few short years. The video instructor from the solar system...

Take your class to the next level of star gazing and introduce them to star clusters with an entertaining video. The narrator explains the differences between open and globular star clusters. Pupils also discover the ages and orbiting...

Students explain how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. They make their own night-sky observations, diagram and describe what they see, and examine pictures taken by telescopes.

Bill Nye explains why the moon appears smaller when it is higher in the sky, and he presents a Home Demo experiment that proves its an illusion. The experiment requires a bright moon on a clear night, a stiff piece of cardboard, and a...