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WEBSITES ON ASTRONOMY, THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND SPACE
Access these sites through your computer’s Internet
connection. Open the underlined address (URL). Information can be printed
or downloaded to your computer. Be sure to follow links to other sites and find
your way back with the "Back" button
All of the sites listed were active as of June
2010. The evaluation is by the AVA Center staff according to the amount of
information given, the general appearance of the site and its potential use in
the classroom.
TO SEARCH THIS PAGE: CLICK ON CTRL+F TO OPEN A
KEYWORD SEARCH BOX

WEBSITES
LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
WEBQUESTS
AMAZING SPACE
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
A huge array of classroom and online activities with resources
for teachers and students. Includes reading materials, basic facts. Online
explorations and much, much more. Outstanding. Excellent
THE APOLLO PROGRAM
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/apollo.htm
"This site presents imagery & information from manned Apollo
missions. This information comes from NASA and the National Air and Space
Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies RPIF collection."
A huge amount of information on the Apollo missions 1-17
including the spacecraft, astronauts, launches, landing sites. Includes
extensive images and audio and video clips. Excellent
APOLLO TO THE MOON – VIRTUAL TOUR
NEW!
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/attm/enter.html
A virtual tour of the National Air and
Space Museum’s Apollo to the Moon exhibit.
"The exhibit Apollo to the Moon tells the historic
story of human exploration of the Moon by the United States. The defining moment
of this journey occured when Astronaut Neil Armstrong, after descending the
frail-looking ladder of the Lunar Module Eagle, took the first human steps on
the Moon on July 20, 1969. Five more flights carried astronauts to the Moon, the
last in 1972. No human has been there since.
This marvel of exploration took shape in the special circumstances of the 1950s
and 1960s. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for primacy in a
global struggle pitting a democratic society against totalitarian communism.
This struggle, called the Cold War, motivated the first explorations of space by
both countries.
The space age began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union orbited Sputnik I,
the world's first artificial satellite.. On 3 November 1957 the Soviets launched
Sputnik II. Included in the payload was a dog named Laika, the first living
being sent into space. Initial American attempts to meet the Soviet challenge
ended in failure, inciting widespread public agitation that the United States
was falling behind in this new, crucial arena Cold War competition. From this
beginning, both countries raced into space. But the goal of this competition
remained unclear. Not until 1961, when President John F. Kennedy called for a
lunar journey by the end of the decade, did landing humans on the Moon become
the focus of the space race. The Museum tells this history in two parts.
To learn about the American and Soviet competition visit our exhibit Space Race.
The story of America's effort to master the challenges of an unprecedented
journey across thousands of miles of space is told here in Apollo to the Moon."
Excellent
ASPIRE – SPACE SCIENCE
NEW URL!
http://aspire.cosmic-ray.org/
"The ASPIRE Lab is now one of the most innovative and interactive science
education websites available on the Internet. You will find not only fun
interactive labs, but well designed and produced curriculum content, created by
teachers for teachers. The powerful combination of inquiry-based content, along
with interactive, hands-on labs provides a powerful visualization tool for you
and your students `to use. Best of all, the ASPIRE Lab is free!"
Includes lessons, quizzes, science fair projects and much more.
Outstanding. Excellent
ASTRONOMY BASICS
ACEtelescope.gif)
http://skyandtelescope.com/howto/basics/
Basic facts and terms for students studying astronomy
and the solar system. Excellent
ASTRONOMY FOR KIDS
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/
A colorful site on astronomy for kids. Sections:
Outer Space, Solar System, Deep Space, Space Exploration, How Big is the
Universe?, News, Astronomy Dictionary, Games and Teacher’s Corner. The Teacher’s
Corner includes free worksheets. The Games include puzzles, word search,
coloring pages, space jokes and more. Excellent
ASTRONOMY 42EXPLORE
NEW!
http://42explore.com/astronomy.htm
Basic information on astronomy for elementary
students including activities, links and more. Excellent
ASTRO-VENTURE – SEARCH FOR AND DESIGN A HABITABLE
PLANET
NEW!
http://www.astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/
"Astro-Venture is an educational, interactive, multimedia Web environment
highlighting NASA careers and astrobiology research in the areas of Astronomy,
Geology, Biology and Atmospheric Science. Students in grades five through eight
are transported to the future where they role play NASA occupations and use
scientific inquiry, as they search for and build a planet with the necessary
characteristics for human habitation. Supporting activities include chats with
real NASA scientists, online collaborations, classroom lessons, student
publishing area and occupations fact sheets and trading cards."
Excellent
AT HOME ASTRONOMY – HANDS-ON SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/
A collection of 10 experiments on the principles of
astronomy. Shadow Dance, Where is the Sun?, Finding the Size of the Sun and
Moon, Building a Lunar Settlement, Meteoroids & the Craters They Make, Rockets
Away, Making a Simple Astrolabe, Using a Simple Astrolabe, The Order of the
Planets, and The Size and Distance of the Planets. Excellent
AN ATLAS OF THE UNIVERSE
NEW URL!
http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/
"This web page is designed to give everyone an idea of what our universe
actually looks like. There are nine main maps on this web page, each one
approximately ten times the scale of the previous one. The first map shows the
nearest stars and then the other maps slowly expand out until we have reached
the scale of the entire visible universe."
Excellent
AURORAS – PAINTINGS IN THE SKY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/
A self-guided lesson on auroras. Includes audio and
video clips. Excellent
CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION TO SATURN AND TITAN
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
"Launched from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 15, 1997, the Cassini-Huygens
spacecraft will reach the Saturnian region in July 2004. The mission is composed
of two elements: The Cassini orbiter that will orbit Saturn and its moons for
four years, and the Huygens probe that will dive into the murky atmosphere of
Titan and land on its surface. The sophisticated instruments onboard these
spacecraft will provide scientists with vital data to help understand this
mysterious, vast region." In-depth information on
the mission, the spacecraft, and more including images and videos. Excellent
CERES PROJECT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/EdActivities.html
A collection of activities and webquests on space and
astronomy. Excellent
CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY CENTER
http://chandra.harvard.edu/
"NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which was launched and deployed by Space
Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999, is the most sophisticated X-ray observatory
built to date. Chandra is designed to observe X-rays from high-energy regions of
the universe, such as the remnants of exploded stars. The two images of the Crab
Nebula supernova remnant and its pulsar shown below illustrate how higher
resolution can reveal important new features."
Sections: Photo Album, Field Guide, Educational Materials, Pres Room, About
Chandra, Resources, Chandra Chronicles and more. The Multimedia section has
animations and video. The Educational Materials include classroom activities,
projects, puzzles, games, printables and more. Excellent
COSMIC QUEST
NEW URL!
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/cosmicquest/spacestation/index2.html
Three online exhibits with educational resources:
Living in Space: Designing the Space Station; Field Guide to the Universe and
Expedition to the Magnetic North Pole.
CULTURAL ASTRONOMY – BRINGING THE HEAVENS TO EARTH
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/ecuip/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/"This
module explores the cultures that have observed the heavens, the phenomena they
observed, and the ways they incorporated their observations of the sky
into their daily lives." Sections:
Cultures, Phenomena, Cultural Expressions, Lessons, Multimedia Gallery, Further
Explorations, and Tour the Exhibit. Excellent
EDUCATIONAL SPACE SIMULATIONS PROJECT
http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Simulations/simserver.html
"Welcome to the Educational Space Simulations Project, affiliated with the
National Association of Space Simulating Educators (NASSE). The purpose of this
web site is to promote the development of education via simulation. Although the
primary focus of this site is space simulations, the concept of education via
simulation is applicable to a wide range of disciplines."
Contains all of the instructions necessary along with photos and
details of projects completed by other schools. Outstanding. Excellent
EXPLORE MARS NOW
http://www.exploremarsnow.org/
An interactive Mars habitat to explore. Sections:
Mars Base Layout, Base Exterior, Enter Base, Exit Base, Stair to Upper Level,
Laboratory, EVA Preparation, Airlock, Medical, Bunks, Galley, Wardroom, Personal
Hygiene, Sample Port, Greenhouse, Pressurized Rover, Mission Overview and Mars
Facts. Excellent
EXPLORE THE SKY

http://www.seasky.org/mainmenu.html
A colorful site for students. Sections: Sky News,
Astronomy Resources, The Cosmos, Space Exploration, Sky Lab, Sky Gallery, Sky
Links and Sky Games. Excellent
EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM (AND ASTRONOMY)
NEW!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/solarsystem/
A BBC site on the solar system. Includes video clips
and radio clips from BBC programs. Includes links to a wide range of astronomy
topics. Excellent
EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE – EXHIBIT
NEW!
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal111/universe/index.htm
An online exhibit on the Universe. Click on Online
Exhibit to enter. Includes Student Activities. Excellent
EXTREME SCIENCE SPACE PORTAL
http://www.extremescience.com/spaceport.htm
A fun, informative site on space. Sections include:
Our Solar System, All About the Sun, All About the Earth’s Moon, How the Earth
Was Formed, and links to other sites such as the Earth Moon Viewer, NASA Shuttle
Launch Cams and more. Excellent
GALAXY DIRECTORY – ASTRONOMY
http://dmoz.org/Science/Astronomy/Galaxies/
A gateway to a huge number of sites dealing with
astronomy and the solar system. Excellent
GARY’S ASTRONOMY HOMEWORK HELP LINKS PAGE
http://members.aol.com/gca7sky/astrohelp.htm
A terrific resource for elementary students
researching astronomy and the solar system. Excellent

HUBBLE SITE
NEW!
http://hubblesite.org/
A huge site on the space telescope Hubble, its
discoveries, its images and more. Check out the Education and Museums section
for classroom resources. Excellent
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 3D SITE
NEW INFO!
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/vrml/station/
An interactive reference guide. Three sections: How
the Crew Lives; How It Works; and ISS 360º Tour. Excellent
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009 – AND BEYOND
NEW!
http://www.astronomy2009.org/
2009 was the International Year of Astronomy which
kicked off regional and global astronomy projects. Click on Global Projects and
Resources for a wealth of information including projects, educational resources,
videos, images and more. Excellent
IT’S AWESOME!
NEW!
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/universe/itsawesome/index.html
"You may think the Grand Canyon is big. Or that it’s a long way from New York
City to Hong Kong. Or that the pyramids are really old. But when it comes to
size, scale, and age, the universe is, well, out of this world! Scientists have
had to come up with whole new ways to measure astronomical time and distance.
See for yourself—it’ll blow your mind!" Sections:
Cosmic Calendar, Light Years, and Mind Games. Excellent
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
NEW INFO!
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
Get the latest info and images from the NASA’S Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. Includes animations, images, videos, feature stories,
latest news, other astronomy news, and more. Check out the Kids and Education
section for games, career information, lesson plans and more. Excellent

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
NEW URL & INFO!
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html
The official site for the Kennedy Space Center, where
all space shuttles are launched. Includes videos, images, blogs and much more.
Excellent
LINKS/SITES FOR SOLAR SYSTEM INFORMATION OR PHOTOS
http://www.indianchild.com/links_for_solar_system.htm
An excellent page of links to sites on the solar
system and space. Note: Many of the sites appear elsewhere on this list.
Excellent
MARS
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html
Detailed information about our nearest planetary
neighbor including photos, myths, facts, speculation and more. Note: Part of
The Nine Planets website. Excellent
MARS EXPLORATION ROVER MISSION
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
The official site of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars
rovers. Get the latest news and images. Excellent
MARS EXPLORATION STATION
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/education/ac/mars/index.html
"Scenario: The year is 2031. You are a visitor to Mars and the Mars Exploration
Station, a Martian community for 100 settlers. Through this site, you can
explore the historical study of Mars, discover scientific information relating
to Mars and its resources, and participate in ongoing discussions about Mars and
future settlement of the Red Planet." Sections:
Timeline, Library, Science Lab, Life Support, and Town Hall. Excellent
MOON MANIA
http://letrc.lpb.org/MoonMania/index.htm
Information and lesson plans on the Moon. Excellent
NASA EDUCATION PROGRAMS

http://www.education.nasa.gov/
Your portal to all kinds of educational resources and
opportunities for teachers and students. Excellent
NASA KIDS
NEW INFO!
http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/
NASA’s site for kids. Fun games and more. Excellent
NASA MULTIMEDIA CENTER
NEW INFO!
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/highlights/index.html
NASA’s gallery of images, video, podcasts, blogs,
interactive features, NASA TV and more. Excellent
THE NINE PLANETS: A MULTIMEDIA TOUR OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM
NEW URL!
http://nineplanets.org/
The Nine Planets is an overview of the history,
mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons in
our solar system. Includes text and images, some have sounds and movies, most
provide references to additional related information. An extensive site.
Excellent
PLANETSCAPES – A GATEWAY SITE
http://planetscapes.com/
A huge site on the planets and other bodies of the
solar system. Includes information, puzzles, games and more. This is a gateway
site. Excellent
POWERS OF TEN
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
"View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move through
space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until you reach a tall
oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High Magnetic Field
Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to move from the actual
size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cell walls, the cell
nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the subatomic universe of electrons
and protons." Sections: Optics Timeline, Student
Activities, Teacher Resources, Tutorials, Background, Intel Play and Movie
Gallery. Excellent
RED PLANET ROVERS
http://www.space.com/marsrover/
News and information about the Spirit Rover
exploration of Mars. Very extensive. Excellent
SOLAR SYSTEM
NEW!
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system
Facts, images, links, quizzes and more from the
National Geographic. Excellent
SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION
NEW!
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
NASA’s solar system exploration website. Sections
include: News & Events; Planets; Missions; Science & Technology; People; Kids
and Exploration. Also: Most Popular; Our People; and Exploration Timeline. The
Education section includes Thematic Searches and resources you can purchase from
NASA. Excellent
THE SOLAR SYSTEM IN PICTURES

