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Some materials require the Flash 6 plug-in
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ACTIVITIES AND LESSON PLANS
Timeline
Use the recourses on the Timeline to discover the story of why the
transit of Venus was an important astronomical event.
Pi in the Sky
Students use bubbles to discover the constant Pi and then apply their
knowledge to the planets.
Scaling the Solar System
Students make a model of the Solar System.
Graphing
Students use data about the planets in our solar system to create
graphs. this can be used with elementary and middle school students.
Scale Model of the Solar System
Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the REAL definition of
"space."
The Size and Distance of the Planets
In this activity, you'll investigate
the concepts of relative size and distance by creating a basic model of our
solar system.
Magnetic Reversals
Fact and Fiction-Students compare two science fiction
stories and a scientific appraisal about what might happen when the next
magnetic reversal happens. They critically evaluate fictional claims to
identify factual errors.
Magnetic Variations
Students use tabulated data to create a graph of
Earth's magnetic intensity. They forecast when, or if, our current field
will actually fall to zero-strength in the future.
Timing the Transit of Venus
Students perform basic time calculation
exercises based on actual historic transit timing data. Topics covered
include elapsed time, time differences and time conversion.
When Do Transits of Venus Happen?
The students will complete a table of values and predict the dates for a
transit of Venus that is visible from the Earth based on rates and patterns.
Mean, Median, Mode, Range
Students use data about the planets in our solar
system to practice Mean, Median, Mode, Range. Use with elementary and
middle school students.
Your Address In The Galaxy
Students discover how small we really are when
they explore their location on the Milky Way Galaxy. Use with elelmentary
and middle school students.
Detecting Planet Transits (87K)
Students model NASA's Kepler mission observations of planetary transits
(a planet moving in front of a star) by standing in a circle with model star
(light bulb) in the center, and observing, through rolled up paper viewing tubes,
a marble planet orbiting the star.
Habitable Planets (24K)
This activity encourages a discussion about what makes a planet habitable.
Students learn that for a planet to support life like we find on Earth,
it must have: (a) the right temperature range for there to be liquid water, and (b)
the right size range to be able to have suitable atmosphere.
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