There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to...

Come take a ride on the space bus! Scholars go on an imaginary trip to pick up their peers from the inner and outer planets while reinforcing math skills. First, learners round decimals to identify each planets' distance from Earth....

Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson...

Send physics learners into orbit by assigning this seven-problem activity. They will calculate the mass of a satellite, construct a force diagram, determine the radius of the orbit, and more. Physics worksheets can become wearisome, but...

Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...

Motivate your class with this instructional activity. 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...

This is a practical sheet with the instructions to draw a set of ellipses. After following the diagrams, there are ten questions to complete, with calculations expected for alternate orbits and comparisons related to actual planets in...

What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...

In this space science worksheet, learners use the clues at the bottom of the sheet to solve the crossword puzzle on our solar system. They identify the different planets and their location in relation to the sun.

In this orbital period worksheet, learners solve 2 problems about satellites and their orbits. They determine how many days it takes for two satellites to be in "opposition", they find the least common factor between their orbit periods...

In this solar system worksheet, students read about the planets, asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and the moon. Then students complete 25 multiple choice, 4 true or false, and 3 short answer questions.

In this Kepler's Law worksheet, students answer questions given a diagram of the orbits of two planets about the sun. They use Kepler's Three Laws of Planetary Motion to answer the questions.

First graders use their observations to describe daily and seasonal cycles. through a demonstration using a suspended ball and flashlight, they determine the time of day in various locations. Next, 1st graders participate in a...

Students create their own sundial and explore how to read it.

Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.

Students explain the concepts and vocabulary of Earth's rotation. They plan imaginary vacations based on the seasons in different locations. This is a very creative lesson plan, which students enjoy.

Students will determine distances to nearby stars using parallax. In this Astronomy lesson plan, students will use a web program, trigonometry, and sketches to determine the distance of stars.

In this moon worksheet, students determine the angular size of the moon and draw a scaled model of the Earth, moon, and sun and given distances and positions. This worksheet has 4 problems to solve.

Young scholars construct an artificial satellite from random materials. They demonstrate the principle of an orbit. Students are divided into small groups. Each group creates a model of an artificial satellite in orbit.

Students compare and contrast the orbits of Earth and Mars, locate the planet Mars, and diagram its retrograde motion.

Learners explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...