This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the phases of the Moon. Students use information about the phase of the Moon and its relation to the Sun's location to approximate the time of night. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and vocabulary. There are videos available ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan teaches students about the components of the Universe, such as stars, solar systems, galaxies, planets and the composition of our own solar system. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors address content with an activity approach while incorporating themes ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan teaches the basic concepts of celestial mechanics, including perihelion and aphelion, the expanding universe, and gravity. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors address content with an activity approach while incorporating themes necessary to raise the activity ... Full description.

This balloon activity will allow students the opportunity to construct a scale model of the Earth-Moon system, both in terms of planetary sizes and distances. In addition, students make a scale model of Mars, and discover how far one might have to travel to visit the planet. The activity is a good introduction to a unit on the solar system, to preassess student knowledge of planetary distances. Full description.

Students create a model to demonstrate the scale distances of the solar system using astronomical units that have been converted to a 10 cm scale and in doing so, understand the distances between the Sun, planets and small objects in the solar system. Full description.

A joint effort of NOAA Research and the College of Education at the University of South Alabama, this site seeks to provide middle school science students and teachers with research and investigation experiences using on-line resources. It contains activities pertaining to ocean currents (their properties and influence on weather and sea life). Students gather data from other websites, apply the data ... Full description.

This Why Files article discusses newly discovered planets outside our solar system and focuses attention on the question: Are we alone in the universe? Topics covered are: how did scientists discover the planets, what besides planets could they be, the upcoming collision of the solar system with a dense cloud of interstellar gas, and scientists' search for intelligent life in outer space. An update ... Full description.

In this article, The Why Files investigates comets. Topics include their origins, what they are made of, where in the solar system they come from, and others. Several of the more famous comets, such as Halley's, are mentioned, and there is information on the latest encounter with a comet, the Deep Impact mission to Tempel 1. Myths and legends about comets are also discussed. A classroom activity is ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the planet Jupiter, including characteristics such as size, surface features, and distance. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, performing extensions, suggested readings, and vocabulary. Students gather information and become 'tour guides' of the ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the characteristics of the planets and moons in our solar system. Students learn about these characteristics by creating profiles and reports about different bodies in the solar system to make a large class display. Characteristics covered include size, gravity, atmosphere, geology, and exploration ... Full description.