http://www.the-solar-system.net/
"This website has 315 web pages with over 340 pictures. This website has 2
purposes: To give a pictorial overview of the solar system and to quiz you about
these pictures. After each page of information about the solar system there are
some review questions about the pictures on that page. There are also 15 picture
quizzes with 75 questions - each question comes with a picture. You will also
find astronomy WebQuests here." Sections: Planets
in Our Solar System, Our Solar System Extremes, Asteroids, Comets, The Sun, Our
Solar System Glossary. Includes links to 50 science webquests. Outstanding.
Excellent
SPACE.COM – NIGHT SKY
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/
All about what we see when we look up at night.
Sections: Hubble Space Telescope, Lets Talk Stars Radio, A Martian Perspective:
The Strange Tale of Two Moons, Your Sky Tonight, Find Mars: Easy Doorstep
Viewing Guide, Venus Viewer’s Guide, Luna’s Crazy Names: A Monthly Guide and
much more. Excellent
SPACE KIDS
http://www.spacekids.com/
Includes a Virtual Space Tour, Games, Photos, Movies,
Daily Quiz, Sky Watch, articles and more. Excellent
THE SPACE PLACE
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/index.shtml
A fun site for elementary-age kids on space.
Sections: Make Spacey Things, Do Spacey Things, Space Science in Action, Dr.
Marc’s Amazing Facts, and Friends Share. Outstanding. Excellent
SPACELINK – THE LIBRARY
http://spacelink.nasa.gov/
A guide to NASA’s
hundreds of web page. Excellent
SPACEWANDER
http://www.spacewander.com/
Take a 12-minute multimedia tour of the universe.
Outstanding. Excellent
STANFORD SOLAR CENTER – also in Lesson Plans
section
NEW!
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/
"Providing Solar Online Activity Resources for the joy of solar science
exploration". Sections: About the Sun, For
Students, For Educators, Space Weather Monitors, Ancient Observatories, Solar
Folklore and Solar Art & Literature. Includes images, games, quizzes, and more.
For Educators section:
"Our web site provides a collection of
multi-disciplinary, interactive exercises and activities based on the Sun and
solar science, most geared to grades 4-12. We encourage your feedback,
suggestions, and ideas for new projects. We also offer solar
spectroscopes that your students can cut out and put together (see Activity 1
below). These come complete with gratings, as well as instructions for
construction and use. Additional solar posters are available as well."
Excellent
STARCHILD – A LEARNING CENTER FOR YOUNG ASTRONOMERS
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
Site is on two levels. Each level has: Solar System,
Universe, Space Stuff, and a Glossary. Also Starchild History, In The Classroom,
Question of the Month and Other Good Places. Includes lots of classroom
activities. The ‘In the Classroom’ section includes excellent lesson plans.
Excellent
VIEWS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
NEW URL!
http://solarviews.com/eng/index.htm
"Views of the Solar System presents a vivid multimedia
adventure unfolding the splendor of the Sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids,
and more. Discover the latest scientific information, or study the history of
space exploration, rocketry, early astronauts, space missions, spacecraft
through a vast archive of photographs, scientific facts, text, graphics and
videos. Views of the Solar System offers enhanced exploration and educational
enjoyment of the solar system and beyond."
A huge site. Includes maps, animations,
images and more. Check out the lesson plans under Resources. Excellent
A VIRTUAL JOURNEY INTO THE UNIVERSE – A THINKQUEST
SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/28327/?tqskip1=1
Actually a tour of the solar system, you aim your
viewfinder toward a planet to explore it, both the surface and the interior.
Terrific graphics and flash animation. Each includes an interactive section with
games or movies. Excellent
WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/windows3.html
An outstanding site on the solar system and the
universe. Sections: Our Planet; Our Solar System; The Universe; Myths, Art,
Books & Film; Space Missions; People; Headline Universe; Cool Stuff (includes
lots of games, Ask a Scientist, and Image Archive) and Data. Check out the
Teacher’s Section for lots of lesson plans. Excellent
WORLD BUILDERS – BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD
http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/courses/builders/
"This website
- has step by step information and hundreds of links to help you design
your world
- supports a university distance education course, EDIT 472 World Builders
(January - March)
- is a resource for teachers who want to teach their students how to build
worlds
- is a model course using constructivist and project-based learning
- welcomes home schoolers, science fiction fans, and anyone who shares our
interests "
Includes lesson plans, links and much, much more.
Excellent
X – GLIDERS – MODELS
http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products/X.Gliders/
"Instructional Materials: X1 Paper Glider Kit - This NASA Educational Brief,
featuring the X-1, investigates the basics of flight with a paper model of the
first supersonic aircraft." "Instructional Materials: Models - International
Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, gliders, paper airplanes, and Mars
spacecraft. These are just a few of the models that you can download and
assemble. Check out these sites with skill levels that range from beginner to
advanced." Excellent
ZOOM ASTRONOMY
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/
A fun site for young students on astronomy. Sections:
The Planets, Classroom Activities, Fun Things (incl. coloring pages), The Solar
System, The Sun, The Moon, Small Bodies, Miscellaneous Topics, Stars and an
Astronomy Dictionary. Excellent

ACADEMY OF ACHIEVEMENT
– ADM. ALAN SHEPARD INTERVIEW - ASTRONAUT
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/she0int-1
Transcript of an interview with Alan Shepard, the
first American in space and Maxime Faget who designed the Mercury spacecraft
Shepard traveled in. Includes audio and video clips. Also includes a Profile and
Biography of each. Visit the Curriculum Center for teacher and student
materials. Very Good
― CLYDE TOMBAUGH – DISCOVERER OF THE PLANET PLUTO
NEW!
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0int-1
Transcript of an interview with Dr. Clyde Tombaugh
who discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. Includes audio and video clips along
with a Profile, a Photo Gallery and a Biography. Visit the Curriculum Center for
teacher and student materials. Very Good
― DANIEL S. GOLDIN –
NASA ADMINISTRATOR
NEW!
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/gol1int-1
Transcript of an interview with Daniel S. Goldin who
has reformed NASA as its Administrator. Includes audio and video clips along
with a Profile, a Photo Gallery and a Biography. Visit the Curriculum Center for
teacher and student materials. Very Good
– DONNA SHIRLEY INTERVIEW– MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/shi0int-1
Transcript of an interview with Donna Shirley of the Mars Exploration
Program. Includes audio and video clips along with a Profile and a Biography.
Visit the Curriculum Center for teacher and student materials. Very Good
― SALLY RIDE – FIRST WOMAN ASTRONAUT
NEW!
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/rid0int-1
Transcript of an interview with Dr. Sally Ride, the first woman astronaut.
Includes audio and video clips along with a Profile, a Photo Gallery and a
Biography. Visit the Curriculum Center for teacher and student materials. Very
Good
– STORY MUSGRAVE INTERVIEW – ASTRONAUT
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/mus0int-1
Transcript of an interview with Story Musgrave, the
"Dean of American Astronauts". He discusses his tragic early years and success
in the space program including the difficulties of repairing the Hubble Space
Telescope. Includes audio and video clips along with a Profile and Biography.
Visit the Curriculum Center for teacher and student materials. Very Good
ALL ABOUT SPACE
NEW!
http://www.suelebeau.com/space.htm
A collection of links for students on space, rockets
& spaceships and the planets. Very Good
THE APOLLO PROGRAM – A HISTORY
NEW!
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/index.html
"The Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them
safely back to Earth. Six of the missions -- Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17
-- achieved this goal. Lunar surface experiments included soil mechanics,
meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields and solar wind
experiments." Gives a detailed history of each of
the missions in the Apollo program. Very Good
ASTROMEETING
NEW!
http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/_index.htm
Astronomy photos by amateurs from various countries.
Organized by type. Very Good
ASTRONOMY – LIBRARIAN’S INDEX TO THE INTERNET
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/SegwayEd/index.html
A page of astronomy topics with links in each. Very
Good
ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
A daily picture from the NASA archives along with an
explanation of what it shows. Currently showing pictures from the Mars Spirit
rover. Includes an index of the images. Very Good
AURORAS – YOUR GUIDE TO THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
LIGHTS
NEW!
http://www.exploratorium.edu/auroras/
A guide to auroras in both the northern and southern skies. Includes:
Current Activity, Aurora Photography, Aurora Movies & Sounds and more. Very Good
BACKYARD ASTRONOMY FOR AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS
NEW!
http://www.backyard-astro.com/
A guide for backyard astronomers. Sections: Introduction, Equipment, The
Beginner, Focus On, Books, The Solar System, The Deep Sky, Astro Weblog and
Links. Very Good
BRIAN’S TIMELINES – ASTRONOMY
NEW!
http://www.brianstimelines.co.uk/Astronomy.html
Timelines and much more on astronomy and astronomers.
Includes: Explanatory Pages; Daily, Weekly & Monthly Newsletters & Blogs; NASA
TV and more. Very Good
BUILD A SOLAR SYSTEM
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
Instructions for planning a model of the solar
system. This is a calculator that allows you to slot in the figures for the size
of the sun you want and calculates the size and distance for the other planets.
Very Good
CENTER FOR MARS EXPLORATION
http://cmex.arc.nasa.gov/CMEX/index.html
Brings together NASA’s plans for Mars exploration. Sections: Mars Concept
Maps, Atlas, Calendar, Gallery, Mars Surveyor Landing Sites, Missions, Movies,
and Science. Includes Educator Resources. Very Good
THE CONSTELLATIONS
http://www.dibonsmith.com/menu.htm
Includes information on all 88 Constellations, the Myths and the Facts along
with a Binocular (and Naked Eye) Tour of the Stars, Drawn Orbits of Many Binary
Stars and New Star Charts for All Constellations. Note: Don’t be misled by the
ads. All features are available online for free. Very Good
THE CONSTELLATIONS AND THEIR STARS
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/
Extensive information on the constellations, what they are, times of the
year, stars, Milky Way photos, and much more. Very Good
CURIOUS ABOUT ASTRONOMY – ASK AN ASTRONOMER
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/
A site from Cornell University where students can ask astronomers questions.
Includes an extensive question and answer archive. Very Good
EARTH FROM SPACE – ASTRONAUTS VIEWS OF THE HOME
PLANET
http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/efs/
A database of space shuttle photos of the Earth from
space. Sections: Clickable Map, Cities, Earth Landscapes, Earth-Human
Interactions, Distinctive Features, Hurricanes & Weather, Earth’s Water
Habitats, and Geographical Regions. Very Good
ENCYCLOPEDIA ASTRONAUTICA
http://www.astronautix.com/
A vast site with information on the solar system and space exploration.
Includes: Rockets, Spacecraft, People, Programs, Articles, News, and more. Very
Good
GLOBE AT NIGHT
NEW!
http://www.globeatnight.org/
" GLOBE at Night is an annual citizen-science campaign that encourages people
all over the world to record the brightness of their night sky. For two weeks
every March, when the Moon is not out during the early evening and the
constellation of Orion can be seen by everyone everywhere, children and adults
match the appearance of Orion with 7 star maps of progressively fainter stars
found on the website, www.globeatnight.org. They then submit their measurements
(e.g., which star map they chose) on-line with their date, time and
location.This year the GLOBE at Night 2010 campaign (which took place March
3-16) set a record high of over 17,800 measurements from people in 86 countries.
The dots (or points) on the resulting world map represent the contributed
measurements of night sky brightness: the lighter colored the dot, the brighter
the sky and the darker the dot, the darker the sky. The lightest colored dot
(e.g., "Limiting Magnitude 1") represents a night sky you might see from a very
large city. Then, only a handful of stars are visible across the whole sky. The
darkest dot (e.g., "Limiting Magnitude 7") represents a night sky you would see
from a national park where no city lights are visible. Then there would be so
many stars across the sky (14,000!) that it would be hard to distinguish one
constellation from another." Prepare your classes
for the next Globe at Night. Very Good
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Uses the science of space and exploration. Includes
news and feature articles. Sections: Space, Earth, Technology, Missions, Photos,
Media, Goddard TV. A very extensive site but hard to describe. Very Good
GRIN – GREAT IMAGES IN NASA
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/
A collection of over 1,000 images from NASA. Searchable by subject, center,
and keyword. Very Good
HISTORY OF SHUTTLE-MIR
NEW!
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/index.html
"Welcome to the Shuttle-Mir History Web Site. Here are sights, sounds, and
first-person stories, plus historical background, official documents,
chronologies, and guided tours. From early 1994 into 1998, American astronauts
spent nearly 1000 days living in orbit with Russian cosmonauts. American space
shuttles rendezvoused ten times with Russia's space station Mir. Called "Phase
1," the Shuttle-Mir Program prepared the way for the International Space Station
and began an era of cooperation and exploration, rarely seen in human history."
Sections: Introduction, History, Science, Spacecraft, People, References
and Multimedia. The Multimedia section includes videos, photos, and diagrams.
Very Good
HOW THE MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS WORK
http://science.howstuffworks.com/mars-rover.htm
An explanation for students of how the Mars rovers
work, why we use them instead of people, a day in the life of a rover and more.
Very Good
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT WEB GALLERY
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/index.html
A gallery of images from the International Space
Station (including construction). Includes a large number of video clips. Very
Good
IMAGINE THE UNIVERSE!
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html
"Welcome to Imagine the Universe! This site is intended for students age 14 and
up, and for anyone interested in learning about our universe."
Contains News, Articles, Multimedia Theater Archive (movies),
Satellite Showcase and more. Also You Be the Astrophysicist! Very Good
JUST ABOUT THE SUN AND SOLAR ENERGY
NEW!
http://www.suelebeau.com/sun.htm
A collection of links for students on the sun and solar energy. Very Good
KIDSPACE
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/youth_educators/kidspace/kidspace.asp
Space adventures for kids. Sections: Cosmic Q & A’s, Space Games, Your
Creations, Photo Album, Space Camps, Funny Stuff, Experiments, and Links. The
Games are very good. From the Canadian Space Agency. The Funny Stuff section
includes space jokes and a song. Very Good
LIFE FROM SPACE: AN EMERGING PARADIGM
NEW!
http://www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/wickramasinghe.html
An online article which proposes a controversial theory that life on Earth
originated from space. "The author proposes a controversial idea that life
on Earth came from outer space, since: • microorganisms arrived on comets that
crashed to prebiotic Earth • early Earth did not have ideal conditions to
produce life on its own •comets continue to seed Earth with microorganisms that
interact with existing species" Use the links to learn more about this
theory, includes Educator Resources and more. Very Good
MAN ON THE MOON – REMEMBERING THE FIRST STEPS
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/moon/
A look at the first steps we took to land a man on the moon. Sections:
Timeline, Mission Photos, Memories, Facts & Legends, Lunar Modules, Chronicle
Coverage, Related Stories and Multimedia. The Multimedia section has video
clips. Very Good
NAEVE PLANETARIUM – ONLINE PLANETARIUM
NEW!
http://www.neave.com/planetarium/
An online planetarium. Use the mouse to click on a
star. "First, get the correct view for your sky by setting your position
on the world map in the Location menu on the right-hand side.
The default location is London, England, but you can move the crosshairs on the
map to view the sky from any point on Earth. If you don't know your exact
position, you could always explore with Flash Earth. Click the sky to start or
stop moving around. As you move your mouse, your view will change.
Pointing at a star will reveal its name, its constellation, its magnitude and
its distance. You can also use the arrow keys to change
the view, and the following shortcut keys:" It takes practice but works
well. Very Good
NASA BRAIN BITES
NEW!
http://brainbites.nasa.gov/#/ask-nasa
Short videos with questions for NASA. Use the scroll bar in the middle of
the page to see the titles available. Very Good
NASA QUEST
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/index.html
An educational site from NASA. Includes Bio of the Week, Journal of the Week
and Question of the Week. Includes various events such as webcasts that classes
can participate in. Very Good
NASA’S VISIBLE EARTH
http://www.visibleearth.nasa.gov/
Images, visualizations and animations of Earth from space. Includes:
Agriculture, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere, Human Dimensions,
Land Surface, Oceans, Radiance or Imagery, Solid Earth, Locations,
Satellites/Sensors. Very Good
OUTER SPACE CRAFTS AND COLORING PAGES
NEW!
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/space/space.html
Crafts and coloring pages for elementary students. Very Good
OUTER SPACE PRINTABLES FOR KIDS – PRINTABLE PUZZLES
& GAMES
NEW!
http://www.printactivities.com/Theme-Printables/Space-Printables.shtml
A collection of puzzles and games for kids on outer
space. Includes: Space Mazes, Space Word Search Puzzles, Space Dot-to-Dot
Puzzles, Space Cryptogram Puzzles, Space Boggle Puzzles and Space Coloring
Pages. All are printable. Very Good
PIECES OF SCIENCE
http://www.sln.org/pieces/
A collection of science topics. Move along the colored blocks for Apollo 8,
Apollo10, and Grumman Lunar Module. Click on Index for a list. Apollo 8 – To the
Moon and Back: The Story, The Missions, The Space Suit, Apollo 8 Media. Apollo
10: The Story, History, Gravity, and Mission The Grumman Lunar Module section
has The Story, For Teachers, For Students, and For Reference. Well-done. Very
Good
PLANETARY PHOTOJOURNAL
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
A photojournal of the Sun and each of the planets. Also: Spacecraft,
Universe, Technology, History and more. Very Good
THE PLANETARY SOCIETY
http://redrover.planetary.org/
The site for an organization devoted to space science and study. Sections:
Headlines, What’s Happening Now, links to the Spirit and Opportunity
latest news sites, Archives, Taking Action, Special Sections, Society Updated,
Events, Planetary Radio, and more. Very Good
SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
http://www.nasm.si.edu/
The official site for the National Air and Space Museum. Provides exhibit
and visitor information. Click Education, then Online Learning for lesson plans.
There are web only exhibits and images from the collections. Very Good
SOLAR SYSTEM AND ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Kids/space.html
A page of links to solar system and astronomy web sites. Very Good
SOLAR SYSTEM FUN
NEW!
http://science.nasa.gov/kids/kids-solar-system/
Games about the solar system. Very Good
SPACE-AGE LIVING – BUILDING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/spacestation/
A Discovery Channel feature on the International Space Station. Sections:
What is It?, Why Is It Being Built?, When Will It Be Complete?, Where Is It
Right Now?, How Will Astronauts Live There?, and more. Very Good
SPACE SCIENCE AT SCIENCEMASTER
http://www.sciencemaster.com/space/space.php
A site for students on space with articles, news, homework help and more.
Very Good
SPACE.COM
http://www.space.com
All the latest news on space and space-related topics. Very Good
SPACEREF.COM
http://www.spaceref.com/
A news and reference site on space information. Includes a Space Directory,
latest news and more. Very Good
STAR JOURNEY
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/stars/index.html
Study the stars with National Geographic’s Star Chart, the Hubble Space
Telescope and more. Very Good

