This Why Files article reviews the beginning of the 'Space Race' with the Soviet Union launch of Sputnik - Earth's first artificial satellite. In this article, the US response to the launch of Sputnik is examined, as well as what the next Sputnik-type event might be. Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 9-12. It focuses on Galileo's observations and conclusions about Earth's place in the the solar system and how this was a conflict with the Catholic church, as well as the subsequent scientific revolution. Students look at current scientific conflicts to see what it was like for Galileo. It includes objectives, materials, ... Full description.

This activity is part of Planet Diary and is an online investigation of where earthquakes occur. Students research past earthquakes to see if any have occurred in their region. This activity has an accompanying page of websites for further research. Full description.

This lesson plan is part of a high school course on astronomy, Newtonian mechanics and spaceflight and provides a closer look at the pole star and the neighboring constellations, especially the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. One objective is for the student to know the constellations of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, and their use in finding the Pole Star. The student will also realize that other celestial ... Full description.

In this lesson the ellipse is studied in polar coordinates (r,f), with the function cos(f). This places the origin point at a focus (more appropriate for planetary motion) and introduces the eccentricity e. It is also noted that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of ... Full description.

This document describes the nature and properties of the sun, its corona, and the solar wind. Students can read how the sun's energy comes from nuclear fusion and how its uneven rotation and churning of its upper layers produces sunspots. The sun's corona is described, and its anomalously high temperature when compared with deeper regions is pointed out. The site also describes how plasma from the ... Full description.

This site describes the fossils in the Stephen Formation near the Burgess Pass in present-day Yoho National Park, British Columbia, known today as the Burgess Shale. More than 65,000 specimens have been collected from the dark shale, many of which have partially or entirely preserved soft-parts that provide a unique window to Cambrian and Early Paleozoic biota. The fossiliferous strata of the Burgess ... Full description.

This lesson will clarify the development of the geologic time scale. It will also introduce students to the major time periods in the history of Earth, as well as to the role fossils play in helping us understand this history. This lesson is based on an online booklet that provides an introduction to the study of the history of Earth, published by the U.S. Geological Survey. Using careful analogies ... Full description.

In this lesson students will examine how evolution has been scientifically explained historically. In doing so, students will examine the arguments and theories set forth by three historically important scientists: Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Charles Darwin. The purpose of this lesson, however, is not to begin to make comparisons, but simply to help students understand how arguments ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will learn firsthand, by reading his journal entries and letters, how Darwin arrived at his theory. They also will gain a better sense of Darwin's journey and the role it played in his scientific career. In the first activity, Darwin's Great Voyage of Discovery, students will read his account of his voyage on the Beagle and see how this experience inspired him to devote the ... Full description.