This question-and-answer feature introduces younger students to some basic fact about our sun. Taking the form of a ficticious interview, it briefly describes the sun's age, size, what happens when stars die, and what sunspots are. It also points out that stars are round, not pointed, as in pictures. Full description.

This feature introduces younger students to our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Topics include its size and shape, where our solar system is located in it, the origin the name, and how many of its stars we can see from our vantage point on Earth. There are additional features that emphasize the vast size of the galaxy and the large numbers (billions) used to describe it, and a question-and-answer feature ... Full description.

This site introduces younger students to early discoveries and research into the origins of the universe. The work of Edwin Hubble, who discovered that our galaxy is just one of billions and that the universe is constantly expanding, is discussed, as well as that of Georges Lemaitre, who suggested that everything in the universe was contained in a tiny ball that exploded (the Big Bang). An additional ... Full description.

This resource guides younger students in studying the night sky and looking for constellations and individual stars. Topics include distinguishing stars from other bright objects in the sky, how to keep a sky journal detailing observations, do's and don't's for going out at night to make observations, and some suggestions on what to look for. Full description.

In this activity, students observe and record the appearance of the Moon each night for 29 days (a lunar month). They will cut out the drawings they have made and staple them together to make a flip-book that shows an animation of the Moon as it changes throughout the month. A downloadable, printable log book for recording observations is provided, and the site also features an interactive diagram ... Full description.

This lesson allows students to compare and contrast three NASA satellites: The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE), The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The lesson includes access to data and images from these three NASA astronomy satellites, contrasting the way the sky appears in three very different electromagnetic wavelengths or colors of light. Other satellite ... Full description.

At this site, students learn about the history of Earth imaging and the Landsat satellite program. They develop interpretation skills as they play a game that involves inferring the subjects of various Landsat images. This lesson will help students to be able to show understanding of the history and development of Earth sensing, describe Landsat and its role in modern Earth imaging, and use knowledge ... Full description.

Young students are introduced to the Solar System and then can visit related webpages for the Sun, Planets, Moon, Asteroid Belt, Meteoroids, and Comets. An audio soundtrack is available and students may listen to the text on the page being read. Activities and games reinforce the concepts taught, and each page provides links to answers and a 'Did You Know?' section with more information. The page ... Full description.

Young students are introduced to the Universe and will learn a song about the Doppler Shift. Audio is embedded and students may listen to the text on the page as it is read to them and hear the song. Activities and games are included to reinforce concepts, and students may visit seven other related pages: Galaxies, The Milky Way, Stars, Quasars, Black Holes, Cosmology, and Dark Matter. The page is ... Full description.

In this lesson, students learn how meteorologists measure the weather by examining some online, real-time data resources and collaborating to create an in-class weather station that tracks local weather patterns for one week. Students compare this information to weather patterns in two other locations. After completing this lesson, students should be able to explain ways that meteorologists measure ... Full description.