THE SUN: MAN’S FRIEND AND FOE – A THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/15215/index_2.html?tqskip1=1
A student-created site on the sun. Sections: Man’s Friend, Man’s Foe,
Culture, Science, History, Hot Sun Facts, Movie, Teacher’s Guide, and
Activities. Very Good
THE SUN – A MULTIMEDIA TOUR
http://www.astro.uva.nl/demo/od95/
An examination of the sun, uses photography and
movies. Very Good
SUNSPOTS
http://www.exploratorium.edu/sunspots/
"This resource will allow you to explore the nature of sunspots and the
fascinating history of our efforts to understand them. Included here are
interviews with solar physicists and archeoastronomers, historic images, modern
NASA images and movies, and a sunspot research activity." Sections:
Introduction, History, Modern Research, Activity, Glossary and Bibliography.
Very Good
TRUCKIN’ AROUND THE SOLAR SYSTEM – INTERNET FIELD
TRIP
NEW!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/fieldtrp/science/solar.htm
A field trip around the solar system from Scholastic. Use the links to
follow. Very Good
ULYSSES – MISSION TO THE SUN
http://ulysses.jpl.nasa.gov/
"ULYSSES is a joint NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the
sun at all latitudes. NASA provided the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG),
the launch vehicle, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), and the Payload Assist
Module (PAM), and is providing data reception through the Deep Space Network."
Sections: Mission, Science, Spacecraft, News,
Images, Education (links), and Kids (crossword puzzle, simulator, animation).
Very Good
UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/universe/
A Discovery Channel feature section on the Universe. Sections: Galaxy Tour,
It’s Awesome!, Stargazers, Mind Game, Light Years, Cosmic Calendar, and Teacher
Tips. Very Good
UNIVERSE IN THE CLASSROOM
NEW!
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html
"Welcome to the Universe in the Classroom! This electronic educational
newsletter is for teachers and other educators around the world who want to help
students of all ages learn more about the wonders of the universe through
astronomy.On this page, you can read the current issue, subscribe to receive
updates and browse our archives. You can also learn more about the Universe in
the Classroom and find out about how you can help by writing an article,
translating the newsletter or making a donation." Very Good
VIRTUAL PLANISPHERE
http://www.open2.net/science/finalfrontier/planisphere/frames.html
A night sky viewer. Click on the objects for information about them. This is
very good but it takes a while to learn how to use it. Very Good
THE WEB NEBULAE
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/billa/twn/
"The main body of this document consists of two pages for each of about 25
objects. The first page consists almost entirely of a large image of the object.
The second page gives some basic information about the object and a list of
references to other pictures of the object available on the Net. There are links
at the bottom of each page to move to the next and previous objects, back and
forth between the picture and description pages, and to the table of contents
page." Very good images. Very Good
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ASTRONOMY/SPACE
http://kidsastronomy.miningco.com/
A site for kids with the latest news about space and
the solar system. Includes the latest information on the Mars exploration. Check
out the Essentials at the left. Very Good
YOHKOH PUBLIC OUTREACH PROJECT – IMAGES AND MOVIES
OF THE SUN
http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/
"The Yohkoh Movie Theater (YPOP) is designed to bring you images and movies
depicting our nearest star, the Sun, as seen by an X-ray telescope that was
carried on board the Yohkoh satellite. The YPOP site includes a range of
activities for youngsters, parents, teachers and anyone interested in learning
more about the Sun. You can make your own movies, see solar images, take a tour
of the Sun and much more." Very Good

2004 TRANSIT OF VENUS
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/transit04.html
Information on the transit of Venus across the face of the sun, visible from
Earth only once a century. Good
THE AMERICAN METEOR SOCIETY
http://www.amsmeteors.org/
"Welcome to the home of the American Meteor Society, Ltd., a non-profit
scientific organization established to encourage and support the research
activities of both amateur and professional astronomers who are interested in
the fascinating field of Meteor Astronomy. Our affiliates observe, monitor,
collect data on, study, and report on meteors, meteor showers, meteoric
fireballs, and related meteoric phenomena." Click
on Meteor Showers and Fireball Sightings for some good information on these
phenomena. Includes how-to information for observing. Good
ANSMET – THE ANTARCTIC SEARCH FOR METEORITES
PROGRAM
NEW!
http://geology.cwru.edu/~ansmet/
"Meteorites have been found in Antarctica since the dawn of exploration of that
continent. The first Antarctic meteorite was found in 1912, by a member of
Mawson's Australian Antarctic expedition. Other specimens were found as
exploration continued into the 1960's, but few people made anything of it; you
expect to find a few meteorites here and there all over the Earth, so finding a
few against such a nice background was not considered a big deal. The key find
came in 1969, when Japanese glaciologists exploring near the Yamato mountains
discovered 9 specimens within an area about 3 kilometers across. Initially not
much was made of it; falls of 10 or more stones at once are not uncommon, and
this was thought to be the case. However, in 1971 a Japanese geologist gave a
talk at a meeting of the International Meteoritical Society, and noted that the
9 specimens were of at least 5 distinct types, including some that were
relatively rare. Clearly, the Japanese understood that there must be many other
specimens out there. Another person who figured this out immediately was William
(Bill) A. Cassidy from the University of Pittsburgh. Both parties tried to put
meteorite hunting teams together immediately, and the Japanese efforts began to
bear fruit in 1974, when they returned to Yamato and recovered 30 more
meteorites. It was not until 1976 that US efforts got underway, and after about
30 days on the ice the ANSMET team, led by Bill Cassidy, returned with their
first nine specimens. The picture shown is of Bill's first find of that first
season, at the Allan Hills, about 150 nautical miles northwest of McMurdo
Station, Antarctica. Note the big smile on his face! Too bad he won't find
another one for a few weeks." Sections: Why
Antarctica?, The Journey, Collecting Meteorites, Meteorite Portraits, Links,
Living on the Fast Antarctic Icesheet, Reconnaissance and FAQs. Good
ARCHEOASTRONOMY
http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/
"Archaeoastronomy's goal is to understand how skywatchers of the past fashioned
and refined systems for keeping track of dates and for regulating their
primitive calendars. Often they relied on sunlight and shadow plays striking and
passing across targets and designs aligned with Equinox, Solstice and
Cross-Quarter sunrises and sunsets. Sometimes the celestial cycles of the Moon,
Venus and Mars captivated their attention, too. However, knowing seasonal
durations and transitions was vital to success in hunting migratory prey,
planting crops and harvesting them. Archaeoastronomy draws on several scientific
disciplines, primarily astronomy, archaeology, anthropology, psychology and
epigraphy, the decoding of ancient inscriptions."
Sections: Earth Clock, My Clock, Seasons, Almanacs, Countdowns,
USA, England, Ireland, Pyramids and Links. Explains about the importance of the
equinoxes. Good
ARECIBO OBSERVATORY
NEW!
http://www.naic.edu/
The site for the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center at the Arecibo
Observatory in Puerto Rico. Includes information the telescopes, images and
more. Good
ASTEROIDS AND COMET IMPACT HAZARDS
http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/
A NASA site examining asteroid and comet impact hazards to Earth. "The Earth
orbits the Sun in a sort of cosmic shooting gallery, subject to impacts from
comets and asteroids. It is only fairly recently that we have come to appreciate
that these impacts by asteroids and comets (often called Near Earth Objects, or
NEOs) pose a significant hazard to life and property. Although the annual
probability of the Earth being struck by a large asteroid or comet is extremely
small, the consequences of such a collision are so catastrophic that it is
prudent to assess the nature of the threat and prepare to deal with it." The
Multimedia Gallery has illustrations of the expected consequences of a major
comet impact. Good
ASTRONAUT BIOGRAPHIES

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/more.html
Biographies of current and former astronauts along with information on their
missions. Good
ASTRONOMY CALENDAR OF CELESTIAL EVENTS 2010
NEW!
http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy_calendar_2010.html
A detailed calendar of celestial events. Good
ASTRONOMY.COM
NEW!
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx
Website for Astronomy magazine. Includes articles, The Welcome to Astronomy
and Columnists sections have good information for students. Good
ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS
NEW!
http://www.astronomyforbeginners.com/
"Welcome to Astronomy For Beginners! As I was getting into astronomy I found it
difficult trawling through all the virtually infinite amount of information on
the internet, so I've tried to bring together what I've managed to learn here.
Information about what sort of equipment to buy, what to look for in a
telescope, and where to point the thing once you've got it! Theres also other
useful stuff about astronomy in general, and some handy links to other useful
pages. If you're interested in astrophotography you can have a look at the
pictures I've taken, upload your own, and learn how to do it in the
astrophotography section. Have a look at the brand new telescope reviews
section- if you've got a telescope, tell everyone what you think about it by
submitting a review!" Good
ASTRONOMY FOR KIDS
http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/astronomy.html
Basic information on space and the solar system for primary students. Good
ASTRONOMY TIMELINE
NEW!
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072465700/student_view0/astronomy_timeline.html#
A timeline of astronomy. Good
THE AURORA PAGE
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/images/aurora/jan.curtis/
Images of the Aurora Borealis. Mostly taken in Fairbanks, Alaska. Good
AURORAL SOUNDS
NEW!
http://auroralsounds.tripod.com/
Examines sounds heard when auroras are observed. Good
AURORAS – MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS IN THE SKY
NEW!
http://ds9.ssl.berkeley.edu/auroras/story.html
An animation suitable for grades 2 and up explaining auroras. Good
BEAUTIFUL UNIVERSE – KITAHARA PHOTO GALLERY
NEW!
http://www.janis.or.jp/users/kitahara/english-index.html
Click on Windows or Mac and view terrific photos.
Good
THE BEST OF HUBBLE
NEW INFO!
http://www.space.com/bestimg/index.php?cat=hst
Rate each image to go to the next or click on the right arrow beneath the
description. Good
BUILD YOUR OWN MARS PATHFINDER SPACECRAFT MODEL
NEW!
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/mpf/education/cutouts.html
Print out and put together this paper model of the
Mars Pathfinder spacecraft. Good
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION VIRTUAL TOUR
http://www.robsv.com/cape/index.html
This is a detailed photo tour of Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, the site of rocket launches prior to the Kennedy Space Center.
Includes good information on how it was done. Unmanned launches are currently
being conducted from here. Good

