Elementary Astronomy & Space
Amazing Space - Grades 3-8 - The folks at NASA offer an on-line collection of Shockwave enhanced games and explanations about comets, galaxies, and space exploration. Younger students can browse the basic elements; older ones can dig more deeply into the explanations. Attractive images and movement make this an attractive starting point for an outer space discussion.
Astronomy Picture of the Day - Grades 2-12 - NASA offers a constantly changing selection of pictures from its various space exploration on this site, which changes daily. Great stepping-stone to study of other aspects of space and space exploration.
The Astronaut Connection - Grades 4-8 - This site is dedicated to the history and continuance of space exploration. There is space trivia, astronaut bios, and a chance to meet with and chat with actual astronauts. You can also research information here in the space forum. There are nice graphics, and you can participate in the next actual blast-off from this site. From Data Matrix, Inc.
The Challenger Center for Space Exploration - Grades 3-8 - There are lots of resources at this site. We've marked the page that leads to downloadable classroom resources, most of which are Acrobat files created by NASA. The resources include lessons on the solar system, the moon and planets, the space shuttle, and the international space station.
Classifying Galaxies - Grades 5-9 - From the Virginia Museum of Science - Here’s a site which includes teacher lesson plans, along with worksheets with answer keys. A great introduction to the classification of galaxies.
Comet Central - Grades 4-8 - This Australian site offers a collection of stargazing resources which change with the seasons. There is also information about several comets, their makeup, and their orbits. Easy for students to navigate themselves, with enough graphics to make the trip interesting.
Eric's Treasure Trove of Astronomy - Grades 4-8 - This is a searchable database of scientific definitions related to the study of Astronomy. Available topics range from Physics to Music and Math.
A Guide to the Solar System - Grades 4-12 - Includes text, photos, facts, and exercises. Lots of interesting materials.
How Much Would You Weigh? - Grades 4-8 - This NASA site lets students calculate their weight on various planets and moons throughout the solar system. It includes visuals, a table showing gravitational forces on the various planets, and instructions on how to work through the necessary math. Simple, entertaining way to visualize and understand variations in gravitational force.
How Things Fly: Activities for Teaching Flight - Grades 3-8. Support from Pacific Life Foundation. A short introductory paragraph summarizing the three lessons and activities, "Students draw upon their own experiences and sense of movement to understand basic physics of flight." Includes a section titled "What's going on?" that gives detailed explanations of the activity results. Can download activities in Adobe Acrobat Format.
"An Inquirer's Guide to The Universe" - Grades 3-5 - From the Franklin Institute - Click on "Inquiry Tips" for ways of using this site in the classroom. The site suggests several fictional story starters as a way to integrate creative activities into the study of planets. There is LOTS of factual information on the planets here, along with nice images. The real strength, though, is the presentation guidelines noted above.
The International Space Station - City in Space - CNN offers a collection of multi-medial and virtual reality demonstrations showing how the international space station will be assembled and function. The site includes explanations of the scientific and diplomatic objectives of the space station project. You'll need a Shockwave plug-in, available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
The International Space Station - Grades 6-12 - Take a look at NASA's plans for the International Space Station in this site, which features regular updates on the planning and construction of the station.
The International Space Station - A Virtual Reality Tour - Grades 4-12 - CNN offers a virtual reality tour of the International Space Station. It's a great way to explore the station's various components and construction. You'll need a computer with a 166 MHz processor or better, and the Cosmo player plug-in for your browser. Depending on the speed of your modem connection, the demo could take 3-5 minutes to load. It's worth the wait.
Izzy's Skylog - Grades 4-8 – A site that lists upcoming events in the night sky along with maps to assist in viewing. "Ask Izzy" is a question and answer section relating to backyard and amateur astronomy. Very helpful site!
K-8 Aeronautics Textbook - Grades 1-8 - This site, developed in cooperation with NASA, offers an attractively designed web curriculum for the study of aeronautics. There are a variety of lessons, resources, and activities, as well as lesson plans for use by teachers. The site is maintained at the University of California at Davis.
Liftoff to Space - Grades 2-6. - Latest NASA news as well as background information on U.S. space exploration. The "Kids Space" section includes interactive games, puzzles, and art related to space exploration.
Live From Mars - Grades 3-12 - This excellent site is part of the Mars Team Online, through NASA. It is an excellent learning resource for children. Email exchange as well as scheduled live chat session with NASA experts are part of this site. There is a teachers’ "lounge" with curriculum supplements as well as a discussion center. Projects and a gallery to display student work is part of the Kids Corner. A highlight of the site is a video, Live From Mars.
NASA for Kids - Grades 4-12 - This is NASA's starting point for kids interested in NASA activities. Introduced in June, 1999, it offers dozens of NASA web resources groups into logical categories. Given the hundreds of pages that NASA has on the web, this page should make it easier for students to find information they can use.
NASA Langley's Learning Technologies Project! - Grades K-8 – This site includes interactive projects involving math and science. The common theme is aerospace.
NASA's SpaceLink program for schools - Grades K-12 - This is NASA's "home page" for school-related information. There's almost too much here, and figuring out where to go next can be a problem. It's a good starting point, though, especially when used in conjunction with the other NASA resources on this page.
National Air and Space Museum - Grades 4-8 - This site allows students to visit current exhibits and perform research via the Internet. The "Collections and Research" section includes an area entitled " Center for Earth & Planetary Studies" with useful educational links for students to explore.
The Nine Planets - Grades 4-12 - Here's a planet-by-planet introduction to the solar system which features stunning photographs and supporting content. Photos are from a variety of earth and space sources, and include images of the moons of the various planets. Great source for "wow" planet pictures and good content. From the University of Arizona.
The Satellite Site - Grades 4-12 - Here's a chance for your space students to build their own satellite, learn about different types of satellites, their orbits, and how they operate. Developed by M.I.T. with help from Lockheed Martin, the site includes a number of interactive Java applets that kids can use to test out their own skills. A Java-capable browser is a must.
The Sky - Grades 4-12 - This site, part of the larger Sea and Sky site, offers a collection of images and facts about the stars and planets, along with a set of Java animations which help demonstrate and explain the physics of space and space exploration. These animations are grouped by level of difficulty, and include some very advanced illustrations of principles of relativity.
Star Child - A learning center for young astronomers - Grades 2-5 - This site from NASA offers an unusually well-thought-out introduction to the stars and solar system. The information is available in both primary and upper elementary versions, and the presentation is keyed to applicable national and state standards (primarily Virginia and Maryland). The presentations include elements of astronomy and mathematics. This one is well worth a visit.
The Space Day Page - Grades 4-12 - This site, created for the celebration of Space Day in May, 1999 contains a wealth of information on space and the history of space exploration. There are pictures, time-lines, and links to lesson plans and other teacher resources. Use a Java-capable browser if you can! Your "space kids" will love this one.
Third from the Sun: Geographical Features Seen From Space - Grades 3-6 - The Exploratorium - This site is a self-guided tour and history of using satellites to see the earth from above. There are a few mysterious pictures taken from space for students to identify as well as a section explaining how NASA’s LandSat works. This would make good supplementary material for a unit of study on space or landforms.
Astronomy: Middle & High School
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