Monster Sunspots!

Motivate your class with this lesson. Learners explore the solar system and practice working with fractions using this resource. They construct scale models of our solar system, and use fractions to correctly configure the solar system...

Add a visual aid to your solar system lessons. Enthusiastic astronomers create a model depicting the nine planets and their distance from the sun. 

Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...

Young scientists learn how to select a scale factor for a large scale model. Then they figure the scale for each of the planets and the distance between them. Finally, they construct a giant scale model of the solar system and answer...

How is it possible for a storm to rage nonstop for three centuries? Bill Nye explains the phenomenon of Jupiter's Great Red Spot during an engaging video. Other topics include the storm's apparent lack of movement, how researchers...

Is the moon relatively close? Relatively far away? Examine some images of Earth and the moon together ... and answers will vary. The narrator examines the problem of scale in an eye-opening video. He uses a basketball and a tennis ball...

Have you ever wondered what a solar eclipse looks like ... on Mars? Explore eclipses throughout the solar system with a video from a comprehensive playlist that covers many physics concepts. With images and conceptual drawings, viewers...

Launch a lesson that's sure to capture middle schoolers' interest! Exploration enthusiasts examine the planets of our solar system using an activity from PBS's Space series. The resource includes images and information for each planet,...

Does the very thing that is responsible for life on Earth also have a dark side? Space scientists differentiate between sunspots, solar flares, and CMEs in an enlightening activity. The lesson, one of several in a unit presented by NOVA,...

Students investigate and design various models of size and distance related to the solar system. They work together to build a solar system model. The models should focus on distance and scale. They don't include moons or satellites in...