COLLECTION OF SPACE THEME POEMS AND SONGS
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1645.html
A nice collection of short poems and songs related to space. Good
COMET HYAKUTAKE IMAGE ARCHIVE
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/hyakutake/images.html
A large number of images of the comet Hyakutake that
passed close to Earth in 1996. Good
COMET PICTURES FROM THE LOWBROW ASTRONOMERS
NEW!
http://www.umich.edu/~lowbrows/astrophotos/comets/
Photos of comets. Good
COMETOGRAPHY
NEW!
http://cometography.com/
Detailed information on comets for senior high
students and up. Sections: Current Comets, Currently Visible Comets, Memorable
Comets of the Past, Catalog of Periodic Comets, Sungrazing Comets, Unconfirmed
Comets, Orbits (Kronk), Orbits (Kinoshita), and Comet Links. Good

COMETS AND METEOR SHOWERS
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/
Information on comets and meteor showers. Sections:
Comets: Now Visible, Periodic, Sungrazers, Links, cometography.com, Meteors; The
Leonids, Calendar, Information, Links, Education Corner(explains what they are).
Good
COMPADRE – PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY
NEW!
http://www.compadre.org/
Resources for teachers and students for physics and
astronomy. Good
THE COSMOS IN MINIATURE: THE REMARKABLE STAR MAP OF
SIMEON DE WITT
NEW!
http://americanhistory.si.edu/documentsgallery/exhibitions/dewitt_1.html
An online exhibit about a star map from 1780. It
shows the star map, how stars were viewed and measured. Good
EARTH AND MOON VIEWER
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html
"You can view either a map of the Earth showing the day and night regions at
this moment, or view the Earth from the Sun, the Moon, the night side of the
Earth, above any location on the planet specified by latitude, longitude and
altitude, from a satellite in Earth orbit, or above various cities around the
globe." Good
EARTH AND SKY RADIO
http://www.earthsky.org/shows/
A daily science radio show for teachers and students. Good
EARTH’S SEASONS, EQUINOXES, SOLSTICES, PERIHELION,
AND APHELION 1992-2020
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.html
The dates of the Perihelion, Aphelion, Equinoxes and Solstices from
1992-2020. Good
ECLIPSE
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html
Information on solar and lunar eclipses. Sections: Solar Eclipse, Lunar
Eclipse, Resource, Planetary Transit, 12-Year Ephemeris, and Moon Phases.
Includes recent and upcoming events. Good
EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html
News from the European Space Agency. See images and video from their
missions. Good
FAMOUS PHYSICISTS AND ASTRONOMERS
http://www.phy.hr/~dpaar/fizicari/
Links to brief profiles of famous physicists and
astronomers. Good

A FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICAN SPACECRAFT
http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/fieldguide/pages/aaindex/home1.html
Information on American spacecraft, from the early rockets to the Space
Shuttle. Good
GALAXY PHOTOGRAPHY AND DIGITAL IMAGES
http://www.galaxyphoto.com/
An image gallery of photographs of galaxies. Good
GALILEO PROJECT – TO JUPITER
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/index.html
Information on the mission of Galileo to Jupiter. Includes details about the
spacecraft and its mission and its descent into the atmosphere of Jupiter where
it was destroyed. Sections: Jupiter, Moons, Mission, Images, Explorations,
Education, and News. Good
HALL OF ASTRONOMERS
NEW!
http://www.allaboutspace.com/subjects/astronomy/glossary/Astronomers.shtml
Brief information about astronomers for elementary students. Good
HAO (HIGH ALTITUDE OBSERVATORY) EDUCATION PAGE
http://www.hao.ucar.edu/Public/education/education.html
"A part of the mission of the High Altitude Observatory is to enhance and
contribute to solar and solar-terrestrial physics education. The HAO education
pages are designed for the use of both teachers and students. The material is
arranged according to increasing skill level"
Sections: Basic Facts, Q & A; Slide Sets, Image Maps, Suggested Reading;
Historical Material; and Lecture Notes, Tutorials. Includes Great Moments in
Solar Physics. Good
A HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE MOON
NEW!
http://www.shallowsky.com/moon/
A guide to observing the moon with a telescope. Gives a daily update of the
moon. Good
HST (HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE) GREATEST HITS
1990-1995
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/BestOfHST95.html
A photo gallery of some of Hubble Space Telescope’s best images from
1990-1995. Good
HUBBLE HERITAGE PROJECT
http://heritage.stsci.edu/index.html
Good images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Good
IMAGES OF THE SUN
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/pxsol.html
Still and video images of the sun. Good
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION HISTORY
NEW!
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/station/index.html
A history of the International Space Station. Click
on Station Missions and Expedition Crews for more information. Good
IT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD WORD SEARCH PUZZLE
NEW!
http://puzzles.about.com/od/wordsearches/l/blwsspace.htm
A word search puzzle on space for students. Good
KYE’S SKIES MARS LINKS
http://www.kyes-world.com/mars.htm
Links to information about Mars. Good
LUNAR EXPLORATION
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/
Information of the lunar explorations including
images. Good
LUNAR EXPLORATION TIMELINE
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/lunartimeline.html
A timeline of lunar exploration from 1959 to 2005.
Good
MARS
http://calspace.ucsd.edu/marsnow/library/index.htm
Information on Mars. Sections: Mars in Myth &
Science Fiction, Mars Science: What We Know About Mars, Mars Exploration, and
Future Mars Exploration. Good
MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR MARS ORBITER CAMERA IMAGE
GALLERY
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/index.html
Contains all of the pictures of Mars obtained by
the Mars Global Surveyor through February 2003. Provides background for current
events. Good
MARS METEORITES NEW!
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/
Information from NASA on meteorites from Mars with
photos and locations found. Good
THE MESSIER CATALOG
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/Messier.html
An index of Messier objects.
"a collection of
the most beautiful objects in the sky including nebulae, star clusters, and
galaxies. It was one of the first major milestones in the history of the
discovery of Deep Sky objects," "The purpose of these web pages is to provide a
complete guide to the 110 objects recognized as the standard Messier catalog.
More importantly, we would like to generate interest in astronomy, the night sky
and the universe beyond us, and to encourage a sense of wonder and exploration.
We also hope that these pages may be useful as a reference for amateur
astronomers. For each object, an image is presented together with a short
description; click on the image to get a larger-format version. In addition to
the images, we have also included some data on these objects such as celestial
position (right ascension in hours and minutes [h:m], declination in degrees and
minutes [deg:m], both for the epoch J2000.0), apparent visual brightness in
magnitudes [mag], apparent (angular) diameter in arc minutes [arc min], and
approximate distance in thousands of light-years (kilo-light years [kly] please
note that the decimal point in the distance does not represent true accuracy;
see explanation of the terms used here). Also, we have constellation images
which show Messier and NGC (New General Catalog) objects down to 12th
magnitude." Good
METEOR SHOWERS NEW!
http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html
Photos, viewing calendars and more on meteor
showers. Good
METEOR SHOWERS ONLINE
NEW!
http://www.meteorshowersonline.com/
Sections: What is a Meteor Shower?, How to Watch
Meteors, Major Meteor Showers, Minor Meteor Showers, Meteor Shower Calendar,
Miscellaneous, Links, and Education Corner. The Education Corner features video
clips of meteors, asteroids and comets. Good
MIKE GRUNTMAN’S ASTRONAUTICS AND SPACECRAFT DESIGN
http://ame-www.usc.edu/bio/mikeg/astromike/index.html
A huge amount of information on spacecraft and
astronautics. Sections: Spacecraft; Spacecraft Subsystems; Rockets and Launching
Sites; Space Environments, Operations, Databases; Space Links USA; Space Links
Foreign; and Space Publications. Good
NASA’S OBSERVATORIUM – IMAGE GALLERY
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/gallery/image_index.shtml.html
Sections: Around the World, Continental US Landsat
Images, Gallery, Movie Gallery, and US Capitals. Good
NASA’S ORIGINS PROGRAM
http://origins.jpl.nasa.gov/index1.html
"In the first few decades of this new century
astronomers will largely complete the study of cosmology: the description of the
universe on the largest scales and how it works. With the Space Infrared
Telescope Facility (SIRTF) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) we will
also begin to write the final chapter of the story of galaxies, witnessing the
actual birth of these continents of stars. In particular we will chart
the13-billion-year history of the Milky Way Galaxy we inhabit, understanding how
the materials for new stars, planets, and life were generated and distributed."
Sections: Emerging Modern Universe, Stars and Planets, Habitable Planets and
Life, Missions, Technology, and more. Good
NIGHT SKY INFO NEW!
http://www.nightskyinfo.com/
A monthly look at the night sky. Good
NORTH AMERICAN SKIES – VISIBLE PLANETS
http://www.webcom.com/safezone/NAS/planets.htm
Rise/Set and more. Good
NORTHERN LIGHTS
http://www.northern-lights.no/
Extensive information on the Northern Lights
(aurora borealis). Sections: What Are Northern Lights?, Aurora in Science,
Realtime Measurements, Auroral Mythology, Aurora in Arts, Land of the Aurora,
Photo Contest, User’s Corner. Also News, Articles and Questions & Answers. Good
THE ONLINE PLANETARIUM SHOW – A THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/3461/?tqskip1=1
"The Online Planetarium Show is an educational
site, teaching fun and interesting lessons in astronomy and in related subjects.
To get started, we recommend that you take the Guided Tour of our main feature
-- an interactive planetarium program called "Hubble: From Here to Eternity." In
the show, you will view spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope,
uncover its incredible findings and read about other interesting topics."
Sections: Guided Tour, Table of Contents, Astronomy Gallery, Astronomy on the
Web, and Fun & Games. Good
THE PLANET JUPITER
http://www.the-planet-jupiter.com/
Sections: Pictures of Jupiter, Pictures of
Jupiter’s Moons, Technical Facts About Jupiter, Quizzes About Jupiter, Classroom
Activities and an Interactive Puzzle. Good – NOTE: SEE the entire list of
planets on The Solar System in Pictures.

PLANETARY PUZZLES AND GAMES
NEW!
http://www.crpuzzles.com/space/index.html
A collection of puzzles and games on space and the
planets. Good
RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/rsa.html
"The Russian Space Agency (RKA) was formed after
the breakup of the former Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Soviet space
program. The RKA uses the technology and launch sites that belonged to the
former Soviet space program. Currently, the RKA has centralized control of
Russia's civilian space program, including all manned and unmanned nonmilitary
space flights." Sections: Launch Vehicles, Launch Facilities, MIR Station,
Shuttle Buran, and Picture Gallery. The Picture Gallery includes some video
clips. Good
SCIENCE CLIPS ASTRONOMY CLIPART
http://www.challenger.org/tr/tr_clip_set.htm
Clipart images in two categories: Solar System and
Tools/Equipment (i.e. rockets). The images are colored illustrations or photos.
Good
SETI INSTITUTE
http://www.seti.org/
Dedicated to the study and search for life in the
universe. The main feature currently is the Mars exploration. Click on the
Public Education section Multimedia for video and audio clips and interviews.
Good
SKYLAB
http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/skylab.htm
Information on the first US space station, Skylab
and the experiments conducted on it. Sections: The Sun, Solar Structure, Solar
Features, The Sun in Action, MSFC Solar Group, Research Areas, Previous
Projects, Current Projects and Future Projects. Includes video clips. Good
SKYVIEW- THE INTERNET’S VIRTUAL OBSERVATORY
NEW!
http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/
"SkyView is a Virtual Observatory on the Net
generating images of any part of the sky at wavelengths in all regimes from
Radio to Gamma-Ray." Select Non-Astronomer’s Page and Image Gallery for
images and how to use. Good
SKYWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010
NEW!
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/100103-night-sky-events-2010.html
A calendar of skwatching highlights such as
eclipses, meteor showers, etc. for 2010. Good
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
NEW!
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/index.html
A college-level syllabus of on the Solar System
including a history of the solar system, the planets and a history of the
discovery of each. Basic information for each. Appropriate for grades 9 and up. Good
SOLAR SYSTEM/SPACE LINKS
NEW!
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/solar.html
A page of links for students on the solar system
and space. Some of the links show the grade levels. Good
SPACE CROSSWORD PUZZLES
NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112188/crossword_puzzles.htm
Two crossword puzzles for students on space. For
elementary students. Good
SPACE CROSSWORD PUZZLES
NEW!
http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/space_games/crossword/
Eight crossword puzzles on space and the lunar
missions for grades 7 and up. Good
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
Online space news. Includes top stories, headlines
and more. Good
SPACE-RELATED RESOURCES
NEW!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/mwm/www/home.html
A huge page of space-related links. Contains lots
of broken links as well as good ones. Good
SPACE SCRAMBLE PUZZLES
NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00181/puzzlepage.html
A collection of space scramble puzzles to play
online. Good
SPACE SHOTS
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/space/mainIndex.shtml
Photos in space and from the space program, taken
by NASA photographers or crew. Sections: Live Pictures, Photography in Space,
John Glenn, The Spacecraft, Mercury 6, and STS 95. Good
SPACE VEHICLES COLORING PAGES
NEW!
http://www.coloring.ws/space.htm
Several coloring pages to print out showing space
vehicles such as rockets, the space shuttle, the moon lander and more. Good
SPACE WEATHER NOW
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN/index.html
A look at space weather including solar winds,
geomagnetic storms and more. Good
SPACEWEATHER.COM
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Science news and information about the Earth-Sun
environment. Includes: Space Weather, Current Condition, Solar Wind, X-ray Solar
Flares, Daily Sun, The Far Side of the Sun, Sunspot Number 48, Interplanetary
Mag. Field, Coronal Holes, NOAA Forecasts, What’s Up in Space? and more. Good
SPACE WORD SEARCH WORKSHEET
NEW!
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/science/space/search/
A printable word search puzzle for elementary
students. Good
STARDUST – NASA’S COMET SAMPLE RETURN MISSION
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
Information on NASA’s mission to send a spacecraft
through the tail of a comet to collect space "dust" and return it to Earth.
Sections: Overview, Mission, Science, Technology, Newsroom, Education, Gallery,
and Links. Note: We were unable to get the links in the left column to work.
Good
STELLAR CROSSWORD PUZZLE
NEW!
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/space-cw.htm
A crossword puzzle for upper elementary and up. Can
be done online or printed. Good
STELLAR SCENES – CELESTIAL PHOTO GALLERY
NEW!
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/stellar/scenes/english/
Search by type. Good

STEPHEN HAWKING’S UNIVERSE – COSMOLOGICAL STARS
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/cosmostar/html/cos.html
"What do we know about the universe? When did we
learn, and who taught us? Here are stories about the experiences and
contributions of some of the most important figures in cosmology." Includes
links to information about their discoveries as well as profiles. Good
THE SUN AND EARTH SIZE COMPARISON
http://inspire.ospi.wednet.edu:8001/curric/space/sun/sunearth.html
A classroom activity in which students compare the
size of the Earth and the Sun using different media. Good
THE SUN: A PICTORIAL INTRODUCTION
http://www.hao.ucar.edu/public/education/slides/slides.html
A 20-slide slide show of images of the sun. Good
TERRIERS SATELLITE PROJECT
http://www.bu.edu/satellite/
Information from Boston University on the TERRIERS
satellite. Tour the satellite, view the launch. Sections: Satellite, Launch,
Mission, Classroom, and Press Room. Good
TRAVEL TIME FROM EARTH
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/universe_travel.html
A table showing the travel time from Earth by jet,
rocket and sunbeam for objects in space. Good
U R HERE – A THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/19947/?tqskip1=1
A student-created site on the universe. Sections:
The Universe, The Galaxies, Sol. Good
VIDEO CLIPS OF SPACE EXPLORATION
http://library.thinkquest.org/11348/?tqskip1=1#Video_Gallery
Eight short video clips: Alan Shepard Blasting Off,
First Step on the Moon, Flag on the Moon, Lunar Liftoff, Gemini EVA, Shuttle
Liftoff, Moon Rover, and Shuttle Payload Deployment. Requires Quick Time Player.
Good
VIOLENCE IN THE COSMOS
NEW!
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/guidry/violence/violence-root.html
"One of the most important discoveries of modern
astronomy is that the universe is a stage for scenes of unimaginable violence.
Ironically, neither life as we know it, nor the universe as presently
constituted, would exist in the absence of such violent processes. This
hypertext module gives an introduction to these ideas." Sections:
Introduction; The Mother of All Explosions; The Stars: Some Don’t Go Gently Into
the Night; The Galaxies: Some are Quiet, Some are Not; Summary and Conclusions;
Bibliography and Further Reading and A Quiz to Test Your Knowledge. For senior
high and up. Good
WHAT’S REALLY OUT THERE? – A THINKQUEST SITE
http://library.thinkquest.org/5834/?tqskip1=1
A student-created site on the solar system for
elementary students. Good
WORLD OF ASTRONOMY
NEW!
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/
An online encyclopedia of astronomy. Good


LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES
AMAZING SPACE: COMETS
NEW!
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/comets/lesson/lab.html
Activities and teaching tips on comets. Excellent
ASTRONOMY (SOLAR SYSTEM/SPACE) THEME
NEW CONTENT!
http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/space.html
A huge list of links to classroom activities,
printable, puzzles, recipes and much more. Note: Includes commercial content.
For teachers only. Excellent
BEHIND THE MISSION TO MERCURY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=7&DocID=414
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the mission to
Mercury.
"The lesson revolves around the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space
ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft mission to Mercury. Students
will read about the real mission first and discuss the instruments and
spacecraft. They will touch on how one can take measures before a mission to
ensure success in both design and the mission itself." Excellent
BLACK HOLES – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=272
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on black holes.
"In this activity, students will explore a Web resource called No Escape: The
Truth About Black Holes on the Amazing Space website. This is a module that
introduces students to the science of black holes. Students examine the anatomy
of a black hole using a diagram of an accretion disk, the event horizon, and
jets of hot gas. This module also includes subsections about myths, the history
related to the discovery of black holes, an animated trip to the center of a
black hole, a discussion of different types of black holes, and an opportunity
to see actual Hubble images that support the hypothesis of black holes."
Includes worksheets. Excellent
COME TO THE DARK SIDE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/come-to-the-dark-side/
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 from the NY Times
about dark matter.
"Overview of Lesson Plan:
In this lesson, students follow the investigations of astronomers and physicists
on the composition of dark matter. Then they create hypertext links that provide
readers with more information on key terms, people and ideas found in the
article." Excellent
THE COMET’S TALE – TEACHING UNIT
NEW!
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/SegwayEd/lessons/CometsTale/com.html
A teaching unit on comets for grades 5-8.
"This
module is a series of sections on the origin, characteristics, and history of
comets, with accompanying animations. Instructions on how to "make a comet" in
the classroom are also provided. An extensive glossary of comet related terms is
included in conjunction with the descriptions." Sections: Comet Gallery,
History/Exploration, Origin of Comets, Play the Game, Make a Comet!,
Characteristics, Comet Orbit, Their Place in Space, Killer Comets, and Teaching
Tips. Excellent
DESIGNING A SPACE STATION – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=141
A lesson plan on designing a space station for
grades 9-12.
"In this lesson, students will evaluate an existing space
settlement design based upon the ideas in the central benchmarks listed above.
Students will look at a winning design plan that was submitted by students to
NASA as part of the Space Settlement Design Contest." Excellent
DESTINATION MARS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM392
A lesson plan for elementary students on Mars.
"You have been selected to travel on a special mission to Mars. But before you
go, you must decide what to pack. The amount of space for cargo is extremely
limited. Space engineers have collected what they believe to be the most useful
items; however the list is still not cut down – you only have space for 10
additional items. Discuss this with your group, make your selection and mark the
quantity of each you decide to take with you. Prepare your extra cargo list.
Then you will use a scenario to see how well you decided. Be sure to note that
scarcity can exist in many different forms and many choices need to be
considered. After you are finished selecting which items to keep you will be
able to recognize that setting your criteria can increase or decrease you
chances for success."
Excellent
EXPLORING PLANETS IN THE CLASSROOM – HANDS-ON
ACTIVITIES
http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/index.html
A collection of lesson plans and activities
exploring Earth and the planets. Excellent
EXPLORING THE SOLAR SYSTEM – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Lessons.cfm?DocID=165
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the solar system.
"Students likely know some information about the other planets in our solar
system as well as about earth's moon. In this lesson, students will build on
this knowledge as they research one of the other eight planets in order to
determine whether a manned mission to that planet would be feasible. Students
will determine such factors as: what it is like, whether or not it is habitable,
and how its orbit affects planning a trip. The lesson begins with a whole class
exercise in which students plan a trip to the moon. In addition to giving
students a broader knowledge of the moon, this exercise gives the teacher an
opportunity to model the steps that students will take as they work in small
groups to research and develop their own proposals."
Excellent
EYE IN THE SKY: EXPLORING THE HUBBLE SPACE
TELESCOPE: A WEB SCAVENGER HUNT – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991207tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on the Hubble Space Telescope for
grades 6-12.
"In this lesson, students use the Internet to broaden their
knowledge and understanding of the Hubble Space Telescope by participating in an
Internet scavenger hunt, searching for information about the objectives, past
successes and repair of the telescope. Each student will then write two
additional interesting questions and challenge classmates to both answer them
and to correctly cite the Web sites with the answers." Excellent
FUTURISTIC FLIGHTS: LEARNING ABOUT AND DESIGNING
ORBITAL SPACE PLANES AND THEIR MISSIONS – LESSON PLANS
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030701tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
A lesson plan on space flight for grades 6-12.
"In this lesson, students learn about the orbital space plane, NASA's proposed
spacecraft of the future. They then work in groups to plan missions to take
place twenty years from now and design orbital space planes in which to carry
out the missions." Excellent
GRAVITY AND BLACK HOLES – CURRICULUM GUIDE
NEW INFO!
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/documents/curriculum-resources/gravity5-8.pdf
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/documents/curriculum-resources/gravity9-12.pdf
Two sections: grades 5-8, grades 9-12. These are
PDF files that you must download separately depending on grade level. Each guide
focuses on gravity and related concepts at it applies to Earth, space and black
holes. Excellent
GRAVITY LAUNCH – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=405
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on Earth’s and the
moon’s gravity.
"The heart of this lesson will focus on an online
interactive, in which students launch a rocket from earth on various space
missions. Students will have control over the angle and thrust of the rocket and
should see the relationship between the two as they change these settings."
Excellent
GRAVITY LAUNCH FACILITATOR – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/afterschool/gravity/facilitator.html
A classroom activity using the interactive web game
to launch a space ship. For grades 5-7. Requires internet access. Excellent
HOW OLD ARE THE STARS? – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=267
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the stars.
"In
this lesson, students examine the Jewelbox cluster, located within the southern
constellation Crux, and determine its age using a relationship between
temperature, color, and luminosity. Before beginning this lesson, students
should have an understanding of what stars are composed of and their life cycle.
Students should also understand the relationship between temperature and color."
Excellent
AN INTRODUCTION TO REMOTE SENSING – LESSON PLAN -
LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=294
A lesson plan on remote sensing for grades 6-8.
"This lesson combines several resources from NASA's Observatorium to teach about
remote sensing. Although students will learn about the technology involved in
remote sensing as part of the lesson, teachers should focus their attention on
the ideas in the benchmark by discussing how technology has assisted scientific
investigation and how it has enhanced our natural abilities." Excellent
IT’S GRAVITY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=10&DocID=390
A lesson plan on the role of gravity in the
universe for grades 9-12.
"This activity will help students develop ideas
about the enormous impact that gravity has on the universe—the shape and
movement of the planets, the solar system, stars, and galaxies. Gravity is a
very difficult concept for students to grasp. It is necessary for the complex
ideas and insights about the earth's shape and gravity to develop gradually. At
this level, getting the right answer is not as important as the critical
thinking skills that students develop as they struggle to apply their mental
models of the earth to real and imaginary situations. Misconceptions about the
causes of gravity persist after traditional high-school physics instruction.
High school is the time for all of the pieces to come together.
Concepts from physics and chemistry, insights from
history, mathematical ways of thinking, and ideas about the role of technology
in exploring the universe all contribute to an understanding of the character of
the cosmos. In particular, the role of gravity in forming and maintaining
planets, stars, and the solar system should become clear." Excellent
LOOKING INTO SPACE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=307
A lesson plan on telescopes for grades 6-8.
"In
this lesson, students will learn how telescopes work, will build a model of
their own, and will consider how real telescopes can be used to ask—and help
answer—questions about the universe" Excellent
LUNAR CYCLE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=9&DocID=426
A lesson plan for K-2 on the phases of the moon.
"The activities in this lesson involve both individual and class work to
facilitate students' learning about the predictability of the moon's phases.
Beginning with a hands-on activity to give students a tangible demonstration of
the moon's orbit and rotation, this lesson incorporates student observation,
documentation, and online activities which encourage students to recognize the
pattern of the moon's phases. Class discussions encourage students to understand
the lunar cycle as one example of a pattern that we can find in nature."
Excellent
MAKE A MISSION – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=400
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on preparing a
spacecraft for a mission to Mercury.
"In the motivation section
of this lesson, students will start with a discussion about exploration, why it
is necessary and how technology facilitates it. The first part of the
development offers a brief introduction to Mercury and the MESSENGER Mission
before having students get to the heart of the lesson, an interactive called
Make a Mission, which asks them to prepare a spacecraft for a mission to the
planet Mercury. While doing the interactive, students must take into account the
cost of the mission and the design constraints of the spacecraft." Excellent
MAPPING MARS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g68/marsmap.html
A lesson plan on Mars and mapping for grades 6-8.
"This lesson introduces students to some common map projections and
representations (e.g., globes or close-ups) and asks them to consider the ways
that each representation can be used to show specific features of Mars. Students
will draw three different representations of Mars and will illustrate each one
with details of research they have conducted on the planet."
Excellent
MARS LANDING: EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT – LESSON
MODULE
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/activities/mars/situation.html
A teaching module on Mars.
"This is it! You are
Captain aboard the good ship Low Bid, the first manned
spacecraft to orbit Mars. The trip has been a long one--18 months in a minimum
energy orbit (naturally). It has also been tedious, with only the pilot, and
your know-it-all computer, the SAL 9,000,000,000 (Sarcastic,
Arrogant, and Loquacious: "I'm 32
billion times smarter than you humans") to talk to. Now that you are actually in
orbit around Mars, it is time to choose a landing site and get off this flying
tin can. This has been a really cost-effective flight, so you have no big
windows or high-powered telescopes aboard, only an internal guidance system
controlled by SAL and some old Viking Orbiter images taken way back in the 70s
to help you to find a good spot to settle down. You and the pilot are a bit
concerned about using the old images, but SAL is very nonchalant: "Don't worry
about it. You pick a spot, and I'll land you there within an accuracy of a few
millimeters." Excellent
MARS MOBILES – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/marsmobiles.html
A lesson plan on Mars and the Earth for grades K-2.
"This activity introduces students to the basic features of the Mars
landscape. Students will compare the landscapes of Mars and Earth and create
mobiles showcasing some of the features of the Martian landscape." Excellent
MARTIAN REAL ESTATE: A GOOD INVESTMENT? – LESSON
PLAN
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g35/marsreal.html
A lesson plan comparing Earth and Mars for grades
3-5.
"This lesson has students compare the landscapes of Mars and Earth and
explore why the two planets are so different. They will conclude by writing
letters convincing fictitious family friends that it is probably not a good idea
to invest in Martian real estate." Excellent
MERCURY – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=309
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on Mercury.
"In
this lesson, students will have the chance to view the solar system and identify
the sun and planets that compose it, which is consistent with recommendations
that students begin to pay attention to sizes, distances, and other basic
concepts dealing with the universe. Students then will be well prepared to
explore a Web resource on the planet Mercury—developed by the Adler
Planetarium—which is the central focus of this lesson." Excellent
MODELING ORBITAL DEBRIS PROBLEMS – LESSON PLAN
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L376
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the debris left in
orbit by man-made objects. "In this lesson, students examine the problem of
space pollution caused by human-made debris in orbit to develop an understanding
of functions and modeling. It allows the students an opportunity to use
spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and computer graphing utilities."
Excellent
NASA EDUCATOR GUIDES
NEW!
http://search.nasa.gov/search/edFilterSearch.jsp?entqr=0&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&ud=1&site=ed_collection&ie=UTF-8&client=default_frontend&oe=UTF-8&start=&nasaInclude=&type=guide&filteredSubject=&subsubjectindex=
There are 147 Educator Guides from NASA here.
Download each to your computer and print. Excellent
ONLINE ASTRONOMY – CURRICULUM GUIDE
NEW!
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Astronomy/AST0028.html
A six-week curriculum unit for grades 4-6 on
astronomy. Includes lesson plans, activities, suggested reading and more. You do
not need the suggested videos but can borrow similar titles from your media
center. Outstanding. Excellent
THE PLANETS IN BALANCE – LESSON PLAN
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2256/
A lesson plan for grades 5-8 on the planets.
"Students conduct independent research on one of the planets in our solar
system, specifically discovering a planet’s composition, weather, atmosphere,
and satellites. Using information on equilibrium and levers, students create
their own mobiles containing planets and satellites. Finally, they will teach
the class about the planet they researched via oral presentations."
Excellent
ROCKET LAUNCH – LESSON PLAN
NEW URL!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=145
A lesson plan on rockets for grades 9-12. "In
this lesson, students will explore design considerations of model rockets. They
will consider how model rockets are similar to real rockets (in design and
flight), as well as how they are different due to the constraints placed upon
them such as size and intended user. In order for this to be a substantive
lesson, it is important for students to be very specific in their thoughts and
discussions." Excellent
SATELLITE ORBITS – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=338
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on satellite orbits.
"In this lesson, students refine and expand their
understandings of gravity, forces, and motion in the context of satellite
orbits. The middle-school grades are the appropriate time to more fully develop
the force/motion relationship for students. However, these concepts need to be
built over time. Students may view the phenomenon of a falling body as a natural
occurrence which requires no further explanation. This lesson is most
appropriate for students who have already had instruction in the forces acting
on falling bodies and gravity in lessons such as Exploring Pendulums."
Excellent
SCIENCE LESSON PLANS –MARS – ASTRONOMY
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceMO.htm
Lesson plans revolving around the theme the
Colonization of Mars. Excellent
SIZING UP THE SOLAR SYSTEM – LESSON PLAN
NEW URL!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=12&DocID=33
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the solar system.
"This investigation focuses on the part of the universe that is most familiar
to students: the solar system. Students' grasps of the ideas of composition and
magnitude of the universe have to develop over time. In middle school, students
can begin to add more detail to their picture of the solar system and the
universe, paying increasing attention to matters of scale and distance."
Includes hands-on activities. Excellent
SKY LESSON PLAN GROUP:
SKY 1: OBJECTS IN THE SKY – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=155
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on the sky. "This
lesson is part of a four-lesson series in which students observe the daytime and
nighttime sky regularly to identify sequences of changes and to look for
patterns in these changes. At the K-2 level, learning about objects in the sky
should be entirely observational and qualitative. The priority is to get
students noticing and describing what objects in the sky look like at different
times." Excellent
SKY 2: SHADOWS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=10
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on the sky.
"In
this lesson, students will explore making shadows and tracking the movement of
an object over the course of a day to look for patterns. It is best to couple
this shadow activity with reading the book, Bear Shadow, and making a map of
Bear's neighborhood when the sun is relatively high in the sky, either near the
beginning or the end of the school year. You'll want to measure sun shadows at
least twice and perhaps three or four times during the year to see how they vary
with the time of year." Excellent
SKY 3: MODELING SHADOWS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=9
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on the sky.
"students construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows."
Excellent
SKY 4: THE MOON – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=172
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on the Moon.
"In
this lesson, students will draw the moon's shape for each evening on a calendar
and then determine the pattern in the shapes over several weeks. Students'
understandings should be confined to observations, descriptions, and finding
patterns. Attempting to extend this understanding into explanations using models
will be limited by the inability of young children to understand that earth is
approximately spherical. Children at this age also have little understanding of
gravity and usually have misconceptions about the properties of light that allow
us to see objects such as the moon. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p.336.)
Thus, these topics should be avoided." Excellent
SKY WATCHING – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=321
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the night sky. "In
this lesson, students will make their own night-sky observations, diagram and
describe what they see, and will then look at pictures taken by telescopes. They
will compare the two ways of observing to confirm what telescopes can reveal
about the night sky. They will also learn about Galileo and contemplate how the
telescope helped him make his discoveries 400 years ago." Excellent
SOLAR SYSTEM LESSON PLANS FOR K-5
http://www.proteacher.com/110066.shtml
A collection of lesson plans on the solar system
and planets for grades K-5. Note: We found one broken link on this site.
Excellent
SPACE FOOD AND NUTRITION – AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE WITH
ACTIVITIES IN SCIENCE AND MATH – CURRICULUM GUIDE NEW URL
& INFO!
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space_Food_and_Nutrition_Educator_Guide.html
A downloadable curriculum guide for grades K-8.
"Refrigeration and quick-freezing have been used to help preserve food flavor
and nutrients and to prevent spoilage. While these forms of packaged food
products are suitable for travel on Earth, they are not always suitable for use
on spaceflights. From Project Mercury's food contained in tubes to the
International Space Station's food on specially designed trays, the introduction
to the Space Food and Nutrition Educator Guide discusses the evolution of meals
in microgravity. The introduction also lists and defines the eight categories of
space food and briefly explains the considerations made when planning meals for
space missions."Excellent
SPACESHIP EARTH – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=295
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on life in space.
"This lesson is entitled Spaceship Earth to reinforce the idea that our planet
is–in reality–like a spaceship hurtling through space on a long-duration
mission. There is no resupply from outside sources. Recycling is as much a part
of the natural order of things as is the sunrise everyday. Pollution occurs when
there are outputs that cannot be used as inputs for something else. Pollution is
harmful and can be downright dangerous. The connections between parts of the
natural system are imperative to its normal operation. By actively thinking
through what it takes to keep people alive on a spaceship, the students will
come to understand more fully what it takes to keep people alive on this
planet." Excellent
STANFORD SOLAR CENTER – also in Websites section
NEW!
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/
"Providing Solar Online Activity Resources for the
joy of solar science exploration". Sections: About the Sun, For Students,
For Educators, Space Weather Monitors, Ancient Observatories, Solar Folklore and
Solar Art & Literature. Includes images, games, quizzes, and more.
For Educators section: "Our web
site provides a collection of multi-disciplinary, interactive exercises and
activities based on the Sun and solar science, most geared to grades 4-12. We
encourage your feedback, suggestions, and ideas for new projects.
We also offer solar spectroscopes that your
students can cut out and put together (see Activity 1 below). These come
complete with gratings, as well as instructions for construction and use.
Additional solar posters are available as well." Excellent
STAR SEARCH – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=432
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on searching the night
sky for stars.
"In these early grades, learning about objects in the sky
should be entirely observational and qualitative. Students will first discuss
what they already know about stars so that you may take inventory of student
understanding. Then, the Development of this lesson is based on observations of
slides in the classroom. While students will not discuss the number of stars
they see, you will discuss with them, and invite them to ponder, the vast
(uncountable) number of stars. With your guidance, these classroom exercises
will help them make better observations of stars on their own. After doing this lesson, students should be
encouraged to go home and do some night sky observing on their own."
Excellent
THE SUN – LESSON PLAN NEW
URL!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=166
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the Sun.
"Students
have started to add more detail to their picture of the universe at this age.
Now students should start to learn about individual planets, moons, and the
stars. By focusing on physical characteristics of the sun, this lesson will give
students a general understanding of what a star is, which can be the basis of
understanding the general make-up of other stars in far off galaxies."
Includes a hands-on activity. Excellent
SUNSPOTS LESSON PLAN GROUP
NEW URLS!
SUNSPOTS 1: A LOOK AT SUNSPOTS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=184
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on sunspots.
"In
this lesson, students are introduced to sunspots and the types of technology and
solar imaging that can be used to collect information about the sun's features.
The second and third lessons in the series are activities in which students
apply information gathered by scientific instruments (telescopes and satellites)
to infer knowledge about the behavior of sunspots." Excellent
SUNSPOTS 2: CORRELATING SUNSPOTS TO ACTIVE REGIONS
– LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=185
A lesson plan on sunspots for grades 9-12.
"This
second lesson allows students to see how sophisticated technology can be used to
learn about the sun. In this activity, students apply the use of two types of
solar imaging to determine a correlation between sunspots and active regions on
the sun. The sunspots are visualized through the use of visible light solar
imaging whereas the active regions are visualized utilizing x-ray energy.
Students compare the two images and determine the area of sunspots and active
regions using a Java applet. The information gathered is used to determine the
existence of a correlation between the two types of solar features."
Excellent
SUNSPOTS 3: TRACKING THE MOVEMENT OF SUNSPOTS –
LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=186
A lesson plan on sunspots for grades 9-12.
"Through the activities of lessons 1 and 2, students should now be familiar with
sunspots, active regions, and the type of imaging used to visualize these
features of the sun. In this activity, students collect one of two types of
images gathered by the SOHO satellite currently circling the sun about one
million miles from earth. Over a two-week period, students will obtain images
directly from SOHO's official site on the Web and track the movement of sunspots
using a latitude/longitude grid." Excellent
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/supernova/
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 from the NY Times on
supernovas.
" Overview of Lesson Plan: In this
lesson, students review and discuss images of supernova remnants, then research
and diagram the formation of supernovas and study why they are important to
astronomers’ understanding of the universe. Finally, students will submit
further questions they have about supernovas to an "Ask an Astronomer" Web
site." Excellent
SYSTEMS 2: UP, UP AND AWAY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=146
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on rockets.
"Systems 2: Systems, Up, Up and Away! is designed to allow students to explore
how changing parts or amounts will impact the properties of a system.
Specifically, students explore how changing individual features of a film
canister rocket will impact its performance" Excellent
TAKE A SPIN THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM – CURRICULUM
UNIT NEW!
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/spin/summary.html
A curriculum unit for grades 7-12 on the solar
system.
"Unit Features: This lesson plan features comparisons
of images for 3 planets (Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn) and the Sun. This lesson
also includes a movie of Saturn and explanatory text (warning: the movie takes a
long time to download and causes higher blood pressure if you're in a hurry).
In this unit we offer two areas. The first area is
where students should go to find a self-study guide for doing their research. It
is also where the NASA images are located and where students can do some real
"cyboscience".
The second area is for teachers. That's where the
lesson plan ideas and teaching suggestions are. Make your choice below." ""Take
a Spin Through the Solar System" can be used as a complete unit for astronomy
courses, or it can be broken into separate lessons for teaching physics, space
or general science, and even math. This material is a good example of how an
Internet-based activity can be successfully incorporated into classroom
activities in order to increase the quality of science and math education, and
also to help students become accustomed to working with computers." Excellent
TEAM MOON – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?BenchmarkID=3&DocID=474
A lesson plan on the moon for grades 6-8.
"In
Team Moon, Catherine Thimmesh tells the story of the people who
worked behind the scenes of the Apollo missions. Each chapter sets forth one
major challenge faced by selected engineers, seamstresses, satellite operators,
and others of the Apollo 11 mission team and how it was met.
As students begin to think about their own possible
occupations, the book will introduce them to the range of careers that involve
technology and science, including engineering, communications, computer science,
and industrial design. For example, while only a select few will ever become
astronauts, there are still thousands of exciting behind-the-scenes careers
relating to space travel."
Excellent
THE TECHNOLOGY OF MARS EXPLORATION – LESSON PLAN
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g912/marstech.html
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on Mars exploration.
"This lesson asks students to research the types of technology that are used
to map and explore Mars. Students will imagine that they are working as
"technology experts" for NASA, and will create visual presentations to show the
American public the types of technology that their tax dollars are funding for
Mars mapping and exploration." Excellent
TRAVEL IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM – CURRICULUM UNIT
NEW!
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=U178
A unit for grades 6-8 on traveling within the solar
system.
"This unit affords students the opportunity to think about two
aspects of the time required to complete space travel within the solar system.
First, students consider the amount of time that space travelers must spend on
the journey. Second, students think about what kinds of events might occur on
Earth while the space travelers are on their journey. Thinking about both
situations improves students' concept of time and distance as well as improves
their understanding of the solar system." Contains two lessons. Excellent
VIRTUAL SOJOURNER – LESSON PLAN
http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/modules/Virtual_Sojourner/index.html
A lesson plan for grades 4-12 on Mars.
"Carry
out a "virtual Mars mission" just like the one Mars Pathfinder's rover,
Sojourner, performed. Apply your new knowledge to future Mars missions!"
Note: Easily adaptable to the current Mars mission. Excellent
THE WARMTH OF THE SUN – LESSON PLAN
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=329
A lesson plan for grades K-2 on the Sun.
"In
this lesson, students will take a closer look at the sun and begin to recognize
its critical function in heating and warming the air, land, and water that
sustain our lives. This will involve drawing their attention to the basics of
the heat around them and how the sun is the primary source of that warmth. They
will then perform a number of indoor and outdoor activities that support the
benchmark, and help to begin their identification of the sun as the natural,
universal source of heat in the world." Excellent
WATER, WATER – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L289
A lesson plan on water use here on earth compared
to a daily allotment per person on the Space Shuttle for grades 3-5.
"Students compare the amount of water they use in daily life with the amount
allotted for each person each day on a Space Shuttle. Within this context,
students estimate and measure the weight of, and amount of space occupied by, a
gallon of water. They collect, organize, graph, analyze, and interpret data from
their investigations. The activities in this lesson are designed to span 2-3
class periods."
Excellent
WHAT A COSMIC WEB WE WEAVE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/what-a-cosmic-web-we-weave/
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 from the NY Times on
the evolution of the universe.
"Overview of Lesson
Plan: In this lesson, students explore how the universe has evolved
since the theoretical Big Bang and create dramatizations of various eras in
cosmic evolution." Excellent
YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2000/03/28/you-light-up-my-life/
A lesson plan on auroras for grades 6-12.
"Overview
of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students examine how the interaction
between solar activity and the Earth’s geomagnetic field result in the phenomena
known as aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, and the impact of increased solar
activity on humans." Excellent

ASTRONOMY POETRY – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/astronomy-poetry-combining-poetry-417.html
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on poetry pertaining
to astronomy.
"In this lesson, students listen to and discuss poetry that
pertains to the study of astronomy and write their own poems to enhance their
learning of the subject. As a final project, students use the ReadWriteThink
Printing Press to compose original poetry books about astronomy. Although this
lesson uses astronomy as a model, it can be modified for any content area
topic." Very Good
CHALLENGER CENTER CLIPART
http://www.challenger.org/tr/tr_clip_set.htm
Clipart images to use in the classroom. Sections:
Comets, Mars, Shuttle, General Space, Earth, Moon, Solar System, International
Space Station. Very Good
FUN IN THE SUN: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUN ACTIVITIES
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/scied/SUN/SunActivitiesInto.html
Activities for primary students on the sun. Very
Good
HOW MUCH WOULD YOU WEIGH ON OTHER PLANETS? –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
http://www.serve.com/chunter/index/info/aweigh.html
Actually three activities: How Much Would You Weigh
on Other Planets?; How Far Could You Jump on Other Planets?; and How Old Would
You Be on Other Planets?. Very Good
LIFE FROM SPACE – AUDIO LESSON
NEW!
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.php?DocID=358
Students grades 6-12 listen to the discussion and
answer questions about the theory that life on Earth was seeded from space. Very
Good
MISSION TO MARS – LESSON PLAN
http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/pilot/mission_2_mars/index.html
A lesson plan for grades 5-12 on Mars and the
possibility of humans landing on Mars. "Sometime during the next twenty
years, a human being may step out of a spacecraft and actually set foot onto the
surface of another world, the Planet Before that day comes, many unmanned
missions will take place to lead the way. One question that will need to be
answered is where is a suitable place to land. If you compare the diameter of
Mars with the diameter of Earth, it is approximately one-half the size. But
because Mars has no oceans like Earth, the amount of land is almost the same.
This makes for a great deal of land to choose from! What do you think would be
important for a landing site to have?" Very Good
THE SATELLITE DELAY RELAY – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/activity/space/sp-6.html
A classroom activity for grades 4-8 on satellites.
"Satellites transmit radio waves from a sender to a receiver and because it
takes time for the waves to travel, there is always some delay. This activity
uses the familiar format of the relay race to illustrate the delay between
sending and receiving a message via satellite." Very Good

SATELLITE SIMULATION – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/activity/space/sp-5.html
A classroom activity for grades 4-6 in which
student simulate satellites.
"With the aid of satellites we are able to
quickly communicate over long distances. This demonstration uses a light beam to
represent a radio signal being relayed from one place to another via a "mirror
satellite." Very Good
SCIENCE EDUCATION GATEWAY ASTRONOMY AND SPACE
SCIENCE
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/SegwayEd/index.html
Lesson plans and classroom activities separated by
grade level. Very Good
SOLAR SYSTEM ADVENTURE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/advent/solar.html
A classroom activity in which students use story
starters to write a science fiction story about the planets. Very Good
SOLAR SYSTEM CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES LINKS
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/science/solar_system/
Links to different kinds of activity sheets such as
report forms, puzzles, coloring pages, etc. Very Good
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY CLIPART AND PHOTOS
http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Space
A collection of photos and clipart for use by
students and teachers. Very Good
SPACE COLORING BOOK
http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/color.html
A coloring book to print out on space and living in
space. Very Good
TEACH SPACE
http://www.space.com/teachspace/
Resources for teachers on space including extensive
lesson plans. Photos and movies and more. Very Good
TERRIERS SPACE FLIGHT EXPLORATION LESSON PLANS
http://www.bu.edu/satellite/classroom/index.html
A group of lesson plans on space exploration. Very
Good
TITAN IN A FISH TANK – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
http://lyra.colorado.edu/sbo/mary/Cassini/titan_demo.html
A classroom activity for grades 3-8.
"Imagining
such a strange world as Titan is difficult. Building a "Titan" in a fish tank
will help to introduce students to this smog shrouded satellite. The ingredients
are easy to find, and students are excited and fascinated by the demonstration."
Very Good
A TOUR OF SATURN AND URANUS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1731.html
A lesson plan for grade 2 on Saturn and Uranus.
"The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the planets of Saturn
and Uranus. The concepts of their unique rings and special characteristics of
each will be presented. Some concepts included are: Saturn is famous for its
rings, Rings are made out of large chunks of ice and rock, Saturn has seven
major rings and Uranus has black rings. Students will construct a Venn diagram
to compare and contrast the planets of Saturn and Uranus. Students are familiar
with the six planets located before Saturn and Uranus and understand that there
are nine planets total. Students are not familiar with the specific
characteristics of each planet, as well as construction of a Venn diagram."
Very Good

BLAST OFF! VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION USING A VIRTUAL
MOON TRIP – LESSON PLAN
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/blast-vocabulary-instruction-using-946.html
A lesson plan for grades 1-2 teaching vocabulary
using a virtual moon trip.
"This lesson is designed to help first- and
second-grade students learn new vocabulary by taking them on virtual adventures
that replicate field trips. Students begin by accessing prior knowledge through
an initial writing activity. Ensuing discussions, read-alouds, and the creation
of a picture dictionary "take students to the moon," while further building
their vocabulary. Students use an online Alphabet Organizer to complete a final
writing activity, which they compare to the writing they did during the first
session. Although this lesson focuses on the moon, its activities can be used
with any content area topic." Good
EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM – ONLINE QUIZZES
NEW!
http://www.smplanet.com/planets/planetintro.html
Three online quizzes based on grade level that help
students explore the solar system. Good
THE FINAL FRONTIER – CROSSWORD PUZZLE
http://members.aol.com/kidcross/space.htm
A crossword puzzle using space terms. Good
FREE ANIMATED SPACE CLIPART
http://clipart.curvedspaces.com/space/VENUS_TILT_CLR.htm
A large collection of animated photos and
illustrations of planets, stars, etc. Good
GRAPHING CONSTELLATIONS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/earthspace12.html
A lesson plan for grade 3 in which students graph
the constellations. Good
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION – ELEMENTARY THEME PAGE
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/space_station.htm
A group of activities with worksheets and
information on the International Space Station. Good
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS LOST IN SPACE – LESSON PLAN
NEW!
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Astronomy/AST0002.html
A lesson plan for grades 2-3 on the solar system.
"The way the solar system is structured in the sky can be very confusing to a
child. This lesson will help the students know exactly where each planet goes
and what it is like on that planet. The students will read about it,
create it, and watch a movie about it." Borrow the video/DVD in the AVA
online catalog for use with this lesson. Good
NASA SOLAR SYSTEM COLORING PAGE
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/activities/cp_solar_system.html
A single page to print out with the nine planets.
Good
SOLAR SYSTEM COLORING BOOK
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi?link=/coloring_book/index_java.html&sw=false&sn=0&edu=elem&cdp=/windows3.html&cd=false&frp=/windows3.html&fr=f&tour=
Coloring pages to print or do online. Good
SOLAR SYSTEM TRADING CARDS
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/trading/directions.html
Directions for collecting solar system trading
cards for primary students. Good
SPACE WORD SEARCH PUZZLE TO PRINT
http://www.thepotters.com/puzzles/kids/space.html
A word search puzzle for elementary students to
print and do. Good
SUN FUN
http://www.kyes-world.com/sun.htm
Simple activities for students studying the sun.
Good

WEBQUESTS
ASTRONOMY TIMELINE – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www2.yk.psu.edu/~mer7/astronomytimeline.htm
A webquest on astronomy for 9th grade
students.
"Science is a study that is constantly changing. Astronomy is the
study of the stars, planets, and other objects that make up the universe.
Beginning around 600 BC, Greek philosophers and scientists developed a number of
important astronomical ideas. Over time, these ideas have evolved and many
discoveries about the universe have been made. Even today, there are new planets
and stars being discovered, and many are studying the fete of our universe. How
did we get to the knowledge that we have today? What data has been collected to
prove different facts about the universe? Most important, who laid the
foundation for current research techniques? How has the progression of astronomical discoveries
influenced history as well as out technological advances?" We found some
broken links on this site. Excellent
BLACK HOLES – JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN – WEBQUEST
http://education.nmsu.edu/webquests/wq/blackhole_webquest/hole5.html
A webquest for junior/senior students on black
holes.
"You and your traveling companions, a group of scientists, are
currently enjoying a remarkable and relaxing tour of the local universe. Your
tour guide suddenly informs you that the rocket's engines have failed. In order
to navigate, the captain will use the enormous gravity of a black hole to guide
you to a nearby help station. Recognizing a great scientific opportunity, your
group, decides to gather as much information about these mysterious objects."
Excellent
COMETS WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/lessons98/Comets.html
A webquest for elementary students on comets.
"Webquests #1-5. We live in a region of space known to us as the Solar System.
The Solar System consists of planets and their moons, stars (the sun), and other
objects such as asteroids, meteors, and comets. These Web Quests will
explore comets by using web resources. Be sure you have a pencil and your
Comments on Comets booklet." Excellent
CONSTELLATIONS IN SCIENCE AND MYTHOLOGY – WEBQUEST
http://chsweb.lr.k12.nj.us/dscheinberg/constellations/constellations.htm
A webquest for high school students in which they
design and write a book on constellations for 3rd-5th
grade students.
"Each group of four students will produce one illustrated
book that would be appropriate for third to fifth grade students to read and
enjoy." Excellent
COSMIC CHEMISTRY WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2000/cosmicchemistry.html
A webquest for grades 6-9 on chemistry in space.
"Purpose: To investigate the chemistry of stars, nebula, planets, and
other celestial bodies. This activity will help the learner understand and
appreciate the integration of the sciences of astronomy and chemistry."
Excellent
COSMIC CHEMISTRY WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2000/cosmicchemistry.html
A webquest for grades 6-9 on chemistry in space.
"Purpose: To investigate the chemistry of stars, nebula, planets, and
other celestial bodies. This activity will help the learner understand and
appreciate the integration of the sciences of astronomy and chemistry."
Excellent

DEEP IMPACT? COULD IT HAPPEN? – WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/lessons98/Deep.html
A webquest exploring the likelihood that a meteor
impact affected life on Earth and could it in the future.
"In this lesson we
will explore the recentinformation about the crater called Chicxulub.
Scientists have found evidence worldwide that an E.L.E ended the existence of
many life forms and changed the direction of life on Earth as we know it. In
this Web Quest you will search a database and analyze the most recent
information available. At the completion of this lesson you will be able to
answer the question: "What caused the end of the dinosaur age?" Excellent
EXPLORING THE CONSTELLATIONS – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://mrscienceut.net/StarryNight1.html
A webquest for 6th grade students on the
constellations. "Go outside some clear evening. Bring along a blanket.
Spread out the blanket and lie down. Look at all the stars you can see.
Quite a beautiful sight, isn’t it! Stars spread out across the sky. But, did you
know that there are patterns to be seen? We call these patterns
"constellations." You are going to learn about constellations.
And, when you have finished this WebQuest, you will know all about
constellations. And, you will never look at the stars in quite the same
way!" Excellent
IS EARTH THE ONLY PLANET? – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/planets/planets.htm
A webquest on the planets for elementary students.
"You will visit all 9 planets in order to find specific information. You will
learn the order of the planets from the Sun. After gathering data on the
individual planets, you will write or type a paper with conclusions you have
drawn to answer the question - Why is Earth the Only Planet You Can Live On? Further research will be done on a specific planet
of your choice. You will then create a multimedia stack/slideshow on the planet
you chose in order to present it to your classmates. Along the way you will be able to enjoy some
interactive games as a way to find information and review facts you have
learned." Excellent
THE LIFE CYCLE OF STARS – WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2003/starlife.html
A webquest for grades 9-12 on the life cycle of
stars.
"In this webquest, you will investigate the process of nuclear fusion
explained by Einstein's famous equation E = MC2 and learn
how mass in the form of hydrogen atoms is converted to helium and causes a
release of energy that makes stars shine. We will also begin to understand the
forces involved in stars that maintain this nuclear reaction and how these
forces change as the star ages." Excellent
LUNAR CYCLE – WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2001/lunarcycle.html
A webquest for elementary students on the lunar
cycle.
"Students will investigate the moon's appearance and changes during
the lunar cycle using the information provided from the internet as well
as teacher made activities." Excellent
MARS EXPRESS NEEDED – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://imaginemars.jpl.nasa.gov/webquest/index.html
A webquest on Mars for grades 6-8. "Through this
webquest, students will explore the environment on the planet Mars and the
challenges it poses to human habitation. Students will learn specifically about
Mars’ climate, geology and atmosphere. Students will use their imaginations to
devise solutions to these difficult conditions." Excellent
MARS ROCKS! – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/webquest/content/marsrocks.shtml
A webquest for intermediate students on Mars.
"Your job in this WebQuest is to learn all about Mars rocks. You will learn
about the planet Mars and about space missions to Mars of the past, present, and
future. You will find out what types of meteorites came from Mars, and why these
rocks have been identified as coming from that planet. You will discover the
evidence that leads scientists to the conclusion that life once existed on Mars.
You will also learn about plans for a mission to Mars that will collect rocks
from the planet’s surface and bring them back to Earth for analysis. Finally,
you will answer a set of questions to demonstrate what you have learned about
Mars rocks, and about the possibility of life on Mars."
Excellent
MARS WEB QUEST AND NEWS CAST
NEW!
http://jn016.k12.sd.us/mars_webquest.htm
A webquest for junior high students on Mars.
"CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have been selected out of thousands of journalists to
embark upon a great adventure. You will be among the first humans to
settle on the planet Mars. For the past six months a small group of
scientists have been making preparations for your arrival. During your
time on the red planet, you will be gathering data and information and then
presenting your findings to the humans on Earth in the form of a news broadcast
that encourages more Earthlings to come live on Mars. Since the mission is
top secret, you may not reveal your travel plans to anyone. All of Earth
will be amazed to learn of the colony's presence when your "Breaking News
Special Bulletin" is aired during the "7th Inning Stretch" of the World Series.
Each of you will chose one of 5 topics to cover and present to the people
on Earth" Excellent
MARSQUEST NEW!
http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/MarsQuest/Quemarsintro.html
A webquest for junior high students on Mars.
"You will provide travel guidance to interplanetary travelers. You must ensure
that travelers know enough about Mars to plan well, to know the best spots to
visit, and at what time of year to visit them. You must become experts on Mars,
so you can knowledgeably compare and contrast at most three possible resort
locations on Mars to your customers. You need to know how to help travelers have
safe and pleasant journeys and provide information they will need about Mars,
about what they should take (raincoats, pressure suits, gravity shoes,
sunglasses, sun screen, beach towels, snow skis, etc.) and what activities to
expect (i.e. spelunking, rock climbing, snow skiing, swimming, sand sailing,
etc.). You could create a book, brochure, slide presentation, mural , TV
commercial, an infomercial, or an interactive web site, that will provide this
and other information for your clients traveling to Mars." Excellent
MISSION TO MARS WEBQUEST
http://www.geocities.com/mickey6040/
A webquest on Mars exploration for grades 8-12.
"In fourteen days, your mission team will be the first humans to endeavor on a
journey to mars. Your mission team is comprised of a journalist, a history
teacher and a scientist. You will see things no one else in this world has seen
first hand. Before you go, your team will have some last minute activities to
complete to prepare for your journey. Remember, mystery and the unknown is
everywhere. No human has stepped foot on this planet until now. Your team coming
from varied walks of life, will become the most knowledgeable individuals about
the planet mars. Your journey begins now." Excellent
PLANET WEBQUEST NEW!
http://dante.udallas.edu/hartmann/
A webquest for upper elementary students on the
planets.
"You are among a team of space travelers who plan to rocket to
another planet in our solar system. You and your fellow travelers will gather
information about a planet and help decide which of the nine planets can support
life. Only prepared travelers are allowed to leave earth to travel. Mission
Control (Mrs. Hartmann) is in charge of issuing planet passports. When Mission
Control decides you have completed pre-flight preparations, she will sign a
planet passport for your team. Then, you can blast off. While visiting and
exploring your planet, you will collect data and send it back to Mission Control
(and your families) as a cyber-postcard. In addition, when you return from
your planet, you must organize and present all of your data to other space
travelers. Good luck!" Excellent
PLANETARY WEBQUEST
http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/edt628/hovey/index.html
A webquest for middle school students on the
planets.
"You are a member of an international scientific team in charge of
the first planetary colony in our solar system. Your team must analyze the
different planets and decide on which planet to colonize. While there is no
right answer, your team must give reasons both for why you chose a particular
planet and why you did not choose the other planets. At the completion of this
assignment each team will also need to: 1. Identify all the planets from their
pictures 2. Give general physical characteristics of the planets they researched
3. Evaluate the web sites they used as sources" Excellent
SOLAR SYSTEM WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/PlanetWalkWEBQUEST.HTM
A webquest for grades 5-8 on the solar system.
"You have been selected to help design a vacation package to one of the planets
in Earth's solar system. You and your team will create a company that will put
together a vacation package that can safely deliver your clients to your
vacation destination. Your team consists of a rocket specialist, spacesuit
designer, travel agent and astronomer." Excellent
A SPACE SETTLEMENT WEBQUEST
http://www.what-is-the-speed-of-light.com/webquests/space-ecosystem-webquest.html
A webquest for middle school students on space
settlement.
"Due to your broad expertise in a range of science disciplines
you have been awarded a contract to develop a system to monitor the overall
'health' of a space settlement. The classroom is divided into several groups
(with around 5 members each) to do this WebQuest. Each group works independently
from the other groups." Excellent
SPACE TRAVEL WEBQUESTS
http://www.the-solar-system.net/webquests/space-webquests.html
A page of webquests on space travel. Excellent

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT: A CONSTELLATION WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://mrscienceut.net/StarryNight.html
A webquest for 6th grade students on
constellations.
"Go outside some clear evening. Bring along a blanket.
Spread out the blanket and lie down. Look at all the stars you can see.
Quite a beautiful sight, isn’t it! Stars spread out across the sky. But,
did you know that there are patterns to be seen? We call these patterns
"constellations." You are going to learn about constellations. As
you learn about constellations, you will be given assignments to do. These will
help you learn all about constellations." Excellent
SWEET HOME, OUTER SPACE – A WEBQUEST ON SPACE
SETTLEMENTS
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq65/
A webquest for high school students on space
settlements.
"You and three others have been appointed to a special task
force team by the President of the United States. In response to rumors that
Russia is currently developing a space settlement, The President has devised
this task force team to insure that America will be the first to send an
orbiting settlement into space." Excellent
TAKE A VACATION ON THIS PLANET – WEBQUEST
http://milforded.org/schools/eastshore/mking/wq/planet.html
A webquest for elementary students on the planets.
"You are a travel agent astronomer trying to sell a vacation on your planet.
As a travel agent you will provide the necessary facts and information to entice
your clients into visiting your planet in our solar system." Excellent
XLIFE WEBQUEST
http://www.resa.net/nasa/webquest.htm
A webquest on exploring for life on other planets.
The Xlife Mission! Pick the likeliest planet (or moon) in the Solar System
for the existence of off-Earth life and design the robotic vehicle-explorer and
the instruments and experiments - and money no limit? It was a dream come true -
her dream." Click on the Index at the bottom for the links. Excellent

ARE WE READY FOR LIFE IN SPACE? – WEBQUEST
http://www.lfelem.lfc.edu/tech/DuBose/webquest/pictor/space.html
A webquest for elementary students on life in
space.
"You will explore the Space Station Mir, its crew and the shuttle
missions that have and will support its existence. You will work in groups of
four, searching web sited and reading articles about it. The first two classes
are for gathering information and answering the questions. Class three you will
pick a project that will demonstrate what was learned. The fourth class will be
used to give presentations." Very Good
BY WAY OF THE MOON – WEBQUEST
http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/space/index.htm
A webquest on the early days of the space program.
"Students will analyze the space program in the 1960's in regard to its
social, political, and economic effects. It will involve the language arts and
science disciplines. It would be appropriate for middle school students but
could be adapted for elementary or high school students." Very Good
CLASSIFYING THE SOLAR SYSTEM WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://mrscienceut.net/ClassifyingtheSolarSystemWebQuest.html
A webquest for 6th grade students on the
objects in the solar system. "What objects make up the Solar System? This is
a question astronomers have studied for centuries. Today you work for NASA and
will use information you gather from the Internet to identify and classify
objects in the Solar System." Very Good
HUMAN LIFE ON MARS: WHAT’S IT LIKE? – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/mars/
A webquest for middle school students on Mars.
"This WebQuest is designed to give students an opportunity to cooperatively
explore the possibilities of colonizing the planet Mars. In order to
complete this project, students are assigned specific tasks to focus on, but
ultimately must work as a team to be successful. Using Internet resources,
students first find out characteristics of Mars. After students determine
the differences between Earth and Mars, they are asked to consider how these
differences would impact human life on this planet. Their final quest is
to create a news report presentation that demonstrates their understanding of
differences between Earth and Mars. They will also explore and report the
effects that these differences have on a made-up colony of humans who have
resided on Mars for the past 25 years" We found some broken links on this
site. Very Good
THE MOON AND TIDES – WEBQUEST
http://www.can-do.com/uci/lessons99/moon.html
A webquest for elementary students on the Moon and
how it affects the Earth.
"At the conclusion of this assignment you will be
able to: 1. Label and identify different phases of the Moon 2. Name different
kinds of tides. 3. Create a graph using your choice of tide data. 4. Predict the
moon phases associated with your graph." Very Good
NEW MOON! WHY DID YOU LEAVE SO SOON? – WEBQUEST
http://aldertrootes.wcpss.net/moonwebquest.html
A moon webquest for third grade students.
"On
your journey to find out why the moon's shape
is constantly changing you will: •Visit the NASA Kids website and read
about Autumn’s Moon. • Look at the different phases of the moon using Shockwave.
• View time-stamped images of phases of the moon as seen from space. •Learn
solar concepts and discover about the "Far Side of the Moon".
Note: We found a couple of broken links on this site. Very Good
OUT OF THIS WORLD! WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/webquest/mims/webquest.htm
A webquest for 6th grade students on the
planets.
"Your team has been assigned a planet to research for the NASA
Travel. Your will create an Appleworks database of the information, a
display board to advertise your planet , and a Powerpoint presentation for
NASA Travel to use when they publicize the upcoming tours." Very Good
PHASES OF THE MOON –WEBQUEST
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/phanover/moon_webquest_home.htm
A webquest for elementary students on the phases of
the Moon. Very Good
PLANETS WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://eats.ecsd.net/curricular/webquest/sky_study/
A webquest for upper elementary students on the
planets.
"You have awoken and discovered that you have been transformed into
another body- A body of an astronaut. You must find out about the solar
system as you will need to make a presentation to Nasa as to which planet you
will be moving to for a few months. You must learn the nine planets in our
galaxy, and the satellites associated to the planets. This will help you
decide which planet you will be able to survive on." Very Good
PLANETARY TRAVEL GUIDE – WEBQUEST
http://chsweb.lr.k12.nj.us/ewightman/planet.htm
A webquest for high school students in which they
create a travel guide for one of the nine planets. Very Good
POETRY AND THE PLANETS WEBQUEST
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/webquest/index.htm
A webquest on the planets for grades 9-12.
"What
is the moon to you? Is it a source of mystery and romance, or just a rock in
space? An unintended result of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's 1969 walk on the
moon has been a less romantic, less poetic attitude toward space. Very few poems
or love songs have been written crediting the moon with inspiring feelings of
love. With the exception of the film "Moonstruck," movies, too, have shied away
from the idea that cosmic bodies can inspire our imaginations in any but a
scientific sense. Your mission is to bring back the poetry. Your assignment is
to take us on a poetic exploration of the planets of the solar system." Very
Good
SPACE STATION: ROOM WITH A VIEW – WEBQUEST
http://www.biopoint.com/WebQuests/AMS/Welcome.html
A webquest for middle school students in which they
design the living quarters of a space station. "As you
know, a microgravity environment changes living as we know it on earth. You have
been selected to serve on a team of research experts that will make
recommendations for the design of a living module on a new space station. You
will become an expert in one of the following areas: Galley Chief - researching
what and how people eat and drink in space Inn Keeper - researching sleeping in
space Hygienist - researching personal care in space Personal Trainer -
researching physical and mental exercise in space. The information your team
gathers will describe former and present designs for your area of living. You
are encouraged to share your knowledge with team members. As individuals, you
will present your information in written form or in electronic form. Your
products will be presented at a symposium of research teams where various
aspects of microgravity living will be discussed. You will have 7 days to work
on your project: Day 1 - teacher introduction Days 2, 3, & 4 - team research
time Day 5 - time to share information with your fellow experts Days 6 & 7 -
develop your individual product Day 8 - symposium of experts." Very Good
SPACE – THE FINAL FRONTIER – WEBQUEST
http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/Solar%20System/Index.html
A webquest for elementary students on space.
"Task: In this voyage we plan to accomplish the following amazing feats! You
will investigate the nine planets and compose an essay comparing and contrasting
the planet of your choice with the Earth." Very Good
THE ULTIMATE SOLAR SYSTEM CATALOG – AN ASTRONOMY
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://mrscienceut.net/SolarSystem.html
A webquest on the solar system for 6th
grade students.
"What if you wanted to know what’s in the Solar System?
You would look at a "catalog" that gave you information about the Solar System.
Catalogs about the Solar System don’t exit.
Your first task is to make a Solar System Catalog. Click here to get a
copy of your assignment sheet. (If you already have an assignment
sheet, you DO NOT need to get another one!)" Very Good
WHY DO THE STARS HAVE DIFFERENT COLORS? WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.rblewis.net/technology/EDU506/WebQuests/starcolor/starcolor.html
A webquest on stars for grades 6-7.
""One, two,
three,..." Let's look up at the starry sky and count the stars. How
many stars can you find? Can you find yellow stars? Red stars?
Or blue stars? Why do the stars have different colors? As an
astronomer, you will explore the stars and find out the clues to these
questions." Very Good

CLASSIFYING THE PLANETS – WEBQUEST
http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/pbs2ucs.htm
A webquest for upper elementary students on the
planets.
"Scientists classify planets in many different ways.
Today you work for NASA and will use information you gather from the Internet
and/or other references to make decisions on how you will classify the planets."
Good
GALAXIES, STARS AND PLANETS, OH MY! – WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/websciencejo.html
A webquest for intermediate students on stars and
planets.
"Students should be able to get a good understanding of the basic
concepts of space that will be discussed including: planets, constellations, the
sun, the moon, and the Milky Way Galaxy. Our solar system is part of the Milky Way Galaxy
and our solar system has nine planets. The sun, the largest object and the
central object of our solar system, is a star. Stars are surrounding us in space
and some are even arranged in a way that they look like pictures or different
characters called constellations. While we know much about our solar system, there is
much that is still a mystery. Make a list of 10 things that you want to
'discover' about our solar system while following this webquest!" The links
here only give the url, not a hyperlink. Good
HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://www.ccsd.edu/south/Science/esci/akarsten/Astronomy/historywebquest/homehistory.htm
A webquest for middle school students on the
history of astronomy. "Working in groups of three or four, you will choose a
time period in the history of astronomy. Each group will be responsible
for preparing a Power Point Presentation describing the historical setting,
important astronomers and astronomical advances." Good
NINE PLANETS - WEBQUEST
NEW!
http://davidson.k12.nc.us/webquests/planets/planets.htm
A webquest on the planets for primary students.
"Blast off! Travel through space to explore and answer questions about the nine
planets in the solar system." Good
A TRIP THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM – AN INTERNET
SCAVENGER HUNT NEW!
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/birchwood/links/scavengerhunts/solarsystem_thirdgradenew.html
An internet scavenger hunt for 3rd grade
students on the solar system. "You have been selected by the National Space
Travel Institute to take a high-speed voyage through our solar system. Your
journey will begin on our star, the Sun. This fantastic round-trip voyage will
take you all the way to Pluto and back again! You have been asked to find the
answers to some interesting questions along the way. Click on the underlined
blue links to find the answers. Good luck...and have a great trip!" Good

You are welcome to post our lists on
your website.
If you do, you must credit Carol Lyn Hutton, Cumberland County AVA Center,
Bridgeton, NJ, post the list in its entirety and link back to our site.
http://www.cumbavac.org
All clipart on this page from Microsoft Design Gallery Live EULA Clipart
Gallery
http://dgl.microsoft.com/mgo1en/eula.asp?nInterface=0&tPhrase=
Some photos on this site from The Hubble Site
http://hubblesite.org/

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